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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 3 · Virginia

Foreign LLC Registration Walkthrough, Virginia (2026): 5 Stages and the 2 Best Services

For bringing an LLC into a second state in Virginia in 2026, our mentors would send you to VA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. First work out whether you have to register; 5 stages and a $100 fee follow.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

State filing fee
$100
scc.virginia.gov, seen in October 2026
Home-state certificate
365 days
How recent it has to be
Recurring report
$50
Annual registration fee
State fees over three years
$200
State charges only
Stage count
5
In order

What this walkthrough covers

  • Which LLCs from elsewhere must register in Virginia
  • The filing, its price and its office
  • Staying in good standing
  • How the picks compare

Our shortlist for Virginia

The mentors' five criteria are on how we score, and they decide the order.

Our call

1. VA Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

Number one pickService $199, renewal $99 a year

In Virginia, VA Registered Agent.org leads the list: $199 plus the state fee to register, and $99 every year afterward.

Cost settles it: three years here come to less than at Mainstay Filing.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included

What to watch

  • Your home state needs a different agent
Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

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

Any stateService $199, renewal $149 a year

Pick number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where $199 over the state fee in any state; year one of the registered agent is free, then $149 yearly.

Across three years it trails VA Registered Agent.org by $100.

Year two brings an agent bill of $149, and it does not change from state to state.

What you get

  • Registration filed for you
  • Your first year of registered agent is free
  • The same price in each state

What works

  • The first year of the agent is included
  • All fifty states covered
  • A $199 service charge

What to watch

  • VA Registered Agent.org charges $50 less for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1VA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, viewed November 13, 2026. Plan for $100 more in state fees, whichever row you pick.

How registration works in Virginia

  1. Stage 1

    When registration is a must

    Quick definition: a foreign LLC is one formed in a different state. Virginia wants it registered before it operates here. The price of ignoring the rule: its own lawsuits are on hold until it registers (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)) agreements it already made are not wiped out (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C))

    Check it yourself: law.lis.virginia.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Request the document your home state issues

    Attach certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated within 365 days.

    A recent certificate is the safe choice, so order late.

  3. Stage 3

    Name a registered agent for Virginia

    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 services above provide one.

    Check it yourself: law.lis.virginia.gov, seen in October 2026

  4. Stage 4

    The paper to file is the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    To register, send 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 along with $100.

    Check it yourself: scc.virginia.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Stay registered

    Send the annual registration fee with $50, last day of your registration month to keep the registration going.

What each stage costs in Virginia

Line itemGoes toCost
Registration feeGoes to the state$100
Annual registration feeGoes to the state$50
A filing service (optional)Your service$199 to start
State total across three yearsGoes to the state$200
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Over three years they add up to the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

Why VA Registered Agent.org is first

On three-year bill (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

VA Registered Agent.org wins the cost score at $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How much does Virginia charge my LLC to register?

$100 in state fees. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

You want the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052), and the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk is the office that receives it.

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?

its own lawsuits are on hold until it registers (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)) agreements it already made are not wiped out (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?

Go with VA Registered Agent.org: the registration runs $199 plus state fees, and your first agent year is already paid for. Then Mainstay Filing.

Where we got the facts

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