How to Register an LLC in Virginia (2026): Fee and Steps

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The articles of organization prepared and filed for you, the state fee shown on its own line before you pay, and the approved copy emailed.

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What registering an LLC in Virginia means

Virginia keeps the register of companies formed under its law. Your LLC is on it the moment the Virginia State Corporation Commission files Articles of Organization. From that day the company can open a bank account, sign contracts and be sued in its own name rather than yours. The registration does not include a federal tax number, a Virginia tax account or a local business license; those come after and are separate registrations with other offices.

People use "register", "form" and "file" for the same act. In Virginia the act is one document, Articles of Organization, and one fee, $100. The step-by-step for everything around it, from the operating agreement to the bank account, is in how to start an LLC in Virginia; this page is about the registration itself.

Registration document

Virginia: Articles of Organization

Filed with

Virginia: The Virginia State Corporation Commission (cis.scc.virginia.gov)

State fee

Virginia: $100

Registered agent

Virginia: Required; Virginia street address

Published processing time

Virginia: Online filings are usually approved immediately when no document is uploaded; uploading your own articles adds about 5 business days.

State expedite

Virginia: Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200.

Recurring state report

Virginia: $50/year, due end of anniversary month

Virginia LLC registration at a glance
Item	Virginia
Registration document	Articles of Organization
Filed with	The Virginia State Corporation Commission (cis.scc.virginia.gov)
State fee	$100
Registered agent	Required; Virginia street address
Published processing time	Online filings are usually approved immediately when no document is uploaded; uploading your own articles adds about 5 business days.
State expedite	Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200.
Recurring state report	$50/year, due end of anniversary month

What it costs to register an LLC in Virginia

The filing fee is set by Virginia and is the same whether you file it yourself or a service files it for you. Virginia charges $100 for the Articles of Organization.

Articles of Organization filing fee

Amount: $100
Notes: Paid once, to the state

Expedited review

Amount: Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200.
Notes: Optional, set by the state

Recurring annual report

Amount: $50/year
Notes: Due end of anniversary month

Late penalty on the report

Amount: $25, added by the state to a late report.

Virginia LLC registration fees, 2026
Fee	Amount	Notes
Articles of Organization filing fee	$100	Paid once, to the state
Expedited review	Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200.	Optional, set by the state
Recurring annual report	$50/year	Due end of anniversary month
Late penalty on the report	$25, added by the state to a late report.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices. Yearly costs, the five-year total and how Virginia compares are in Virginia LLC cost.

Step 1: Confirm Virginia is the state to register in

Register where the company will actually operate. An LLC that does business in Virginia but registers elsewhere has to register in Virginia anyway, as a foreign LLC, and pay two states.

Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada come up because of privacy, case law or taxes. They make sense for a holding company or a business with no fixed location. A company that operates in Virginia and registers somewhere else ends up registered in both. The comparison is in cheapest states to form an LLC.

Step 2: Clear the name with Virginia

Virginia requires a name distinguishable from every company on its records, with an LLC designator. Search the state's business records at cis.scc.virginia.gov before you file.

Rules on designators, restricted words and the distinguishability test are in LLC name rules. A rejection for a name conflict costs days and, in some states, a second fee.

Step 3: Name a Virginia registered agent

Virginia requires a registered agent with a Virginia street address, available in business hours. On the filing: No agent signature, but an agent qualification checkbox is required. The LLC cannot be its own agent. An individual agent must be a VA resident who is a member/manager (or related capacity) or a VA attorney; otherwise an entity authorized in VA.

Who may serve, whether the agent signs, and what becomes public: Virginia registered agent requirements.

Step 4: Prepare Articles of Organization

The Virginia form asks for the company name with its LLC designator, the registered agent and its Virginia street address, the principal or mailing address, and the organizer who signs. All organizers sign. No organizer address required. Everything on it becomes a public record; what Virginia shows is listed below.

The document itself, and what every state's version asks for, is explained in articles of organization.

Step 5: File Articles of Organization and pay the $100 fee

Filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (cis.scc.virginia.gov). The state fee is $100, paid once. Virginia publishes this guidance on processing: Online filings are usually approved immediately when no document is uploaded; uploading your own articles adds about 5 business days.

