South Carolina

Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

South Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

An LLC formed in South Carolina that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your South Carolina records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

South Carolina and Tennessee side by side

	South Carolina formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$300 at order
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with Tennessee
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $300, every year
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our Tennessee registered agent

How South Carolina companies register with Tennessee

Order the South Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from South Carolina separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee counts 60 days from the day South Carolina issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It names us as your Tennessee registered agent, with your South Carolina name and formation date and the certificate attached. The South Carolina certificate comes first; then the Tennessee filing goes in. After approval, your South Carolina LLC is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for South Carolina companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Existence, paid to South Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, South Carolina certificate included	$509

Will your South Carolina name work for Tennessee?

Tennessee can hold a name for $20 before you file.

Agents: Tennessee and South Carolina

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

Staying in good standing in South Carolina and Tennessee

South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs; Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($300). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to Tennessee

A corporation formed in South Carolina files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into South Carolina

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with South Carolina files Form F0008 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Common questions: South Carolina to Tennessee

Does my South Carolina company need to register in Tennessee?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$499 at checkout plus $10 to South Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $509 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need South Carolina's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no South Carolina yearly report and Tennessee's report ($300).

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

A South Carolina company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Tennessee can add a fine of at least $900.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

Yes: the South Carolina agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($300), and South Carolina has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal or Cancellation (Foreign Entity) ($20); until then, Tennessee's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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