Foreign registration · Form LLF-1

Vermont LLC Foreign Registration in West Virginia

To do business in West Virginia, an LLC formed in Vermont registers there on Form LLF-1, with $151 in state fees. West Virginia also wants Vermont's Certificate of Good Standing ($35). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using your Vermont records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Vermont and West Virginia side by side

	Vermont formed here	West Virginia registering here
Document	Vermont Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLF-1, West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company
State fee	$35	$151 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Vermont: online as an instant download from the business dashboard	Filed with West Virginia
Paid expedite		next-day $25, same-day (in person) $25, 2-hour $250, 1-hour $500
Office	Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division
Official page	sos.vermont.gov	sos.wv.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $45, every year	Annual Report, $25, every year
Due	By March 31 for calendar-year LLCs (within 3 months after end of fiscal year on record	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 Vermont registered agent	Our West Virginia agent for service of process

How Vermont companies register with West Virginia

Order the Vermont certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($35) is ordered from Vermont separately; it is not part of our West Virginia order. West Virginia wants the Vermont 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 Vermont name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Vermont delays the West Virginia filing. Once West Virginia approves it, the Vermont company can do business there.

First-year cost, Vermont to West Virginia

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$151
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Vermont	$35
Our service, with a year of West Virginia agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Vermont certificate included	$385

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

Your Vermont name and West Virginia's rules

West Virginia accepts your Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont company. We check your exact Vermont name against West Virginia's records before filing.

Agents: West Virginia and Vermont

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

Yearly filings: West Virginia and Vermont

Each year your LLC files Vermont's Annual Report ($45) and West Virginia's Annual Report ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Vermont plus West Virginia comes to $219 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Vermont to West Virginia

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

Registering a West Virginia company in Vermont

An LLC formed in West Virginia that registers with Vermont files Vermont's registration (no form number) with $155 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Vermont to West Virginia

Does my Vermont company need to register in West Virginia?

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

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

$350 at checkout plus $35 to Vermont for the Certificate of Good Standing, $385 in all (checkout is $151 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Vermont's certificate of good standing?

Yes: West Virginia wants it ($35), 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; Vermont'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 Vermont and West Virginia?

$219 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $45 to Vermont and $25 to West Virginia for the yearly reports.

Does West Virginia require a registered agent?

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

Will West Virginia accept my Vermont name?

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

How do I withdraw from West Virginia later?

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

Official sources

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