Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Vermont Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, a corporation formed in Vermont registers there on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Vermont's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your Vermont records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Vermont and West Virginia each ask for

	Vermont formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Vermont 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	Vermont: online as an instant download from the business dashboard	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.vermont.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $60, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	By March 15 for calendar-year corps (within 2.5 months after end of fiscal 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 Vermont registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

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

Will your Vermont name work for West Virginia?

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

Agents: West Virginia and Vermont

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Vermont

Vermont wants the Annual Report every year ($60); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Vermont to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Vermont files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($35)). After that come Vermont's Annual Report ($45) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Vermont

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Vermont files Vermont's registration (no form number) with $155 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Questions Vermont owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Vermont company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

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

What are the yearly costs for Vermont and West Virginia?

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

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Vermont name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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