Tennessee

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Tennessee Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

A corporation formed in Tennessee that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Tennessee records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Tennessee and South Carolina each ask for

	Tennessee formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Tennessee Certificate of Existence	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	Tennessee: online or by mail	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.tn.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due		15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Tennessee registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Tennessee to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Tennessee certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Tennessee separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Tennessee 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 Tennessee name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once Tennessee's certificate is in hand, South Carolina's filing goes in. After approval, your Tennessee corporation is registered with South Carolina.

First-year cost, Tennessee to South Carolina

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

Your Tennessee name and South Carolina's rules

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

Agents: South Carolina and Tennessee

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Tennessee

Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($20); South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Tennessee to South Carolina

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

Registering a South Carolina company in Tennessee

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4431 with $600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Questions Tennessee owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Tennessee company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a Tennessee 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 Tennessee corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

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

Do I need Tennessee's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Tennessee's report ($20) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Tennessee 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 Tennessee's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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