North Carolina

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

North Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

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

North Carolina vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	North Carolina 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	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with South Carolina
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sosnc.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From North Carolina to South Carolina, step by step

Order the North Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from North Carolina separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the North Carolina 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 North Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Carolina certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your North Carolina corporation is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for North Carolina companies

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

Your North Carolina name and South Carolina's rules

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

Agents: South Carolina and North Carolina

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and North Carolina

North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($25); 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, North Carolina to South Carolina

An LLC formed in North Carolina 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 North Carolina

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with North Carolina files Form B-09 with $253 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions North Carolina owners ask about South Carolina

Does my North Carolina company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a North Carolina 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 North Carolina corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

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

Do I need North Carolina's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and South Carolina?

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but North Carolina 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 North Carolina's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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