South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Kentucky records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Kentucky vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Kentucky formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$10	$110 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	On or before June 30	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Kentucky to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Kentucky certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form F0002
It lists us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, next to your Kentucky name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Kentucky certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. Once South Carolina approves it, the Kentucky company can do business there.

First-year cost, Kentucky to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$319

Will your Kentucky name work for South Carolina?

South Carolina can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Your South Carolina agent and the Kentucky one

South Carolina calls it an agent for service of process; Kentucky says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Kentucky; ours takes South Carolina's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Kentucky

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

The other way: South Carolina into Kentucky

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no South Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to South Carolina

Does my Kentucky company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a Kentucky business operates there; South Carolina law lists 13 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: South Carolina issues one to Kentucky corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

$309 at checkout plus $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $319 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Kentucky's report ($15) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A Kentucky company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and South Carolina can add a penalty of $10 a day and a civil penalty of up to $1,000.

Does South Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Kentucky registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Kentucky keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), and the original keeps Kentucky's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

Kentucky companies leave by filing an Application for Surrender of Authority to Do Business; until then, South Carolina's report stays due alongside Kentucky's filings.

Official sources

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