South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

North Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from North Dakota as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants North Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State from your North Dakota records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

North Dakota vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	North Dakota formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$20	$110 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed with South Carolina
Office	North Dakota Secretary of State	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	firststop.sos.nd.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	August 1	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From North Dakota to South Carolina, step by step

Order the North Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($20) is ordered from North Dakota separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the North Dakota 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 Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Dakota certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. After approval, your North Dakota corporation is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for North Dakota companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to North Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, North Dakota certificate included	$329

Will your North Dakota name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and North Dakota

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and North Dakota

North Dakota 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 Dakota to South Carolina

An LLC formed in North Dakota files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($20)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in North Dakota

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $145 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions North Dakota owners ask about South Carolina

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

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $20 to North Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing, $329 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

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

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($20), current at filing.

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

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but North Dakota 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 Dakota's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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