South Carolina

Foreign registration · Form F0008

Wisconsin LLC Foreign Registration in South Carolina

To do business in South Carolina, an LLC formed in Wisconsin registers there on Form F0008, with $110 in state fees. South Carolina also wants Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), dated within 30 days. We file it with the Secretary of State from your Wisconsin records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Wisconsin vs South Carolina: the paperwork

	Wisconsin formed here	South Carolina registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form F0008, Application for a Certificate of Authority by a Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$110 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with South Carolina
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	South Carolina Secretary of State
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	businessfilings.sc.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 30 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $25, every year	No annual report
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our South Carolina agent for service of process

From Wisconsin to South Carolina, step by step

Order the Wisconsin certificate
The Certificate of Status ($10) is ordered from Wisconsin separately; it is not part of our South Carolina order. An instant Wisconsin certificate reaches South Carolina only hours old, well inside the limit of 30 days.
We prepare and file Form F0008
It names us as your South Carolina agent for service of process, with your Wisconsin name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Wisconsin delays the South Carolina filing. After approval, your Wisconsin LLC is registered with South Carolina.

South Carolina costs for Wisconsin companies

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

Your Wisconsin name and South Carolina's rules

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

Your South Carolina agent and the Wisconsin one

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

Staying in good standing in Wisconsin and South Carolina

Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($25); South Carolina has no annual report for LLCs. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to South Carolina

A corporation formed in Wisconsin files Form F0002 with South Carolina ($110 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($10)). After that come Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25) and South Carolina's Annual Report (Schedule D of Form SC1120 / SC1120S) filed with DOR. See the corporation filing.

Registering a South Carolina company in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in South Carolina that registers with Wisconsin files Form 521 with $100 in state fees; no South Carolina certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Wisconsin owners ask about South Carolina

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in South Carolina?

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

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

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

Do I need Wisconsin's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and South Carolina?

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

What if I don't register with South Carolina?

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

Does South Carolina require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new South Carolina LLC instead?

Yes, but Wisconsin keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one has no South Carolina yearly report, and the original keeps Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5).

How do I withdraw from South Carolina later?

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's filings stay in place.

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