Foreign registration · Form Corp 42

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Missouri

A corporation formed in West Virginia that wants to do business in Missouri files Form Corp 42, with $155 in state fees. Missouri also asks for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division from your West Virginia records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

West Virginia vs Missouri: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Missouri registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form Corp 42, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$155 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Missouri
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Official page	sos.wv.gov	sos.mo.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Corporate Registration Report, $15, every two years
Due	July 1 each year	Last day of the corporation's anniversary month
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$15 late fee
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Missouri registered agent

From West Virginia to Missouri, step by step

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our Missouri order. With West Virginia taking days and Missouri counting 60 days from issue, the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form Corp 42
It names us as your Missouri registered agent, with your West Virginia name and formation date and the certificate attached. The West Virginia certificate takes days to arrive, so the Missouri filing waits for it. After approval, your West Virginia corporation is registered with Missouri.

First-year cost, West Virginia to Missouri

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$155
Certificate of Existence, paid to West Virginia	$10
Our service, with a year of Missouri registered agent service	$199
First-year total, West Virginia certificate included	$364

Will your West Virginia name work for Missouri?

We check your exact West Virginia name against Missouri's records before filing.

Your Missouri agent and the West Virginia one

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

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Missouri

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

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Missouri

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form LLC 4 with Missouri ($105 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Missouri into West Virginia

A corporation formed in Missouri that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Missouri

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Missouri?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Missouri law lists 8 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Missouri registration cost?

$354 at checkout plus $10 to West Virginia for the Certificate of Existence, $364 in all (checkout is $155 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Missouri wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Missouri?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Missouri's report ($15, every two years).

What if I don't register with Missouri?

A West Virginia company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Missouri can add a fine of at least $1,000.

Does Missouri require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Missouri for year one.

Can I form a new Missouri corporation instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Missouri's Corporate Registration Report ($15), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Missouri later?

West Virginia companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal; until then, Missouri's report stays due alongside West Virginia's filings.

Official sources

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