Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Delaware Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Delaware that wants to do business in West Virginia files Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Delaware records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Delaware and West Virginia each ask for

	Delaware formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$50	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Franchise Tax Report, $50, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	March 1	July 1 each year
Late yearly filing	$200 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate comes by mail	Standard processing: standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Delaware 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 Delaware name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the Delaware certificate, it is ordered first. Once West Virginia approves it, the Delaware company can do business there.

Will your Delaware name work for West Virginia?

If West Virginia's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Delaware company. We search West Virginia's records for Delaware's name on file before anything is filed.

Your West Virginia agent and the Delaware one

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

Staying in good standing in Delaware and West Virginia

Delaware wants the Annual Franchise Tax Report every year ($50); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Delaware to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Delaware files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($50)). After that come Delaware's Annual LLC Tax ($400) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Delaware

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $245 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Delaware owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Delaware company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does it cost to register a Delaware corporation in West Virginia?

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

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Delaware's report ($50) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Delaware name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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