Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Georgia Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, a corporation formed in Georgia registers there on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Georgia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Georgia records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Georgia vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	Georgia formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Georgia Certificate of Existence	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Georgia: online as a PDF, processed immediately with no expedite fee	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	ecorp.sos.ga.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Registration, $60, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	April 1	July 1 each year
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost
Agent	Your Georgia registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

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

Your Georgia name and West Virginia's rules

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

Your West Virginia agent and the Georgia one

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

Staying in good standing in Georgia and West Virginia

Georgia wants the Annual Registration every year ($60); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Georgia to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Georgia files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Georgia's Annual Registration ($60) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Questions Georgia owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Georgia company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

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

What are the yearly costs for Georgia and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Georgia's report ($60) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Georgia name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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