{"data":{"id":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-33-15-102","jurisdiction":"us-sc","citation":"S.C. Code Ann. § 33-15-102","heading":"Consequences of transacting business without authority.","body":"(a) A foreign corporation transacting business in this State without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding in any court in this State until it obtains a certificate of authority.\n(b) The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this State without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action arising out of that business may not maintain a proceeding based on that cause of action in any court in this State until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains a certificate of authority.\n(c) A court may stay a proceeding commenced by a foreign corporation, its successor, or assignee until it determines whether the foreign corporation or its successor requires a certificate of authority. If it so determines, the court may further stay the proceeding until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains the certificate.\n(d) A foreign corporation is liable for a civil penalty of ten dollars for each day but not to exceed a total of one thousand dollars for each year it transacts business in this State without a certificate of authority. The Attorney General may collect all penalties due under this subsection.\n(e) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this State.","path":["Title 33 - CORPORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS","CHAPTER 15 Foreign Corporations","ARTICLE 1 Certificate of Authority"],"source_url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t33c015.php","current_through":"2025 Session of the General Assembly","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-02T07:03:29Z","sha256":"f52f612dc5b24eac2207ee048cc92f2c321243b2923355660a85909e40218114","source_id":"us-sc","stale":false,"prev":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-33-15-101","next":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-33-15-103"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}