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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Textbook chapter 3 · Virginia

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Virginia (2026): 5 Sections and the 2 Best Services

For registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Virginia in 2026, this chapter recommends Mainstay Filing ($199) and VA Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked from first to last. First decide whether registration applies. The remaining sections, 5 in all, give the form and the $100 fee.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Read first

State filing fee $100 Source text at scc.virginia.gov, October 2026
Certificate to attach 365 days Maximum age at filing
Maintenance filing $50 Annual registration fee
Three years of state fees $200 Service fees excluded
Number of sections 5 In sequence

Learning objectives

  • When an LLC from elsewhere must register in Virginia
  • The official form and fee
  • What follows registration
  • The services ranked highest

Recommended reading for Virginia

Cost over three years comes first, then paperwork completed, second-year price, Virginia fit and price clarity (grading page).

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Read this one first
$199 and the $100 state fee, then $149 annually

In Virginia, Mainstay Filing heads the list: registration with Virginia costs $199 over the state fee, with year one of the registered agent included.

Over three years it costs $100 above VA Registered Agent.org, in exchange for more of the work done.

Agent pricing after the first year: $149 annually, in any state.

Price covers

  • Registration paperwork completed
  • The registered agent carries no charge in year one
  • The same price in every state

Advantages

  • One price anywhere
  • A service charge of $199
  • The first agent year is included

Limitations

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above VA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for one more state

In-state service
$199 and the $100 state fee, then $99 annually

VA Registered Agent.org is ranked second: $199 beyond the state fee to register, then $99 each year.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • The first agent year is free
  • A service charge of $199
  • The agent renews at $99

Limitations

  • Serves Virginia alone
Visit VA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 VA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit VA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is omitted from these figures.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    When Virginia requires registration

    Virginia requires an out-of-state LLC to register first if it will do business here. Failure to register can mean: lawsuits by the LLC must wait for registration (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)) agreements already made are not voided (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C))

    Reference: Source text at law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Get proof of good standing from the state of formation

    You will need certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, from the preceding 365 days.

    Leave it until the other documents are ready.

  3. Section 3

    Designate the Virginia registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a registered office in Virginia that is the agent's business office. A P.O. box is accepted only in a town of under 2,000 people with no street address.

    The recommended services each fill this role.

    Reference: Source text at law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    To register, deliver the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052) to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk with the $100 fee.

    Reference: Source text at scc.virginia.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    What follows registration

    Note the annual registration fee and its $50 fee (last day of your registration month).

What each section costs in Virginia

PurposeGoes toAmount
Registration fee Filing office$100
Annual registration fee Filing office$50
Optional service The service$199 in the first year
Three years of state fees Filing office$200

The three-year state row is computed as the filing fee, plus the report in each of years two and three, plus any yearly minimum tax. Service fees have their own rows.

How the ranking came out

Chapters the price completes accounts for 30% of the ranking, and led on it in Virginia.

The company belongs to one state and operates in a second; one provider for both fits best.

Short answers

Which fees does Virginia collect from a foreign LLC?

$100 to the state. The recommended services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

The Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052) is the form needed, and it goes to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued within 365 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

lawsuits by the LLC must wait for registration (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)) agreements already made are not voided (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C))

What is due after registering?

Next is the annual registration fee at $50.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 above the state fee in any state; the registered agent costs nothing the first year, then $149 yearly. After it come VA Registered Agent.org.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Bibliography entry for the Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  2. Bibliography entry for the Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source chapter: scc.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  3. Bibliography entry for the Va chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted August 2026.
  4. Bibliography entry for the Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  5. Bibliography entry for the Virginia registered agent statute chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  6. Bibliography entry for the SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees chapter: scc.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  7. Bibliography entry for the SCC, foreign business entities FAQ chapter: scc.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  8. Bibliography entry for the SCC, foreign registration checklist chapter: scc.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  9. Bibliography entry for the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  10. Bibliography entry for the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  11. Bibliography entry for the Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted October 2026.
  12. Bibliography entry for the Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited chapter: law.lis.virginia.gov, consulted November 2026.
  13. Mainstay Filing, Virginia service page: consulted November 13, 2026
  14. VA Registered Agent.org, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026