Maryland

Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Maryland Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Maryland that wants to do business in West Virginia files Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Maryland records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Maryland vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	Maryland formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$20	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Periodic report, $300, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	April 15	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 Maryland resident agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

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

Will your Maryland name work for West Virginia?

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

Your West Virginia agent and the Maryland one

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

Staying in good standing in Maryland and West Virginia

Maryland wants a periodic report every year ($300); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Maryland files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($20)). After that come Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

The other way: West Virginia into Maryland

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. See that filing.

Common questions: Maryland to West Virginia

Does my Maryland company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Maryland and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Maryland's report ($300) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

Yes: the Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers West Virginia for year one.

Will West Virginia accept my Maryland name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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