South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

South Carolina registers a corporation from Virginia as a foreign corporation on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Virginia's Certificate of Good Standing ($6). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Virginia records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Virginia and South Carolina side by side

	Virginia formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Virginia Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$6	$110 at order
How it is handled	Virginia: online as an instant PDF from the Clerk's Information System	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	scc.virginia.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee, $50, 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 Virginia registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Virginia to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($6) is ordered from Virginia separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Virginia 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 Virginia name and formation date and the certificate attached. Virginia issues the certificate instantly, so the South Carolina filing can go in the same day. Once South Carolina approves it, the Virginia company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for Virginia companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Virginia	$6
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Virginia certificate included	$315

Will your Virginia name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and Virginia

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Virginia

Virginia wants the Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee every year ($50); 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, Virginia to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Virginia files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6)). See the LLC filing.

Questions Virginia owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Virginia company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $6 to Virginia for the Certificate of Good Standing, $315 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($6), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Virginia and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Virginia's report ($50) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Virginia 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 Virginia's Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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