Foreign registration · Form 521

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

To do business in Wisconsin, an LLC formed in West Virginia registers there on Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from West Virginia: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your West Virginia records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What West Virginia and Wisconsin each ask for

	West Virginia formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.wv.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	July 1 each year	March 31
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How West Virginia companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your West Virginia name and formation date. Nothing has to come from West Virginia first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. After approval, your West Virginia LLC is registered with Wisconsin.

Your West Virginia name and Wisconsin's rules

We search Wisconsin's records for West Virginia's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Wisconsin and West Virginia

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and West Virginia

Each year your LLC files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). With our $149 registered agent renewal, West Virginia plus Wisconsin comes to $255 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in West Virginia files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($25) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in West Virginia

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10). See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to Wisconsin

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Wisconsin law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

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

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay West Virginia.

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Wisconsin?

$255 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $26 to West Virginia and $80 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A West Virginia company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

West Virginia companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside West Virginia's filings.

Official sources

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