South Carolina

Minnesota

Foreign registration · no form number

South Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in Minnesota

A corporation formed in South Carolina that wants to do business in Minnesota files an online registration (no form number), with $220 in state fees. Minnesota may ask for South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services using your South Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

South Carolina vs Minnesota: the paperwork

	South Carolina formed here	Minnesota registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Foreign Corporation or Cooperative Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota (no form number)
State fee	$10	$220 at order (filing fee $200 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed online with Minnesota
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	sos.mn.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Renewal, $115, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year	December 31
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our Minnesota registered agent

From South Carolina to Minnesota, step by step

We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Minnesota registered agent, next to your South Carolina name and formation date. If Minnesota wants the South Carolina certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your South Carolina corporation is registered with Minnesota.

Your South Carolina name and Minnesota's rules

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

Agents: Minnesota and South Carolina

Minnesota 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 Minnesota's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in South Carolina and Minnesota

South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) every year; Minnesota wants the Annual Renewal every year ($115). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to Minnesota

An LLC formed in South Carolina files its own registration with Minnesota ($205 in state fees; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Minnesota into South Carolina

A corporation formed in Minnesota that registers with South Carolina files Form F0002 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5). See that filing.

Questions South Carolina owners ask about Minnesota

Does my South Carolina company need to register in Minnesota?

Yes, once a South Carolina business operates there; Minnesota law lists 8 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Minnesota issues one to South Carolina corporations once the filing is approved.

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

$419 at checkout; Minnesota may also want South Carolina's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the Minnesota registration take?

Minnesota's online processing takes 2 to 5 business days, plus time for South Carolina's certificate if Minnesota asks for it.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and Minnesota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), South Carolina's report (fee set by the state) and Minnesota's report ($115).

What if I don't register with Minnesota?

A South Carolina company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Minnesota can add a penalty of $100 for each month and a civil penalty of up to $1,000.

Does Minnesota require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Minnesota corporation instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Minnesota's Annual Renewal (no fee), and the original keeps South Carolina's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Minnesota later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing an Application for Withdrawal of a Foreign Corporation; until then, Minnesota's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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The same move for an LLC