Ohio

South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0008

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in South Carolina

An LLC formed in Ohio that wants to do business in South Carolina files Form F0008, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also asks for Ohio's Certificate of Good Standing ($5), no older than 30 days. We file it with the Secretary of State using your Ohio records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Ohio vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Ohio formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	Form F0008, Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$110 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 30 days
Yearly filing	No annual report	No annual report
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Ohio to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Ohio certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($5) is ordered from Ohio separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. South Carolina counts 30 days from the day Ohio issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form F0008
It lists us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, next to your Ohio name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Ohio certificate comes first; then the South Carolina filing goes in. Once South Carolina approves it, the Ohio company can do business there.

South Carolina costs for Ohio companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$110
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Ohio	$5
Our service, with a year of South Carolina agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Ohio certificate included	$314

Your Ohio name and South Carolina's rules

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

Agents: South Carolina and Ohio

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

Staying in good standing in Ohio and South Carolina

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to South Carolina

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form F0002 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($5)). See the corporation filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Ohio

An LLC formed in South Carolina that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no South Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Ohio owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Ohio company need to register in South Carolina?

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

How much does the South Carolina registration cost?

$309 at checkout plus $5 to Ohio for the Certificate of Good Standing, $314 in all (checkout is $110 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Ohio's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Carolina wants it ($5), no more than 30 days old at filing.

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

An Ohio company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does South Carolina require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers South Carolina for year one.

Can I form a new South Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no South Carolina yearly report, and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

Ohio 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 Ohio's filings stay in place.

What does a South Carolina company file to register in Ohio?

It files Form 617 with $99 in state fees.

Official sources

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