Alabama

Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

West Virginia registers an LLC from Alabama as a foreign LLC on Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Alabama records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Alabama and West Virginia side by side

	Alabama formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form LLF-1, West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company
State fee	$25	$151 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due		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 Alabama registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Alabama companies register with West Virginia

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the Alabama certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form LLF-1
It lists us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, next to your Alabama name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Alabama issues the certificate instantly, so the West Virginia filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Alabama LLC is registered with West Virginia.

West Virginia costs for Alabama companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$151
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of West Virginia agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$375

West Virginia's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Alabama name and West Virginia's rules

West Virginia accepts your Alabama name if it includes limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.. Alabama's list (limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If West Virginia's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Alabama company. We check your exact Alabama name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Your West Virginia agent and the Alabama one

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Alabama

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to West Virginia

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Alabama

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no West Virginia certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Alabama company need to register in West Virginia?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; West Virginia law lists 12 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the West Virginia registration cost?

$350 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $375 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), current at filing.

How long does the West Virginia registration take?

West Virginia's standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days at no extra cost; Alabama's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and West Virginia's report ($25).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Alabama name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Alabama name at home. West Virginia names must include limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new West Virginia LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26), and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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