Alabama

Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, a corporation formed in Alabama registers there on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your Alabama records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Alabama and West Virginia side by side

	Alabama formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$25	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due		July 1 each year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From Alabama to West Virginia, step by step

We prepare and file Form CF-1
It lists us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, next to your Alabama name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the Alabama certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Alabama corporation is registered with West Virginia.

Will your Alabama name work for West Virginia?

If West Virginia's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Alabama company. We check your exact Alabama name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Agents: West Virginia and Alabama

West Virginia calls it an agent for service of process; Alabama says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Alabama; ours takes West Virginia's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Alabama and West Virginia

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Alabama files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Alabama

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Alabama company need to register in West Virginia?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; West Virginia registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: West Virginia issues one to Alabama corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

$300 at checkout; West Virginia may also want Alabama's Certificate of Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the West Virginia registration take?

West Virginia's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost, plus time for Alabama's certificate if West Virginia asks for it. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers West Virginia for year one.

Will West Virginia accept my Alabama name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Alabama name at home.

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

Alabama companies leave by filing a withdrawal application; until then, West Virginia's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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