Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Connecticut Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, a corporation formed in Connecticut registers there on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($80). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your Connecticut records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Connecticut and West Virginia side by side

	Connecticut formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$80	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Connecticut: online, with an express version, or by mail	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	business.ct.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $150, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	Anniversary date of the filing of the first annual report	July 1 each year
Agent	Your Connecticut registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Connecticut companies register with West Virginia

We prepare and file Form CF-1
It names us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, with your Connecticut name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the Connecticut certificate, it is ordered first. Once West Virginia approves it, the Connecticut company can do business there.

Will your Connecticut name work for West Virginia?

If another West Virginia company uses the Connecticut name, an alternate name is allowed. We search West Virginia's records for Connecticut's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: West Virginia and Connecticut

West Virginia calls it an agent for service of process; Connecticut says registered agent. West Virginia papers come to us; Connecticut's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Connecticut and West Virginia

Connecticut wants the Annual Report every year ($150); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Connecticut to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Connecticut files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Legal Existence ($50)). After that come Connecticut's Annual Report ($80) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

The other way: West Virginia into Connecticut

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Connecticut files Connecticut's registration (no form number) with $385 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Connecticut to West Virginia

Does my Connecticut company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

$300 at checkout; West Virginia may also want Connecticut's Certificate of Legal 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 Connecticut's certificate if West Virginia asks for it. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for Connecticut and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Connecticut's report ($150) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Connecticut name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

Yes, but Connecticut keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Connecticut's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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