Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

West Virginia registers a corporation from Iowa as a foreign corporation on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Iowa records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Iowa and West Virginia each ask for

	Iowa formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$5	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years	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 Iowa registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Iowa companies register with West Virginia

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

Will your Iowa name work for West Virginia?

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

Your West Virginia agent and the Iowa one

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($60); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Iowa files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($30) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

The other way: West Virginia into Iowa

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Iowa company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and West Virginia?

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

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Iowa name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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