South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Michigan Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from Michigan as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Michigan's Certificate of Good Standing ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Michigan records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Michigan and South Carolina each ask for

	Michigan formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Michigan Certificate of Good Standing	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	Michigan: online, emailed to the MiLogin for Business account	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	michigan.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500, $25, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	May 15	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Michigan resident agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Michigan to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Michigan certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($10) is ordered from Michigan separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Michigan 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 Michigan name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once Michigan's certificate is in hand, South Carolina's filing goes in. After approval, your Michigan corporation is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for Michigan companies

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

Your Michigan name and South Carolina's rules

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

Agents: South Carolina and Michigan

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

Staying in good standing in Michigan and South Carolina

Michigan wants the Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 every year ($25); South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Michigan to South Carolina

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

The other way: South Carolina into Michigan

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Michigan files Form CSCL/CD 560 with $60 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Michigan owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Michigan company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

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

Do I need Michigan's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Michigan and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Michigan's report ($25) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A Michigan 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 Michigan resident agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Michigan 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 Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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