Foreign registration · Form CF-1

Wisconsin Corporation Foreign Registration in West Virginia

West Virginia registers a corporation from Wisconsin as a foreign corporation on Form CF-1, with $101 in state fees. West Virginia may ask for Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your Wisconsin records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Wisconsin and West Virginia side by side

	Wisconsin formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form CF-1, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$101 at order (filing fee $100 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	sos.wv.gov
Yearly filing	Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $25, every two years
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of the articles' effective date	July 1 each year
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Standard processing: standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Wisconsin companies register with West Virginia

We prepare and file Form CF-1
It names us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, with your Wisconsin name and formation date. If West Virginia wants the Wisconsin certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Wisconsin corporation is registered with West Virginia.

Will your Wisconsin name work for West Virginia?

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

Your West Virginia agent and the Wisconsin one

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Wisconsin

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

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to West Virginia

An LLC formed in Wisconsin files Form LLF-1 with West Virginia ($151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10)). After that come Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the LLC filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in West Virginia that registers with Wisconsin files Form 21 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Wisconsin owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in West Virginia?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and West Virginia?

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

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Wisconsin name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

People also search

Corporation into West Virginia, by home state (48)

Wisconsin into other states (41)

The same move for an LLC