Ready to file in West Virginia?
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.
File your West Virginia LLCat america-llc-filing.com, or start on Standard Filings
What registering an LLC in West Virginia means
West Virginia keeps the register of companies formed under its law. Your LLC is on it the moment the West Virginia Secretary of State 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 West 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 West 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 West Virginia; this page is about the registration itself.
- West Virginia
- Articles of Organization
- West Virginia
- The West Virginia Secretary of State (business4.wv.gov)
- West Virginia
- $100
- West Virginia
- Not required on every filing
- West Virginia
- Standard 5-10 business days (Customer Order Request form)
- West Virginia
- Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500.
- West Virginia
- $25/year, due june 30
What it costs to register an LLC in West Virginia
The filing fee is set by West Virginia and is the same whether you file it yourself or a service files it for you. West Virginia charges $100 for the Articles of Organization.
- Amount
- $100
- Notes
- Paid once, to the state
- Amount
- Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500.
- Notes
- Optional, set by the state
- Amount
- $25/year
- Notes
- Due june 30
- Amount
- $50, 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 West Virginia compares are in West Virginia LLC cost.
Step 1: Confirm West Virginia is the state to register in
Register where the company will actually operate. An LLC that does business in West Virginia but registers elsewhere has to register in West 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 West 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 West Virginia
West Virginia requires a name distinguishable from every company on its records, with an LLC designator. Search the state's business records at business4.wv.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 West Virginia registered agent
The agent for service of process is optional ('if any'); no consent block. Most owners still name an address they check, so legal papers have a known destination.
Who may serve, whether the agent signs, and what becomes public: West Virginia registered agent requirements.
Step 4: Prepare Articles of Organization
The West Virginia form asks for the company name with its LLC designator, the registered agent and its West Virginia street address, the principal or mailing address, and the organizer who signs. At least one organizer, listed by name and address with authority to execute; an organizer must sign. A filing service can be organizer but must list its address. Everything on it becomes a public record; what West 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 West Virginia Secretary of State (business4.wv.gov). The state fee is $100, paid once. West Virginia publishes this guidance on processing: Standard 5-10 business days (Customer Order Request form)
Faster review: Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500.
West Virginia takes the filing from the public at business4.wv.gov. Ready to file? The Articles of Organization prepared and filed for you, with the state fee on its own line: form your West Virginia LLC at america-llc-filing.com.
Step 6: Complete the West Virginia registrations that follow
2 registrations follow in West Virginia: (1) WV State Tax Department business registration/license (done in the same One Stop flow online; separate if filed on paper); (2) Annual report. 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 West Virginia
Everything on Articles of Organization is a public record once West Virginia files it; anyone can pull it from the state's business search. On the West Virginia filing: Organizers' names and addresses; all members' names and addresses (member-managed) or all managers' names and addresses (manager-managed); signer name and title.
At least one organizer, listed by name and address with authority to execute; an organizer must sign. A filing service can be organizer but must list its address. The operating agreement, the ownership split and the tax election are not filed with West Virginia and stay private. Do you need an operating agreement?
How long West Virginia takes to register an LLC
West Virginia publishes this guidance on processing: Standard 5-10 business days (Customer Order Request form) Paid faster review is offered: Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500. 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 West Virginia LLC?
Name checked, Articles of Organization prepared and filed with West Virginia, the $100 state fee on its own line, approved copy emailed.
After registration in West Virginia
The state registration is the first of several. These are the ones West Virginia owners run into, in the order they usually come up.
- WV State Tax Department business registration/license (done in the same One Stop flow online; separate if filed on paper) Due before doing business (filing the articles alone does not qualify the LLC to do business in WV). Cost: $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee.
- Annual report. Due january 1 - June 30 each year after the formation year. Cost: $25 ($75 after June 30); waived 4 years for veteran-owned.
- Federal tax number (EIN). Issued by the IRS after the state registration, at no charge; the bank asks for it. How to get one: West Virginia EIN number.
- Operating agreement. Not filed with West 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 West Virginia report at america-llc-filing.com, or the West Virginia LLC annual report page has the due date, fee, late penalty and portal.
Before you file in West Virginia
From West Virginia's published forms and filing instructions:
- Member addresses (member-managed: all members' names and addresses.
- An EIN is required before One Stop online registration.
- Either obtain the EIN first or file on paper (5-10 business days or paid expedite).
Sources
The West 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 West Virginia's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.
West Virginia LLC registration FAQ
How much does it cost to register an LLC in West Virginia?+
West 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 $25/year, due June 30. State fees verified October 2026; the full picture is in West Virginia LLC cost.
Where do I register an LLC in West Virginia?+
With the West Virginia Secretary of State (business4.wv.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 West Virginia take to register an LLC?+
West Virginia publishes this guidance on processing: Standard 5-10 business days (Customer Order Request form) Paid faster review is offered: Next business day $25; in-person same day $25; 2-hour $250; 1-hour $500.
Do I need a West Virginia registered agent?+
The agent for service of process is optional ('if any'); no consent block. Most owners still keep a reliable address on file for legal papers.
Can I register a West Virginia LLC from out of state?+
Yes. West Virginia takes filings from anyone, and the address the state mails legal papers to can be anywhere. If the company does business in another state too, it registers there as a foreign LLC.
What do I file in West Virginia every year?+
West Virginia's recurring requirement: $25/year, due June 30. Late: $50, added by the state to a late report. Also recurring: Annual report.
More on West Virginia
Register in a nearby state