Utah

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Utah Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, a corporation formed in Utah registers there on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Utah's Certificate of Existence ($12). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Utah records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Utah vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Utah formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Utah Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$12	$110 at order
How it is handled	Utah: online, emailed automatically on payment	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	commerce.utah.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report / Annual Renewal, $18, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month each year	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Utah registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Utah to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Utah certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($12) is ordered from Utah separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. It comes as a short form ($12) or a long form ($20). South Carolina wants the Utah certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form F0002
It names us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, with your Utah name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Utah delays the South Carolina filing. After approval, your Utah corporation is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for Utah companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to Utah	$12
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Utah certificate included	$321

Your Utah name and South Carolina's rules

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

Agents: South Carolina and Utah

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Utah

Utah wants the Annual Report / Annual Renewal every year ($18); 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, Utah to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Utah files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($12)). See the LLC filing.

The other way: South Carolina into Utah

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Utah files Utah's registration (no form number) with $59 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Utah owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Utah company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $12 to Utah for the Certificate of Existence, $321 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Utah's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Utah's Certificate of Existence ($12), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Utah and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Utah's report ($18) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Utah 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 Utah's Annual Report / Annual Renewal.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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