Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

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

Iowa vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	Iowa formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	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	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	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 Iowa registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From Iowa to West Virginia, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the Iowa 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 Iowa name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Iowa delays the West Virginia filing. Once West Virginia approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

First-year cost, Iowa to West Virginia

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

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

Your Iowa name and West Virginia's rules

West Virginia accepts your Iowa 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 Iowa name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If West Virginia's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Iowa company. We search West Virginia's records for Iowa's name on file before anything is filed.

Your West Virginia agent and the Iowa one

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and West Virginia

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to West Virginia

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Iowa

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about West Virginia

Does my Iowa company need to register in West Virginia?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa LLC in West Virginia?

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

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($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; Iowa'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 Iowa and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and West Virginia's report ($25).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Iowa name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Iowa 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 Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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