Register a West Virginia Foreign LLC

In order to register with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Business & Licensing Division, you will first need to get a Certificate of Good Standing from your home state. Your Certificate of Good Standing tells West Virginia your LLC is legally allowed to do business in your home state and is current with all state fees, taxes and paperwork.

Though this certificate might be called something different depending on the state—such as a Certificate of Existence or a Certificate of Fact—a version of this document can be acquired in every state or territory.

Your next step is to appoint a West Virginia Registered Agent—or as the state terms it, an “agent of process.” Your agent can be a business or someone you know, but that person must have a street address in West Virginia. Registered agents need to be available during standard business hours (9am to 5pm) and be able to accept service of process for your business.

Once your business is up and running in the new state, you’ll want to be able to connect with the new market of consumers. Having a robust and localized digital presence can help build your business’ identity, which in turn will make your business seem more trustworthy and professional, even if you’ve only just started offering services/products. We can help you build a custom website that is securely hosted with an unique domain, plus give you a local phone number and up to ten email addresses to help establish your business in West Virginia.

Learn more about how to launch your business identity in a new state.

To register your foreign LLC in West Virginia, you need to complete the state’s Certificate of Authority application and file it with the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division.

West Virginia is infamous for the long list of information it requires for a Certificate of Authority. Here’s the content you’ll need to provide:

• LLC name as registered in home state

• Business name for use in West Virginia (If original name is not available, check “DBA Name” box and attach a Letter of Resolution signed by LLC members)
• Type of LLC to register—regular, professional, or serial
• Principal office address in home jurisdiction
• LLC’s physical office address in West Virginia
• Name and address of Agent of Process (Registered Agent), if any
• Email and website address (if available)
• Duration or term of LLC (perpetual or with an expiration date)
• How your LLC will be managed (by members or by managers)
• Names and addresses of members/managers
• Will members be liable for specific debts or obligations?
• LLC’s purpose for formation (Consumer litigation financiers and scrap metal dealers must attach special registration forms)
• Effective start date—West Virginia allows a date up to 90 days in the future
• Other provisions set out in your original operating agreement.
• Number of pages attached to application
• Is the LLC veteran-owned?
• Contact information, title of signer, signature, and date of signing

If you’re ready to get started, you can Register Your Foreign LLC in West Virginia now with Northwest.

If you want a date-stamped copy of your Certificate of Authority application from West Virginia, attach a second copy of the application along with the original, and the state will mail the date-stamped version back at no extra cost. Unfortunately, e-mail or fax filings will not automatically receive a copy via mail. Any copies must be ordered separately on the customer order form included with the Foreign LLC Certificate of Authority application.

If you want a certified copy of your registration form, you’ll need to pay the state an additional fee of $15 per copy.