Virginia: the quick briefing
17th
on the 50-state list for foreign LLCs
Fee the state takes at registration
$100
Report you must file again
$50
Annual registration fee
Paper from the home state
365 days
How old it can be
What the state collects in 3 years
$200
Registering, then two more years of reports
Virginia ranking
Five weighted criteria set the order (see the
method): three-year fees 33%, filings covered 26%, and then renewal terms, fit with Virginia rules and a clear state fee.
Ranked first
1. VA Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent price
$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $99 a year from year 2
We start with VA Registered Agent.org, and the reason is simple: $199 above the state fee gets you registered; after that it is $99 a year.
Its three-year fees are lower than Mainstay Filing's, and cost is 33% of our score, the biggest weight we use.
What your money gets you
- Handles the foreign registration filing for you
- A year of agent service
What works
- A $99 renewal
- The first agent year is included
- $199 plus the state fee
What to weigh
- Virginia only; your home state needs its own agent
Biggest reach
2. Mainstay Filing: best for growing beyond your home state
$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $149 a year from year 2
In second place we put Mainstay Filing. It files your Virginia registration for $199 beyond the state fee and includes the first year of agent service.
A $100 gap to VA Registered Agent.org over three years is what keeps it out of first place.
In year 2 you start paying $149 a year for the agent in any state.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration and files it
- Your registered agent for the first year is free
- One price wherever you file
What works
- $199 above the state fee
- One price, any state
- You pay no agent fee in the first year
What to weigh
- VA Registered Agent.org's agent renews for $50 less
The 2 picks compared
Prices as shown on November 13, 2026. The state's $100 is not counted in the figures above.
Registration and upkeep by year
The registration fee is $100, with a $50 report from year 2, and provider fees are added on top.
How Virginia compares with the states near it in the ranking
How to register an LLC from another state in Virginia
To get your out-of-state LLC registered, deliver the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052) to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk with $100. Your application must come with certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated within 365 days.
Upkeep means filing the annual registration fee ($50), last day of your registration month.
Pre-filing checklist
- Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, no more than 365 days.
- The legal name of your LLC and the day it was formed.
- Your own registered agent with a street address in the state, named on the form.
- A way to pay the $100 official fee.
If your LLC never registers
You have no right to sue in the state's courts until you register (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Your LLC's contracts continue to hold (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).
Why the first pick is first
VA Registered Agent.org wins on price over three years, which counts 33%, and Mainstay Filing is next.
Over three years you would pay VA Registered Agent.org $397 in fees ($100 below Mainstay Filing).
Your Virginia questions answered
How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Virginia?
$100 as the official fee. Provider fees are $199.
Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Virginia?
Use the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052) and send it to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.
Does the state want a certificate from my home state?
Yes, you need certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated within 365 days of your filing.
Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?
Yes, you file the annual registration fee and pay $50.
What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?
You have no right to sue in the state's courts until you register (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Your LLC's contracts continue to hold (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).
Must I appoint a registered agent when registering in Virginia?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?
VA Registered Agent.org comes first and Mainstay Filing follow. What separates them is price over three years.
Where this briefing comes from
- Behind the Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is scc.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Va section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Virginia registered agent statute section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees section is scc.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the SCC, foreign business entities FAQ section is scc.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the SCC, foreign registration checklist section is scc.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited section is law.lis.virginia.gov, a page we reread in November 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Colorado Secretary of State, foreign entity FAQ section is coloradosos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Sample Statement of Foreign Entity Authority section is coloradosos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Secretary of State business fee schedule section is coloradosos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 7 section is content.leg.colorado.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Registered agent requirements effective July 1, 2025 section is coloradosos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Periodic report FAQ section is coloradosos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms section is sos.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Foreign LLC certificate of authority form section is sos.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Business filing and certification fee schedule section is sos.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0802, certificate of authority section is revisor.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0803, activities that are not section is revisor.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0808, consequences section is revisor.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the West Virginia SOS, register an out-of-state business section is sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Form LLF-1, application for certificate of authority section is sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the W section is code.wvlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the W section is code.wvlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the W section is code.wvlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the West Virginia SOS, cancel or withdraw a foreign section is sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Kansas Secretary of State, register a business section is sos.ks.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Form FA, foreign business application section is sos.ks.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the K.S.A. 17-7932, activities that are not doing business section is ksrevisor.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the K.S.A. 17-76,126, effect of failing to register section is ksrevisor.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Kansas Secretary of State, information reports section is sos.ks.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- We looked at the VA Registered Agent.org website on November 13, 2026 to confirm pricing page
- We looked at the Mainstay Filing website on November 13, 2026 to confirm Virginia service page