West Virginia Foreign Registration / What it costs
What West Virginia charges a foreign LLC to register, and then each year
The state collects $150 for an LLC's certificate of authority, then $25 with every annual report. Our own charge, $199, appears apart from the state fee at checkout.
Filing fee for each entity type
| Kind of entity | Fee |
|---|---|
| Limited liability company | $150 |
| For-profit corporation | $100 |
| Limited partnership | $150 |
| Limited liability partnership | $500 |
| Nonprofit corporation | $50 |
The schedule adds that a limited liability partnership must re-register every two years.
Other charges the Secretary of State lists
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Exemption from certificate of authority (corporation or LLC) | $25 |
| Name reservation, in writing | $15 |
| Certified copy, each | $15 |
| Change of address, agent or officers (Form AAO) | $15 |
| Annual report | $25 |
| Cancel or withdraw a foreign business | $25 |
| Online processing, per online filing | $1 |
Faster handling, added to the filing fee
| Service | Extra charge |
|---|---|
| Standard, 5 to 10 business days | None |
| In-person, same day | $25 |
| Next business day | $25 |
| Two hours | $250 |
| One hour | $500 |
The time frame indicates when the filing will be completed and registered in the Secretary of State database. Expediting is not available for dissolutions and withdrawals of corporations, voluntary associations and business trusts, credit service organization registrations, trademark filings and sole proprietor or general partnership trade names.
Four totals that count the home certificate
A Delaware LLC pays $200 to register: $150 to West Virginia and $50 to Delaware for the certificate. With the first annual report at $25 that becomes $225. A Wyoming LLC pays $150, since Wyoming lists its certificate at $0, and $175 after the first report.
Worked totals for a foreign LLC
| Case | Total | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| A Delaware LLC registers | $200 | $150 + $50 |
| A Wyoming LLC registers | $150 | $150 + $0 |
| Delaware, plus the first report | $225 | $200 + $25 |
| Wyoming, plus the first report | $175 | $150 + $25 |
| Five years of West Virginia fees | $275 | $150 + 5 x $25 |
| Veteran-owned registration | $0 | Fee waived with proof of status |
Each total that names a home state counts that state's certificate. The five-year row does not.
Paying more to be faster
Standard processing costs nothing extra. Asking for the next business day makes a registration $175, a two-hour filing $400 and a one-hour filing $650, all before our own charge and before the home certificate.
Speed is the only optional state charge
Standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost. Certified copies and the faster tiers are the extras a filer can add.
A certified copy
If the company wants a certified copy of the filing, the form adds $15 for each one requested, so one copy takes the registration to $165. Send an additional original with the filing if you would like a date-stamped copy back without a certification.
Holding the name first
A name reservation in writing is $15 and holds the name for 120 days. Reserving first and then registering is $165 in state fees.
When the fee is waived
A veteran-owned company can have the registration fee waived by including a copy of Veterans Affairs Form DD214 with the application. A company that qualifies pays $0 to the state for registration, though a certified copy or an expedite is still extra. The annual report fee is waived for veteran-owned entities for four years after initial formation.
The exemption price
A company whose activities fit the statute's list can apply for exempt status for $25, a fraction of the registration fee.
The cost of leaving
Withdrawing costs $25, and filing online adds $1, so an online withdrawal is $26 in state charges. Until a foreign LLC has the certificate of cancellation, it stays liable for taxes and penalties.
The home certificate is separate
A home-state certificate is not a West Virginia charge. It comes from another state's office at that office's own price.
Our charge
Our price is $199, which pays for collecting the details, getting a certificate with the right tax-year date, preparing the application and filing it. A company that prefers to file without help can follow the self-filing guide.
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.
Fee questions
How much is the West Virginia fee for a foreign LLC?
$150.
Is a veteran-owned company charged?
The registration fee is waived with proof of status.
What does the annual report cost?
$25.
What is the exemption fee?
$25.
How much does a one-hour filing add?
$500.
What does an online withdrawal cost?
$26, counting the online fee.
What you pay
Get authority in West Virginia
West Virginia$199
+ $150 state fee
- Form LLF-1 prepared from your questionnaire answers
- A home-state good standing certificate dated in the current tax year
- A West Virginia agent for service of process, ours or your choice
- The filed certificate of authority, passed on to you
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
$150 is the Secretary of State's fee for an LLC. Veteran-owned companies can have it waived, and an exemption application costs $25. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Sources
- West Virginia SOS, register an out-of-state (foreign) business
- Form LLF-1 and instructions, application for certificate of authority of a limited liability company
- West Virginia SOS, fee schedule for services and registration
- West Virginia SOS, annual reports
- W. Va. Code 31B-10-1003, activities not constituting transacting business
- Form LLF-2, application for exemption from certificate of authority of a limited liability company
- West Virginia SOS, cancel or withdraw an out-of-state business
- Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule (PDF)
- Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division fee schedule
Working in West Virginia?
Order now and the application is on file before another reporting season passes.