No.1
Top pick on this page
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the service, $299 due now with the state fee; from year two the agent bills $149 annually
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. Its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
Once the free year has passed, $149 a year applies in any state.
Its three-year total exceeds VA Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The foreign registration, filed for you
- A free first year as your registered agent
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than VA Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best for a Virginia-only company
2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Virginia
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
Second place: VA Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Virginia, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- The registration filing
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Year-one registered agent service is included
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
Weak spots
- Serves Virginia only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 2 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | VA Registered Agent.org | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Virginia foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| VA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Virginia's $100 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Virginia, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of VA Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Virginia: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk using the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052). The state fee is $100. Virginia also requires certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued no more than 365 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual registration fee, priced at $50, with a due date of last day of your registration month.
Items to gather before filing
- Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, no older than 365 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $100 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual registration fee, which carries a $50 fee.
Consequences of operating in Virginia unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Virginia courts (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).
Questions on Virginia foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Virginia?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Virginia run in total?
The state fee is $100; service charges run $199.
What does Virginia call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052), lodged with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Virginia accepts it?
It must. Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued no more than 365 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Virginia?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 covers the Virginia registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The record
- Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Va. Code § 13.1-1010, on the record as of August 2026
- Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Virginia registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees, on the record as of October 2026
- SCC, foreign business entities FAQ, on the record as of October 2026
- SCC, foreign registration checklist, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting business without registration, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited liability companies, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Virginia service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: VA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026