South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form CF-1

South Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

A corporation formed in South Carolina that wants to do business in West Virginia files Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your South Carolina records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

South Carolina and West Virginia side by side

	South Carolina formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year	July 1 each year
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How South Carolina companies register with West Virginia

We prepare and file Form CF-1
It lists us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, next to your South Carolina name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the South Carolina certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your South Carolina corporation is registered with West Virginia.

Will your South Carolina name work for West Virginia?

If another West Virginia company uses the South Carolina name, an alternate name is allowed. We check your exact South Carolina name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Your West Virginia agent and the South Carolina one

South Carolina and West Virginia both call it an agent for service of process. West Virginia papers come to us; South Carolina's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: West Virginia and South Carolina

South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) every year; West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to West Virginia

An LLC formed in South Carolina files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in South Carolina

A corporation formed in West Virginia 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 West Virginia

Does my South Carolina company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

$300 at checkout; West Virginia may also want South Carolina's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the West Virginia registration take?

West Virginia's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost, plus time for South Carolina's certificate if West Virginia asks for it. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and West Virginia?

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

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my South Carolina name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its South Carolina name at home.

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing a withdrawal application; until then, West Virginia's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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