Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Tennessee Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

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

Tennessee and West Virginia side by side

	Tennessee formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Tennessee Certificate of Existence	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	Tennessee: online or by mail	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.tn.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due		July 1 each year
Agent	Your Tennessee registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

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

Will your Tennessee name work for West Virginia?

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

Your West Virginia agent and the Tennessee one

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

Staying in good standing in Tennessee and West Virginia

Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($20); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Tennessee to West Virginia

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

Registering a West Virginia company in Tennessee

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4431 with $600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Questions Tennessee owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Tennessee company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Tennessee's report ($20) and West Virginia's report ($25, every two years).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Tennessee name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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