South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Louisiana Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Louisiana that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Louisiana's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Louisiana records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Louisiana and South Carolina each ask for

	Louisiana formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Louisiana Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$25	$110 at order
How it is handled	Louisiana: online or by mail	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.la.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $30, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	On or before the anniversary of the date of incorporation	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Louisiana registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Louisiana companies register with South Carolina

Order the Louisiana certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Louisiana separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Louisiana certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form F0002
It names us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, with your Louisiana name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Louisiana certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. Once South Carolina approves it, the Louisiana company can do business there.

First-year cost, Louisiana to South Carolina

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Louisiana	$25
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Louisiana certificate included	$334

Will your Louisiana name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Louisiana

South Carolina calls it an agent for service of process; Louisiana says registered agent. South Carolina papers come to us; Louisiana's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Louisiana

Louisiana wants the Annual Report every year ($30); 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, Louisiana to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Louisiana files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Louisiana

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Louisiana files Form 326 with $160 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Louisiana owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Louisiana company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a Louisiana 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 Louisiana corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a Louisiana corporation in South Carolina?

$309 at checkout plus $25 to Louisiana for the Certificate of Good Standing, $334 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Louisiana's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($25), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Louisiana and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Louisiana's report ($30) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A Louisiana 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 Louisiana registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Louisiana 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 Louisiana's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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