West Virginia LLC Formation: Filing Steps, Fees, and Form LLD-1
We prepare and file your West Virginia LLC for $199 flat, plus the state's $100 filing fee. Every West Virginia LLC also needs an agent for service of process on file — that's a separate $99/year line, not part of the $199.
Forming a West Virginia LLC is a single-filing process. The Articles of Organization, designated Form LLD-1, go to the Secretary of State accompanied by the $100 fee, and the entity exists once the state records them. What follows is the complete sequence: the fee, the document, the official steps, and the compliance obligations that continue afterward.
Launch Your West Virginia LLC — $199
Pay $199 once and we manage the preparation and submission through the West Virginia Secretary of State, then deliver the recorded Articles to your dashboard on approval.
What an LLC Does for You in West Virginia
The structure exists to separate business liability from personal assets. Creditors and litigants of the company deal with the company, while the members' homes and accounts sit outside the dispute in the ordinary case. It accomplishes this with far lighter formalities than a corporation carries, which is the reason it has become the default choice for new West Virginia ventures.
All-In West Virginia LLC Costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| LLC formation service (our fee) | $199, one-time |
| West Virginia state filing fee | $100, one-time |
| Registered agent service | $99 per year |
| West Virginia annual report | $25 per year |
The $199 covers our preparation and filing work. The $100 is collected by the West Virginia Secretary of State. Registered agent service bills separately at $99 per year.
One provision deserves particular attention: W. Va. Code § 59-1-2(j) waives the $100 formation fee for veteran-owned businesses, and the state extends the same treatment to the $25 annual report fee for the entity's first four years.
The $100 West Virginia LLC Filing Fee
W. Va. Code § 59-1-2, the Secretary of State's fee schedule, sets the Articles of Organization fee at a flat $100. Form LLD-1 prints the amount on its face along with the veteran-owned waiver notation. For comparison, an out-of-state LLC qualifying to do business in West Virginia pays $150 for its certificate of authority; our foreign registration service is $199 plus that state fee.
Articles of Organization (Form LLD-1)
The formation document is the Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company, Form LLD-1. Its statutory basis is W. Va. Code § 31B-2-202, under which organizers deliver articles of organization to the Secretary of State together with the prescribed fee; the required contents appear in § 31B-2-203, covering the entity name, designated office, agent details, management structure, and organizers.
Filing is available two ways: electronically through the One Stop Business Portal, where a $1.00 online processing fee applies, or on paper by mail. Note that the Secretary of State now issues its form PDFs as direct downloads rather than at named web addresses, so obtain the current LLD-1 from the state's own links rather than an old bookmark.
Official Filing Steps for a West Virginia LLC
- Clear the name. Confirm it carries an LLC designator and is distinguishable from existing registrations by searching the Secretary of State's entity records. Terms suggesting banking, insurance, or government affiliation require separate authorization.
- Designate the registered agent. The agent's name and in-state address become part of the public record the moment the Articles are filed. Listing our address at $99 per year keeps yours out of that record.
- Submit Form LLD-1 with the $100 fee. File through One Stop or by mail. Recording by the state is the moment the LLC legally exists.
- Execute an operating agreement. The state does not collect one, but banks, courts, and the members themselves rely on it. It fixes ownership percentages, distributions, authority, and exit terms; absent an agreement, chapter 31B's default rules control.
- Obtain the EIN. The IRS issues it at no charge through IRS.gov in about ten minutes. Banking, payroll, and federal filings all depend on it. Third-party EIN services add nothing.
- Maintain the compliance calendar. The $25 annual report is filed between January 1 and June 30 each year, the agent designation must stay current, business and personal finances stay separated, and tax obligations are met on schedule. Sustained neglect ends in administrative dissolution and the loss of the liability shield.
We'll handle it for $199. The West Virginia formation filing is ours from start to finish.
The Registered Agent Piece
West Virginia's drafting here is unusual. Section 31B-1-108 phrases the office-and-agent provision with "may" rather than "shall," but pairs it with a default: an entity maintaining no agent is served through the Secretary of State as its statutory attorney-in-fact. Service routed through a state office reaches you on the state's timetable, after deadlines may already be running. A maintained agent is the way to keep control of that timeline.
The working requirements are practical ones: an in-state address where someone reliably accepts deliveries during business hours, and a process that moves each document to you without delay.
Self-listing puts a personal address into a database anyone can search. Our office performs the role for $99 a year, and it is our address the public record displays.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in West Virginia?
The state collects $100 for the Articles of Organization; veteran-owned entities have the fee waived. The recurring state charge is the $25 annual report.
How long does it take to form an LLC in West Virginia?
No fixed timeline is published. Electronic submissions through One Stop are processed ahead of mailed paper as a general matter, and we monitor every filing we submit through approval.
Does West Virginia require an annual report?
Yes. The report is $25, due in the January 1 to June 30 window each year, and a $50 late fee attaches after July 1.
Do I need a registered agent for my West Virginia LLC?
Maintain one continuously. When no agent is on file, the statute routes service of process through the Secretary of State, a default no operating business should rely on.
Can I form an LLC in West Virginia if I live in another state?
Yes. West Virginia imposes no residency condition on members or organizers. The in-state requirement is the agent address, which our $99 per year service supplies.
Have Us Handle the West Virginia Filing
Direct filing through One Stop is open to anyone, with $100 to the state. Engage us instead and $199 covers preparation and submission of the Articles, while the $99 per year agent plan places our address on the public record, scans documents on arrival, and sends reminders ahead of every compliance date.
Looking only for the agent? Our separate agent product comes to $99/year on a stand-alone basis.
Curious about other parts of West Virginia LLC formation or the registered agent piece? Our FAQ handles most questions; the contact form is open for the rest.
Ready to get started?
$99 buys a full year of coverage — address on file, same-day scans, deadline alerts.