Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

Illinois LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

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

Illinois vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	Illinois formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	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	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	ilsos.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1), $75, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	July 1 each year
Late yearly filing	$100 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 Illinois registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From Illinois to West Virginia, step by step

Order the Illinois certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Illinois separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the Illinois 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 Illinois name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Illinois delays the West Virginia filing. After approval, your Illinois LLC is registered with West Virginia.

First-year cost, Illinois to West Virginia

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

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

Will your Illinois name work for West Virginia?

West Virginia accepts your Illinois 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.. If the Illinois name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another West Virginia company uses the Illinois name, an alternate name is allowed. We search West Virginia's records for Illinois's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: West Virginia and Illinois

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

Staying in good standing in Illinois and West Virginia

Each year your LLC files Illinois's Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) ($75) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Illinois plus West Virginia comes to $249 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to West Virginia

A corporation formed in Illinois files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). After that come Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) ($75) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Questions Illinois owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Illinois company need to register in West Virginia?

Yes, once an Illinois 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 Illinois for the Certificate of Good Standing, $375 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Illinois's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants it ($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; Illinois'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 Illinois and West Virginia?

$249 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $75 to Illinois and $25 to West Virginia for the yearly reports.

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Illinois name?

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

Can I form a new West Virginia LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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