Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in West Virginia files Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your Kentucky records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Kentucky and West Virginia each ask for

	Kentucky formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Kentucky 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	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	On or before June 30	July 1 each year
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Kentucky 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 Kentucky name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the Kentucky certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Kentucky corporation is registered with West Virginia.

Your Kentucky name and West Virginia's rules

If West Virginia's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Kentucky company. We check your exact Kentucky name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Your West Virginia agent and the Kentucky one

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Kentucky

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

The other way: West Virginia into Kentucky

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no West Virginia certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to West Virginia

Does my Kentucky company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

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

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Kentucky's report ($15) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Kentucky name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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