South Carolina Certificate of Authority / DIY steps
Getting a South Carolina certificate of authority on your own
Can you get a South Carolina certificate of authority without help? Yes. An LLC sends two copies of Form F0008, a home certificate under 30 days old and $110. A corporation sends Form F0002, its certificate of existence, its first annual report and $110 plus the license fee. This page lists the steps and the traps. To skip them, order the filing for $199.
Checklist by entity
| Step | LLC | Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Form F0008 | Form F0002 |
| Name | Distinguishable; fictitious name if not | Matches the home certificate |
| Agent | Resident individual or authorized entity | Same, at the registered office |
| Home paper | Certificate of existence under 30 days old | Certificate of existence |
| Extra | Two copies, signer's capacity | Initial annual report and license fee |
| Fee | $110 | $110 |
Step one: test the name
Search South Carolina's records for the name. If it clashes, pass a resolution for a fictitious name and submit Form F0022.
Step two: find an agent
For an LLC, an individual resident of South Carolina, a domestic corporation, another limited liability company, or a foreign corporation or foreign company authorized to do business in the state.
Step three: order the certificate last
Request an original certificate of existence, or a record of similar import from the home official, timed so that on the posting day it is no older than 30 days.
Step four: complete the form
Answer every point, attach extra sheets where the form runs out of room, and write the signer's capacity beside the signature.
Step five: pack the envelope
Enclose two copies, the certificate and a check for the fee made out to the Secretary of State, plus a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the filed copy mailed back.
Step six: file
Mail to Secretary of State, ATTN: Corporate Filings, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia or file through Business Entities Online at businessfilings.sc.gov.
What trips filings
The name is not available for use in South Carolina; the dated certificate of existence, not more than 30 days old, from the home state's Secretary of State is missing; the filing fee payable to the Secretary of State was left out; the legal name was unavailable and no fictitious name form was filed; and the signer did not list the capacity or position that gives authority to sign for the entity.
What you pay yourself
The state fee, the home state's certificate fee, an agent's charge, $2 for a fictitious name and postage. An LLC pays nothing yearly to the Secretary of State.
After filing
Keep the receipt and the filed copy. An LLC that must file corporate income tax returns, or a corporation, plans its Department of Revenue report for the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year.
Getting a South Carolina certificate of authority yourself
Test the name
Plan a fictitious name for an LLC if needed.
Find an agent
A person or firm that can be served in South Carolina.
Order the certificate
Time it for the filing date.
Complete the form
State the signer's capacity.
Pack and pay
Two copies, certificate and check.
File
By mail or online.
A worked example: an LLC from Virginia
Picture a Virginia LLC with two members that plans a Columbia shop. The name search shows a clash, so they pass a resolution for a fictitious name and pay $2 to register it. A Columbia resident agrees to serve. The Virginia certificate is ordered the day before mailing. The form lists Virginia as home state and member management, and a member signs, writing the capacity next to the signature. Two copies and a $110 check go in the envelope.
A worked example: a corporation from Ohio
An Ohio corporation opens a Greenville sales office. Its Ohio certificate of existence carries its exact name. It prepares its initial annual report, names a Greenville registered agent and office, completes Form F0002, and pays $110 plus the license fee. Its annual report then goes to the Department of Revenue by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year.
Sample answers for the LLC points
| Point | Situation | Sample answer |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Available | The home name, matching the certificate |
| Name | Clashes | Fictitious name, resolution enclosed |
| Term | Perpetual | No fixed term |
| Management | Members run it | Say member-managed; list no managers |
| Member liability | Ordinary LLC | Members carry no liability for company debts |
| Signer | A member signs | Write that the signer is a member |
These assume an ordinary LLC; the operating agreement controls the real answers.
If the filing comes back
Take the stated reason, correct that point and send the package again. The usual causes are a clashing name, a stale certificate, a missing check, a skipped fictitious name form and an unstated signer capacity.
A checklist to print
Name tested. Agent chosen. Certificate ordered for the right date. Form complete. Capacity stated. Two copies made. Check enclosed. Envelope addressed.
What should I photocopy?
Everything you send: the application, the certificate and the check. If the package is returned or lost, the copies save a second round of ordering.
How do I sign?
The manager signs for a manager-managed LLC, and any member can for a member-managed one; state the capacity beside the name.
What order should the work go in?
Name first, then agent, then form, then certificate. The certificate comes last because it expires once it is more than 30 days old.
What about the Department of Revenue?
Every corporation, and any LLC taxed as one, reports each year to the Department of Revenue by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year. Other LLCs owe no corporate license fee. The application itself places the entity under the Department's reach on tax without conceding liability.
How do I fix a mistake after filing?
Altering something stated in the application calls for an amended certificate of authority ($110); a new agent or office calls for a statement of change ($10).
Is there a deadline?
The Act requires authority before an entity transacts business, so the practical deadline is the first day of South Carolina activity. After that the court bar applies until the certificate issues.
What do I do with the certificate when it arrives?
File it with the company records, give the bank a copy if it asks, and note the date. A certificate of existence or authorization issued by South Carolina itself costs $10 if you ever need a fresh one.
What the printed instructions cover
The form carries its own instructions on the number of copies, the return envelope, the signer and the fee. The check goes to the Secretary of State, and 2 copies of the form are filed.
Other charges you may meet
Reserving an LLC name costs $25, and a certificate of existence or authorization issued by South Carolina costs $10. A filed paper can be copied at $1 for page one and $0.50 for every later page.
When to pass it to us
Going it alone suits a single entity whose name is free and whose agent is lined up. A name conflict, a slow home state or several entities at once are where we step in, for $199.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Price summary
Get your South Carolina certificate
Georgia or any stateSouth Carolina
$199
+ $110 to the state
- Your certificate of authority application, drafted from a questionnaire
- The home-state certificate requested on the right date
- A South Carolina agent for service if you need one
- The filed copy and the state's receipt
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
The $110 state fee is the LLC and corporation fee, paid to the Secretary of State and itemized separately; a corporation also pays a license fee, and other entity types are priced on the cost page. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Official sources
- Form F0008, application for a certificate of authority (foreign LLC), with filing instructions
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act
- South Carolina Secretary of State, FAQs about business entities
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 1, general provisions, fees and taxes
- Form F0002, application by a foreign corporation for a certificate of authority
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 31, nonprofit corporations
- South Carolina Business Entities Online
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 15, foreign corporations
- S.C. Code Title 12, Chapter 20, corporate license fee and annual report
- Form F0022, adopting a fictitious name
- Form F0054, foreign LLC certificate of cancellation of authority
- Form F0039, application for an amended certificate of authority (foreign LLC)
Need a South Carolina certificate of authority?
Send the entity type and we take over the filing.