South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Vermont Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from Vermont as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Vermont's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Vermont records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Vermont and South Carolina each ask for

	Vermont formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Vermont Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$25	$110 at order
How it is handled	Vermont: online as an instant download from the business dashboard	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.vermont.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $60, every year	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	By March 15 for calendar-year corps (within 2.5 months after end of fiscal year	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Vermont registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Vermont companies register with South Carolina

Order the Vermont certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Vermont separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Vermont 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 Vermont name and formation date and the certificate attached. Vermont issues the certificate instantly, so the South Carolina filing can go in the same day. Once South Carolina approves it, the Vermont company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for Vermont companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Vermont	$25
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Vermont certificate included	$334

Will your Vermont name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Vermont

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Vermont

Vermont wants the Annual Report every year ($60); 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, Vermont to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Vermont files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($35)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Vermont

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Vermont files Vermont's registration (no form number) with $155 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Questions Vermont owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Vermont company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

$309 at checkout plus $25 to Vermont for the Certificate of Good Standing, $334 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Vermont's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($25), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Vermont and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Vermont's report ($60) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Vermont 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 Vermont's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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