Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

California LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, an LLC formed in California registers there on Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants California's Certificate of Status ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your California records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

California vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	California formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form LLF-1, West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$151 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.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	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	July 1 each year
Late yearly filing	$250 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 California agent for service of process	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How California companies register with West Virginia

Order the California certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from California separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the California certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form LLF-1
It names us as your West Virginia agent for service of process, with your California name and formation date and the certificate attached. California issues the certificate instantly, so the West Virginia filing can go in the same day. Once West Virginia approves it, the California company can do business there.

First-year cost, California to West Virginia

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$151
Certificate of Status, paid to California	$5
Our service, with a year of West Virginia agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, California certificate included	$355

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

Will your California name work for West Virginia?

West Virginia accepts your California 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.. California'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 another West Virginia company uses the California name, an alternate name is allowed. We check your exact California name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Agents: West Virginia and California

California and West Virginia both call it an agent for service of process. West Virginia papers come to us; California's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: West Virginia and California

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to West Virginia

A corporation formed in California files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in California

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: California to West Virginia

Does my California company need to register in West Virginia?

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

How much does it cost to register a California LLC in West Virginia?

$350 at checkout plus $5 to California for the Certificate of Status, $355 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), 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; California'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 California and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and West Virginia's report ($25).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my California name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its California 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 California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

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