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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · West Virginia

Starting an LLC in West Virginia (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help setting up an LLC in West Virginia, go with Mainstay Filing ($199), WV Registered Agent.org ($199) and West Virginia Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked best first. By the numbers: 7 tasks, $100 to file, $25 for the annual report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Fee to form
$100
Source: sos.wv.gov, read in October 2026
Annual report
$25 a year
Deadline: July 1
What the state collects in three years
$150
Without any service fee
Task count
7
Each one explained

Course objectives

  • The official West Virginia fee and form
  • What the agent rule says
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

If you want someone else to file

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

Best overall$199 yearly plus the $100 state fee

In West Virginia, Mainstay Filing leads the class: the yearly $199 replaces three separate bills (formation, agent for service of process, annual report) with a single one.

You pay $200 more over three years than at WV Registered Agent.org and leave less of the paperwork to yourself.

The annual report is part of the service, and the $25 state fee is passed through.

What the price covers

  • We mean: the filing is done for you
  • Agent for service of process for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • A single $199 yearly price, annual report included
  • The renewal holds at $199
  • It prepares the EIN application too

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than WV Registered Agent.org at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. WV Registered Agent.org: best for a tight-budget formation

Local choice$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

WV Registered Agent.org is a solid second-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

What the price covers

  • The West Virginia formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • Then $99 per year
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra

What to weigh

  • No annual report service on offer
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. West Virginia Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent renewal

Local choice$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

West Virginia Registered Agent.co is a solid third-place option: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Filing the annual report every year is your own homework.

WV Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • The West Virginia formation, prepared and sent
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • No annual report service on offer
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The West Virginia picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2WV Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3West Virginia Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $100 state fee.

Formation in order

  1. Task 1

    Pick a name and see whether it is free

    Your first assignment is a name search with the West Virginia Secretary of State, so you do not file under something a neighbor already uses.

    While you are searching, see whether the web domain is open too.

  2. Task 2

    Line up an agent for service of process

    The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any". If one is named: a West Virginia resident, a West Virginia corporation, another LLC, or a corporation or company from another state authorized to do business in West Virginia.

    The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent, and the Articles of Organization ask for one "if any." If an agent is named, its West Virginia address goes on the state record.

    Hire any one of the recommended services for this task.

    Source: Source: code.wvlegislature.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    The state charges $100 either way. Hiring help adds $199; see the ranked list for the order.

  4. Task 4

    Work through the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company

    Send the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company (Form LLD-1) to the West Virginia Secretary of State along with $100 to bring the LLC into existence. Published processing time: 5 to 10 business days, no extra cost.

    Source: Source: sos.wv.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Get an EIN

    Wait for the state's approval, then request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts under its own name. If you hire Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is taken care of.

  6. Task 6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    Even a West Virginia LLC with one owner is better off with a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Task 7

    Handle West Virginia's recurring filing

    West Virginia wants the annual report every year, due July 1, with a fee of $25. Miss the deadline and $50 is added.

    Source: Source: onestop.wv.gov, read in October 2026

What each task costs in West Virginia

EntryPayeeTotal
Setting up the LLCGoes to the state$100
Annual reportGoes to the state$25 every year
Late filingGoes to the state$50
Service, if you hire oneThe provider$199 in year one
State fees over years one to threeGoes to the state$150
The state numbers are official West Virginia fees, sourced below. The three-year line combines the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we ordered the West Virginia picks

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in West Virginia.

West Virginia wants the annual report every year, so a price that files it beat a lower price that leaves it to you.

Short answers

What does a West Virginia LLC cost to start?

Expect $100 to file. Put $199 on top if a service does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

The West Virginia Secretary of State takes the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company (Form LLD-1), the paper that creates the company.

Is an agent for service of process required?

The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any".

How long does West Virginia take to process the filing?

Plan for 5 to 10 business days, no extra cost.

What does West Virginia require each year?

Once a year the LLC sends in the annual report for $25, due July 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed; plan on $100 and an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order is Mainstay Filing, WV Registered Agent.org and West Virginia Registered Agent.co, and Mainstay Filing is first since for $199 each year you get the formation filed, a agent for service of process in place and the annual report sent in.

Reading list and sources

  1. Everything about West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing above traces to business4.wv.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  2. Everything about West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing above traces to business4.wv.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  3. Everything about West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and above traces to sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  4. Everything about West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and above traces to onestop.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  5. Everything about West Virginia report due date above traces to code.wvlegislature.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  6. Everything about W above traces to sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  7. Everything about West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source above traces to sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  8. Everything about West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source above traces to sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  9. Everything about West Virginia registered agent statute above traces to code.wvlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  10. Everything about Processing and expedite, official source above traces to sos.wv.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  11. Mainstay Filing West Virginia service page, opened November 13, 2026
  12. WV Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  13. West Virginia Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026