South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form FBE

South Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

A corporation formed in South Carolina that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from South Carolina: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your South Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

South Carolina and Kentucky side by side

	South Carolina formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with Kentucky
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year	On or before June 30
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our Kentucky registered agent

From South Carolina to Kentucky, step by step

We prepare and file Form FBE
It lists us as your Kentucky registered agent, next to your South Carolina name and formation date. No South Carolina paperwork holds up the Kentucky filing. After approval, your South Carolina corporation is registered with Kentucky.

Will your South Carolina name work for Kentucky?

We search Kentucky's records for South Carolina's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Kentucky and South Carolina

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

Yearly filings: Kentucky and South Carolina

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

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to Kentucky

An LLC formed in South Carolina files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with South Carolina files Form F0002 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Common questions: South Carolina to Kentucky

Does my South Carolina company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once a South Carolina business operates there; Kentucky registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay South Carolina.

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

No, Kentucky takes Form FBE without it.

How long does the Kentucky registration take?

Kentucky's standard processing takes up to 3 business days; nothing comes from South Carolina first.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and Kentucky?

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

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps South Carolina's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal (Foreign Business Entity); until then, Kentucky's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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