Faster review: Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200.

Virginia takes the filing from the public at cis.scc.virginia.gov. Ready to file? The Articles of Organization prepared and filed for you, with the state fee on its own line: form your Virginia LLC at america-llc-filing.com.

Step 6: Complete the Virginia registrations that follow

2 registrations follow in Virginia: (1) Annual registration fee (SCC); (2) Register with VA Department of Taxation / local business license (BPOL) as applicable. Then the federal tax number and the operating agreement.

The order and the deadlines are in what to do after forming an LLC. The recurring state report is the one owners forget.

What becomes public when you register in Virginia

Everything on Articles of Organization is a public record once Virginia files it; anyone can pull it from the state's business search. On the Virginia filing: Organizer(s) by signature/printed name; registered agent name and office. No member/manager list.

All organizers sign. No organizer address required. The operating agreement, the ownership split and the tax election are not filed with Virginia and stay private. Do you need an operating agreement?

How long Virginia takes to register an LLC

Virginia publishes this guidance on processing: Online filings are usually approved immediately when no document is uploaded; uploading your own articles adds about 5 business days. Paid faster review is offered: Online filings only: next business day $50 to $100; same day $200. The figures are the state's own and move with its workload; a rejection for a name conflict or a missing agent consent restarts the clock. Every state's published time is in how long it takes to form an LLC.

Ready to register your Virginia LLC?

Name checked, Articles of Organization prepared and filed with Virginia, the $100 state fee on its own line, approved copy emailed.

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After registration in Virginia

The state registration is the first of several. These are the ones Virginia owners run into, in the order they usually come up.

Annual registration fee (SCC) Due last day of the 12th month after the month of organization, then annually. Cost: $50.
Register with VA Department of Taxation / local business license (BPOL) as applicable. Due before activity. Cost: varies.
Federal tax number (EIN). Issued by the IRS after the state registration, at no charge; the bank asks for it. How to get one: Virginia EIN number.
Operating agreement. Not filed with Virginia, but the document that says who owns the company and who can sign for it.

The recurring report is where most companies lose good standing. When it is due, file the Virginia report at america-llc-filing.com, or the Virginia LLC annual report page has the due date, fee, late penalty and portal.

Before you file in Virginia

From Virginia's published forms and filing instructions:

An agent you appoint yourself needs registered agent type, the qualification capacity (VA resident member/manager, attorney, or authorized entity), a VA physical address, and locality (county or independent city).
The registered office must be the agent's own VA business office.
The Clerk of the Commission is only the fallback agent for service when no registered agent is maintained or the registered agent can't be found (Va.

Sources

The Virginia facts on this page come from the state's own forms, fee schedules and statutes, read for the October 2026 fee audit. Fees change; the state's page is the final word.

Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from Virginia's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.

Virginia LLC registration FAQ

How much does it cost to register an LLC in Virginia?+

Virginia charges $100 to file the Articles of Organization, paid once to the state and the same whether you file yourself or use a service. After that, the recurring requirement is $50/year, due end of anniversary month. State fees verified October 2026; the full picture is in Virginia LLC cost.

Where do I register an LLC in Virginia?+

With the Virginia State Corporation Commission (cis.scc.virginia.gov). That is the only office that creates the company. Tax accounts, the registrations listed above and local licenses are registered separately afterwards.

How long does Virginia take to register an LLC?+

Do I need a Virginia registered agent?+

Yes. Virginia requires a registered agent with a Virginia street address, available in business hours. On the filing: No agent signature, but an agent qualification checkbox is required. The LLC cannot be its own agent. An individual agent must be a VA resident who is a member/manager (or related capacity) or a VA attorney; otherwise an entity authorized in VA. Who may serve and what becomes public is in Virginia registered agent requirements.

Can I register a Virginia LLC from out of state?+

Yes. Virginia takes filings from anyone, but the registered agent must have a Virginia street address, so an out-of-state owner names a Virginia resident or a registered agent company. If the company does business where you live, it registers there too, as a foreign LLC.

What do I file in Virginia every year?+

Virginia's recurring requirement: $50/year, due end of anniversary month. Late: $25, added by the state to a late report. Also recurring: Register with VA Department of Taxation / local business license (BPOL) as applicable.