South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

Washington Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

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

Washington vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Washington formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Washington 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	Washington: online as an instant Express download, also emailed	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	ccfs.sos.wa.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $70, 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	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your Washington registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

How Washington companies register with South Carolina

Order the Washington certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Washington separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the Washington 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 Washington name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Washington delays the South Carolina filing. Once South Carolina approves it, the Washington company can do business there.

First-year cost, Washington to South Carolina

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

Your Washington name and South Carolina's rules

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Washington one

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

Yearly filings: South Carolina and Washington

Washington wants the Annual Report every year ($70); 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, Washington to South Carolina

An LLC formed in Washington 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 Washington

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with Washington files Washington's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Washington to South Carolina

Does my Washington company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

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

Do I need Washington's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for Washington and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Washington's report ($70) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but Washington 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 Washington's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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