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The Startup JudgeRankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

West Virginia ruling · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in West Virginia (2026)

The Startup Judge has ruled on foreign registration services in West Virginia for 2026: West Virginia Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and WV Registered Agent.org ($199). The ruling favors West Virginia Registered Agent.co, since it charges $199 beyond the state fee, including year-one agent for service of process service, then $99 a year for the agent.
The Startup Judge editorial team
No.1
Number one here

1. West Virginia Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add West Virginia

$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one

Score9.5out of 10

First place: West Virginia Registered Agent.co. The West Virginia registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.

In the price

  • West Virginia registration filed for you
  • One year of agent for service of process service at the start

Why pick it

  • $199 for the registration, before state fees
  • Second-year agent charge: $99
  • Twelve months as your agent for service of process come with it

Weak spots

  • Serves West Virginia only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Same price in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states

Expect $199 plus the state fee, then $149 each year for the agent

Score9.2out of 10

Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the West Virginia registration and the agent for service of process role is free the first year, then $149 annually.

From year two the agent charge is $149 a year, the same in every state.

West Virginia Registered Agent.co costs $100 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.

In the price

  • The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
  • Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free

Why pick it

  • One price in each of the fifty states
  • Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
  • A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added

Weak spots

  • The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than West Virginia Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on Mainstay Filing
No.3
Low renewal

3. WV Registered Agent.org: best for West Virginia registrations only

Expect $199 plus the state fee, then $99 each year for the agent

Score9.1out of 10

Third place: WV Registered Agent.org. The West Virginia registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

West Virginia Registered Agent.co and WV Registered Agent.org publish the same price and the same features, so either is a defensible choice.

In the price

  • West Virginia registration filed for you
  • Year-one agent for service of process service

Why pick it

  • The first year as agent for service of process is free
  • Second-year agent charge: $99
  • A $199 service charge plus the registration fee

Weak spots

  • Serves West Virginia only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)

The 3 rulings in brief

RankProviderRuling scoreService chargeYear twoSuited toLink
1West Virginia Registered Agent.co9.5$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing9.2$199$149/yrBusinesses spread over several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3WV Registered Agent.org9.1$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

West Virginia foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total

ProviderYear oneYear twoYear threeTotal over three yearsAgent covered in year one
West Virginia Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Not stated
WV Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. West Virginia's $150 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.

The basis for the order

The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled West Virginia was charge over three years.

Over three years West Virginia Registered Agent.co totals $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first year, so the renewal charge carried the ruling.

Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in West Virginia: the form, the office and the fee

Registration is lodged with the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division using the West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company (LLF-1). The state fee is $150. West Virginia also requires certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year.

Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $25, with a due date of June 30.

Items to gather before filing

  • Certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year.
  • The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
  • A agent for service of process whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
  • The $150 state fee, remitted with the application.
  • A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $25 fee.

Questions on West Virginia foreign registration services

Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in West Virginia?

Yes, as soon as it conducts business there.

What will foreign registration in West Virginia run in total?

The state fee is $150; service charges run $199.

What does West Virginia call its foreign registration form?

The West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company (LLF-1), lodged with the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division.

Must the home state vouch for the company before West Virginia accepts it?

It must. Certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year accompanies the application.

Is a agent for service of process still needed after the company is registered?

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

Which foreign registration service does the record favor in West Virginia?

West Virginia Registered Agent.co, since $199 over the state fee registers the company in West Virginia, and the agent renews at $99.

Keep reading

The record

  1. West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division, on the record as of August 2026
  2. West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division, on the record as of August 2026
  3. West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and filing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  4. West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and filing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  5. West Virginia report due date, on the record as of August 2026
  6. W. Va. Code § 31B-2-202, on the record as of August 2026
  7. West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  8. West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  9. West Virginia registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
  10. West Virginia SOS, register an out-of-state business, on the record as of October 2026
  11. Form LLF-1, application for certificate of authority, on the record as of October 2026
  12. W. Va. Code § 31B-10-1003, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
  13. W. Va. Code § 31B-10-1008, effect of failure to obtain a certificate, on the record as of October 2026
  14. W. Va. Code § 59-1-2a, annual report fee, on the record as of October 2026
  15. West Virginia SOS, cancel or withdraw a foreign business, on the record as of October 2026
  16. Exhibit: West Virginia Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
  17. Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, West Virginia service page, November 12, 2026
  18. Exhibit: WV Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026