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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in South Carolina

South Carolina calls it the Certificate of Existence and charges $10. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Existence
State fee
$10
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Ordered online through Business Entities Online. South Carolina publishes no issuance time and no mail turnaround
Issuing office
South Carolina SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The South Carolina SOS will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the South Carolina portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $10 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the South Carolina state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
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Full ordering details for South Carolina

South Carolina uses Certificate of Existence for domestic entities and Certificate of Authorization for foreign ones. The Secretary of State publishes a single $10 fee, described as set by statute, and states no separate price for ordering online rather than by post. Order through Business Entities Online. Under SC Code 33-44-208 the certificate states the company name, that it is duly organized and the date, whether its duration is at-will or for a specified term, THAT ALL FEES, TAXES AND PENALTIES OWED TO THE STATE HAVE BEEN PAID, and that articles of termination have not been filed.

Processing and expedited tiers: Ordered online through Business Entities Online. South Carolina publishes no issuance time and no mail turnaround

Important to know about South Carolina

  • South Carolina LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State, so there is no SOS filing to keep current. That is not the whole picture: SC Code 33-44-208 puts unpaid state taxes and penalties on the face of the certificate, and an LLC that has elected corporate treatment owes the Department of Revenue an annual return. The prerequisite is a Revenue one, not a Secretary of State one.
  • A Certificate of Compliance from the SC Department of Revenue ($60) is a separate document covering state tax compliance. SOS Certificate of Existence does not certify tax status.
  • The Secretary of State warns that third-party services charge more than the $10 statutory fee for this certificate. Ordering direct through Business Entities Online is both the cheapest route and the instant one.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from South Carolina is what the new state asks for when your South Carolina LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into South Carolina instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available South Carolina Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the South Carolina SOS before ordering.