South Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Virginia

To do business in Virginia, an LLC formed in South Carolina registers there on Form LLC1052, with $100 in state fees. Virginia also asks for South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than one year. We file it with the State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk using your South Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

South Carolina vs Virginia: the paperwork

	South Carolina formed here	Virginia registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form LLC1052, Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed online with Virginia
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	scc.virginia.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within one year
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Registration Fee, $50, every year
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our Virginia registered agent

From South Carolina to Virginia, step by step

Order the South Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from South Carolina separately; it is not part of our Virginia order. Virginia accepts it within one year of South Carolina's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form LLC1052
It lists us as your Virginia registered agent, next to your South Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The South Carolina certificate comes first; then the Virginia filing goes in. Once Virginia approves it, the South Carolina company can do business there.

First-year cost, South Carolina to Virginia

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Existence, paid to South Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of Virginia registered agent service	$199
First-year total, South Carolina certificate included	$309

Will your South Carolina name work for Virginia?

Virginia can hold a name for 120 days for $10 before you file.

Your Virginia agent and the South Carolina one

Virginia 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 Virginia's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in South Carolina and Virginia

South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs; Virginia wants the Annual Registration Fee every year ($50). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

Registering a Virginia company in South Carolina

An LLC formed in Virginia that registers with South Carolina files Form F0008 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Questions South Carolina owners ask about Virginia

Does my South Carolina company need to register in Virginia?

Yes, once a South Carolina business operates there; Virginia law lists 12 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Virginia registration cost?

$299 at checkout plus $10 to South Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $309 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

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

Yes: Virginia wants South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than one year old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for South Carolina and Virginia?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no South Carolina yearly report and Virginia's report ($50).

What if I don't register with Virginia?

A South Carolina company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Virginia can add a civil penalty of up to $5,000.

Does Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Virginia LLC instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Virginia's Annual Registration Fee ($50), and South Carolina has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Virginia later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Cancellation; until then, Virginia's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

Official sources

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