Foreign registration · Form DSCB:15-412

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Pennsylvania

To do business in Pennsylvania, a corporation formed in West Virginia registers there on Form DSCB:15-412, with $250 in state fees. Pennsylvania needs nothing from West Virginia: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations from your West Virginia records, then serve as your registered office there for year one.

West Virginia vs Pennsylvania: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Pennsylvania registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form DSCB:15-412, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$10	$250 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 online with Pennsylvania
Paid expedite		same-day $100, 3-hour $300, 1-hour $1,000
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.wv.gov	pa.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report, $7, every year
Due	July 1 each year	June 30
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Pennsylvania registered office

How West Virginia companies register with Pennsylvania

We prepare and file Form DSCB:15-412
It names us as your Pennsylvania registered office, with your West Virginia name and formation date. No West Virginia paperwork holds up the Pennsylvania filing. Once Pennsylvania approves it, the West Virginia company can do business there.

Will your West Virginia name work for Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania accepts your West Virginia name if it includes the word corporation, company, incorporated or limited, an abbreviation, the word association, fund or syndicate, or words of like import used in the home state. We check your exact West Virginia name against Pennsylvania's records before filing.

Agents: Pennsylvania and West Virginia

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

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Pennsylvania

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Pennsylvania wants the Annual Report every year ($7). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Pennsylvania

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form DSCB:15-412 with Pennsylvania ($250 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Pennsylvania into West Virginia

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

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Pennsylvania

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Pennsylvania?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

Pennsylvania calls it registration for West Virginia corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the Pennsylvania registration cost?

$449 at checkout, with nothing to pay West Virginia.

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

No, Pennsylvania takes Form DSCB:15-412 without it.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Pennsylvania?

Our registered office renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Pennsylvania's report ($7).

Does Pennsylvania require a registered agent?

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

Will Pennsylvania accept my West Virginia name?

Yes, if no company there already uses it and it includes the word corporation, company, incorporated or limited, an abbreviation, the word association, fund or syndicate, or words of like import used in the home state.

Can I form a new Pennsylvania corporation instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Pennsylvania later?

West Virginia companies leave by filing a Statement of Withdrawal of Foreign Registration; until then, Pennsylvania's report stays due alongside West Virginia's filings.

Official sources

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