Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Illinois Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

West Virginia registers a corporation from Illinois as a foreign corporation on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Illinois records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Illinois vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	Illinois formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	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	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	ilsos.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05), $75, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	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 Illinois registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From Illinois to West Virginia, step by step

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

Your Illinois name and West Virginia's rules

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

Agents: West Virginia and Illinois

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

Staying in good standing in Illinois and West Virginia

Illinois wants the Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) every year ($75); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Illinois files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Illinois's Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) ($75) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Illinois to West Virginia

Does my Illinois company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Illinois's report ($75) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Illinois name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

Yes, but Illinois keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05).

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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