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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 3 · Virginia

Foreign LLC Registration in Virginia (2026): 5 Tasks and the 2 Best Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for registering an out-of-state LLC in Virginia are VA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). Virginia charges $100 for foreign registration, and the 5 tasks below explain how it works.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

What the state charges to register
$100
Source: scc.virginia.gov, read in October 2026
Home certificate
365 days
No older than
Report fee
$50
Annual registration fee
Three years of state fees
$200
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Task count
5
From first to last

By the end you will know

  • When the rule kicks in
  • How the filing gets made
  • The recurring filing
  • How the picks stack up

The Virginia honor roll

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with Virginia's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

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

Our first pickService $199, renewal $99 a year

VA Registered Agent.org earns the top grade in Virginia: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

The decision is cost: across three years it totals less than Mainstay Filing.

What the price covers

  • The Virginia registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • A $199 service charge
  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra

What to weigh

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

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and more after it

Any stateService $199, renewal $149 a year

Mainstay Filing is a solid second-place option: $199 on top of the state fee, a free first year of registered agent service and $149 a year after that.

Counted over three years, it trails VA Registered Agent.org by $100.

Agent service after the first year is $149 a year.

What the price covers

  • Registration is filed for you
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • One fee wherever you register

What works

  • One price anywhere
  • $199 to register
  • First year of the agent is included

What to weigh

  • Renewal $50 above VA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Virginia picks compared

#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.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    When registration is required

    LLCs formed outside Virginia file a foreign registration to transact business here. The cost of not registering: Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Virginia courts (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Signed contracts keep their force (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).

    Source: Source: law.lis.virginia.gov, read in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    You need certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued inside 365 days.

    Time the request so the certificate is recent on filing day.

  3. Task 3

    Appoint 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 picks above supply one.

    Source: Source: law.lis.virginia.gov, read in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk receives the form and the $100 fee together.

    Source: Source: scc.virginia.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Keep the registration alive

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

The bill

Line itemPayeeTotal
Registering the LLCThe state$100
Annual registration feeThe state$50
Service fees (optional)The provider$199 at the start
Three-year state totalThe state$200
Three years of state cost equals the filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sources are listed below.

How the grades came out

What decided it was course fee across three years, which carries 34% of the grade.

Count three years and VA Registered Agent.org totals $397, $100 below Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

Which fees does Virginia charge when a foreign LLC registers?

$100 as the official fee. The services here charge $199 on top.

Which form do I file to register?

Look for the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052); the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk takes 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?

Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Virginia courts (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Signed contracts keep their force (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).

What is due after registering?

Next comes the annual registration fee at $50.

Which service should handle the registration?

VA Registered Agent.org, because registration is $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is already paid for. After it come Mainstay Filing.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  2. Want proof for what the unit says about Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source? Go to scc.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  3. Want proof for what the unit says about Va? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  4. Want proof for what the unit says about Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  5. Want proof for what the unit says about Virginia registered agent statute? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  6. Want proof for what the unit says about SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees? Go to scc.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  7. Want proof for what the unit says about SCC, foreign business entities FAQ? Go to scc.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  8. Want proof for what the unit says about SCC, foreign registration checklist? Go to scc.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  9. Want proof for what the unit says about Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  10. Want proof for what the unit says about Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  11. Want proof for what the unit says about Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  12. Want proof for what the unit says about Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited? Go to law.lis.virginia.gov; the copy we used dates from November 2026.
  13. pricing page of VA Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
  14. Virginia service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026