South Carolina

North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form B-09

South Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in North Carolina

North Carolina registers a corporation from South Carolina as a foreign corporation on Form B-09, with $253 in state fees. North Carolina may ask for South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division from your South Carolina records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

South Carolina and North Carolina side by side

	South Carolina formed here	North Carolina registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form B-09, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$253 at order (filing fee $250 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with North Carolina
Paid expedite		24-hour $100, same-day $200
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	sosnc.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year	15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our North Carolina registered agent

From South Carolina to North Carolina, step by step

We prepare and file Form B-09
It names us as your North Carolina registered agent, with your South Carolina name and formation date. If North Carolina wants the South Carolina certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your South Carolina corporation is registered with North Carolina.

Will your South Carolina name work for North Carolina?

North Carolina can hold a name for $10 before you file.

Agents: North Carolina and South Carolina

North Carolina calls it a registered agent; South Carolina says agent for service of process. North Carolina papers come to us; South Carolina's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in South Carolina and North Carolina

South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) every year; North Carolina wants the Annual Report every year ($25). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to North Carolina

An LLC formed in South Carolina files Form L-09 with North Carolina ($253 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

The other way: North Carolina into South Carolina

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

Questions South Carolina owners ask about North Carolina

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

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

$452 at checkout; North Carolina may also want South Carolina's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the North Carolina registration take?

North Carolina's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days, plus time for South Carolina's certificate if North Carolina asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $100, same-day $200.

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

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

Does North Carolina require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new North Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files North Carolina's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps South Carolina's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from North Carolina later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing Form L-14 ($25); until then, North Carolina's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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