(a) A foreign corporation may not transact business in this State until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Secretary of State.

(b) The following activities, among others, do not constitute transacting business within the meaning of subsection (a):

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 33-31-1501

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

(1) maintaining, defending, or settling any proceeding;

(2) holding meetings of the board of directors or members or carrying on other activities concerning internal corporate affairs;

(3) maintaining bank accounts;

(4) maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of memberships or securities or maintaining trustees or depositaries with respect to those securities;

(5) selling through independent contractors;

(6) soliciting or obtaining orders, whether by mail or through employees or agents or otherwise, if the orders require acceptance outside this State before they become contracts;

(7) creating or acquiring indebtedness, mortgages, and security interests in real or personal property;

(8) securing or collecting debts or enforcing mortgages and security interests or any other rights in property securing the debts;

(9) owning, without more, real or personal property;

(10) conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within thirty days and that is not one in the course of repeated transactions of a like nature;

(11) transacting business in interstate commerce;

(12) soliciting those contributions as are defined in § 33-55-20(3) or any succeeding statute of like tenor and effect.

(c) The list of activities in subsection (b) is not exhaustive.