South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0002

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, a corporation formed in West Virginia registers there on Form F0002, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State using your West Virginia records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

West Virginia vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form F0002, Application by a Foreign Corporation for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
State fee	$10	$110 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with South Carolina
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	sos.wv.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR, fee set by the state, every year
Due	July 1 each year	15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From West Virginia to South Carolina, step by step

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina wants the West Virginia 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 West Virginia name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Allow for the days West Virginia takes to send the certificate before the South Carolina filing goes in. Once South Carolina approves it, the West Virginia company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for West Virginia companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Existence, paid to West Virginia	$10
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, West Virginia certificate included	$319

Will your West Virginia name work for South Carolina?

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

Agents: South Carolina and West Virginia

West Virginia and South Carolina both call it an agent for service of process. South Carolina papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: South Carolina and West Virginia

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); South Carolina wants the Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to South Carolina

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form F0008 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in South Carolina that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to South Carolina

Does my West Virginia company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

$309 at checkout plus $10 to West Virginia for the Certificate of Existence, $319 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and South Carolina's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A West 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina corporation instead?

Yes, but West 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 West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

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

Official sources

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