North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, an LLC formed in North Carolina registers there on Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division from your North Carolina records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

North Carolina vs West Virginia: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form LLF-1, West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$151 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sosnc.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	Annual Report, $203, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	April 15	July 1 each year
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How North Carolina companies register with West Virginia

Order the North Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from North Carolina separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the North Carolina 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 North Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Carolina certificate comes first; then the West Virginia filing goes in. After approval, your North Carolina LLC is registered with West Virginia.

West Virginia costs for North Carolina companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$151
Certificate of Existence, paid to North Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of West Virginia agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, North Carolina certificate included	$360

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

Will your North Carolina name work for West Virginia?

West Virginia accepts your North Carolina 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.. North Carolina'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 North Carolina name, an alternate name is allowed. We check your exact North Carolina name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Agents: West Virginia and North Carolina

West Virginia calls it an agent for service of process; North Carolina says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for North Carolina; ours takes West Virginia's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in North Carolina and West Virginia

Each year your LLC files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, North Carolina plus West Virginia comes to $377 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to West Virginia

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

The other way: West Virginia into North Carolina

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: North Carolina to West Virginia

Does my North Carolina company need to register in West Virginia?

Yes, once a North Carolina 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 $10 to North Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $360 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need North Carolina's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), 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, once North Carolina's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and West Virginia?

$377 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $203 to North Carolina and $25 to West Virginia for the yearly reports.

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my North Carolina name?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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