Foreign corporation certificate of authority
West Virginia Certificate of Authority: Form CF-1
A corporation formed in another state registers with West Virginia on Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority. The $100 filing fee ($101 with the charges West Virginia collects at filing) goes to West Virginia; our $199 covers preparing and filing it plus the first year of West Virginia agent for service of process, for $300 at checkout. West Virginia sets its own proof rule for foreign corporations.
West Virginia corporation certificate of authority at a glance
- Filing
- Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
- State fee
- $100 filing fee ($101 with the charges West Virginia collects at filing)
- Total with us
- $300, first year of West Virginia agent for service of process included
- Standard processing
- standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost
- Home-state certificate
- Set by the state
- West Virginia yearly filing
- Annual Report, $25, every two years
- Filed with
- West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
What Form CF-1 asks for
For Form CF-1, West Virginia needs:
- The exact name of your corporation as formed, or an alternate name if that name is taken there
- The state it was formed in and its date of formation
- A West Virginia agent for service of process with a street address there; we fill in ours
- A principal office address
Corporation into West Virginia, by home state
Every home state pays the same $300 at checkout for West Virginia.
| Formed in | Home-state certificate | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Alaska | Certificate of Compliance, if asked | $300 |
| Arizona | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| California | Certificate of Status, if asked | $300 |
| Colorado | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Legal Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Delaware | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Florida | Certificate of Status, if asked | $300 |
| Georgia | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Hawaii | Good Standing Certificate, if asked | $300 |
| Idaho | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Illinois | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Indiana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Iowa | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Kansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Kentucky | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Louisiana | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Maine | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Maryland | Certificate of Status, if asked | $300 |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Michigan | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Minnesota | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Good Standing / Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Missouri | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Montana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Nevada | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| New Jersey | Standing Certificate, if asked | $300 |
| New Mexico | Certificate of Good Standing and Compliance, if asked | $300 |
| New York | Certificate of Status, if asked | $300 |
| North Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| North Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Ohio | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Oklahoma | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Oregon | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Pennsylvania | Subsistence Certificate, if asked | $300 |
| Rhode Island | Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| South Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| South Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Tennessee | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Texas | Certificate of Fact - Status, if asked | $300 |
| Utah | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Vermont | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Virginia | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
| Washington | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $300 |
| Wisconsin | Certificate of Status, if asked | $300 |
| Wyoming | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $300 |
West Virginia agent for service of process rule
West Virginia requires every registered foreign corporation to keep an agent for service of process there. Our $199 includes the first year of West Virginia agent for service of process, then $149 a year.
West Virginia yearly filings
Once registered, your corporation files the West Virginia Annual Report every two years, at $25, due July 1 each year. The West Virginia filing window opens January 1 and closes June 30. Filing it late adds $50.
How long West Virginia takes
We file Form CF-1 with the West Virginia Secretary of State. West Virginia standard processing: standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost. Paid speed-ups: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500; they are optional and not in the total.
Leaving West Virginia later
If your corporation stops doing business there, it ends the registration by filing a withdrawal application. Until that is filed, West Virginia's yearly filing stays due.
West Virginia foreign corporation questions
Do I have to register my corporation in West Virginia?
Yes, if it was formed in another state and does business there. An office, staff or regular sales there usually mean registering.
How much does foreign corporation registration in West Virginia cost?
$300 at checkout: the $100 filing fee ($101 with the charges West Virginia collects at filing) plus our $199, which includes the first year of agent for service of process.
How long does the West Virginia registration take?
West Virginia's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost; a paid next-day option costs $25.
What does it cost each year to stay registered in West Virginia?
$149 a year for our agent for service of process, plus the Annual Report ($25, every two years). The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.
Do I need a registered agent in West Virginia?
Yes. West Virginia requires one for every corporation registered there from another state. Ours is included for the first year, then $149 a year.
What if my company's name is taken in West Virginia?
West Virginia lets an out-of-state corporation register under an alternate name.
How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?
File a withdrawal application with the West Virginia Secretary of State.
Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?
It is possible, but that is a separate company that files West Virginia's Annual Report ($25), while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.
Is the West Virginia filing the same for an LLC?
No: LLCs file Form LLF-1 ($151 in state fees), and corporations file Form CF-1.
Is this a certificate of authority?
Yes. West Virginia issues a certificate of authority once the filing is approved.
Official West Virginia sources
- West Virginia filing page (sos.wv.gov)
- West Virginia Form CF-1 (sos.wv.gov)
- West Virginia SOS, fee schedule for services and registration
- West Virginia SOS, cancel or withdraw an out-of-state business
- West Virginia yearly filing (code.wvlegislature.gov)
- West Virginia yearly filing (code.wvlegislature.gov)