South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

South Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, an LLC formed in South Carolina registers there on Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants South Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your South Carolina records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

South Carolina vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	South Carolina formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	South Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form LLF-1, West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$151 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	South Carolina: online	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	South Carolina Secretary of State	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	businessfilings.sc.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due		July 1 each year
Agent	Your South Carolina agent for service of process	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From South Carolina to West 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 West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the South Carolina certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form LLF-1
It names us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, with your South Carolina name and formation date and the certificate attached. The South Carolina certificate comes first; then the West Virginia filing goes in. After approval, your South Carolina LLC is registered with West Virginia.

First-year cost, South Carolina to West Virginia

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$151
Certificate of Existence, paid to South Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of West Virginia agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, South Carolina certificate included	$360

West Virginia's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your South Carolina name work for West Virginia?

West Virginia accepts your South Carolina name if it includes limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.. If the South Carolina name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another West Virginia company uses the South Carolina name, an alternate name is allowed. We search West Virginia's records for South Carolina's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: West Virginia and South Carolina

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and South Carolina

South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs; West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Carolina to West Virginia

A corporation formed in South Carolina files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). After that come South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: West Virginia into South Carolina

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with South Carolina files Form F0008 with $110 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Questions South Carolina owners ask about West Virginia

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

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

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

$350 at checkout plus $10 to South Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $360 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

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

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

How long does the West Virginia registration take?

West Virginia's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost, once South Carolina's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), no South Carolina yearly report and West Virginia's report ($25).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my South Carolina name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its South Carolina name at home. West Virginia names must include limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co..

Can I form a new West Virginia LLC instead?

Yes, but South Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26), and South Carolina has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

South Carolina companies leave by filing a withdrawal application; until then, West Virginia's report stays due alongside South Carolina's filings.

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