South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0008

Kentucky LLC Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, an LLC formed in Kentucky registers there on Form F0008, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also asks for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 30 days. We file it with the Secretary of State from your Kentucky records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Kentucky and South Carolina side by side

	Kentucky formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form F0008, Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$110 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 30 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	No annual report
Due	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Kentucky to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina counts 30 days from the day Kentucky issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form F0008
It names us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, with your Kentucky name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Kentucky's certificate is in hand, South Carolina's filing goes in. Once South Carolina approves it, the Kentucky company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for Kentucky companies

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

Your Kentucky name and South Carolina's rules

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Kentucky one

South Carolina calls it an agent for service of process; Kentucky says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Kentucky; ours takes South Carolina's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Kentucky and South Carolina

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to South Carolina

A corporation formed in Kentucky files Form F0002 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR. See the corporation filing.

The other way: South Carolina into Kentucky

An LLC formed in South Carolina that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no South Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to South Carolina

Does my Kentucky company need to register in South Carolina?

Yes, once a Kentucky business operates there; South Carolina law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register a Kentucky LLC in South Carolina?

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

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 30 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and South Carolina?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Kentucky's report ($15) and no South Carolina yearly report.

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

A Kentucky company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does South Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Kentucky registered agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but Kentucky keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no South Carolina yearly report, and the original keeps Kentucky's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

Kentucky companies leave by filing a Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Cancellation of Authority to Transact Business; until then, both the South Carolina registration and Kentucky's filings stay in place.

Official sources

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