Ohio

Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

An LLC formed in Ohio that wants to do business in West Virginia files Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants Ohio's Certificate of Good Standing ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Ohio records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Ohio and West Virginia each ask for

	Ohio formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	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	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due		July 1 each year
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

From Ohio to West Virginia, step by step

Order the Ohio certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($5) is ordered from Ohio separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the Ohio 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 Ohio name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Ohio's certificate is in hand, West Virginia's filing goes in. After approval, your Ohio LLC is registered with West Virginia.

First-year cost, Ohio to West Virginia

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

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

Your Ohio name and West Virginia's rules

West Virginia accepts your Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio company. We search West Virginia's records for Ohio's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: West Virginia and Ohio

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Ohio

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($25). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to West Virginia

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form CF-1 with West Virginia ($101 in state fees). See the corporation filing.

Registering a West Virginia company in Ohio

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no West Virginia certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Ohio to West Virginia

Does my Ohio company need to register in West Virginia?

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

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

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

Do I need Ohio's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants it ($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, once Ohio's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and West Virginia?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and West Virginia's report ($25).

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers West Virginia for year one.

Will West Virginia accept my Ohio name?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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