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Business filings in Virginia go to the State Corporation Commission (SCC), through its Clerk's Office and an online system called CIS. You form an LLC with Form LLC1011 for $100. The SCC's LLC forms and fees page says it encourages online filing to save time and prevent processing errors. Our Virginia business guide shows how to search the record.
The yearly fee has a due date that depends on the month you formed.
What name can a Virginia LLC use?
The name must end with limited company, limited liability company, LC, L.C., LLC or L.L.C. Beyond the ending, the SCC compares the core name with names already on record. Its own example treats "ABC of Virginia, Inc." and "ABC Virginia Company" as the same, because required endings and small words are ignored. A name with a different plural, such as "ABC, Inc." and "ABCs Inc.", is treated as different.
Words like bank and trust need the matching kind of business. The SCC also limits the characters you can use. QWERTY letters and symbols are allowed, except { } [ ] " < > ^ and the backslash.
Check the name in CIS Name Availability before you file. Our name availability guide lists the other checks. To hold the name, a reservation is $10 for 120 days, and it can be renewed in the 45 days before it expires. You need a CIS account to reserve online, and the SCC says setting one up takes a few minutes. See name reservation for when this pays off.
How do I file Form LLC1011?
- Create a CIS account and check the name.
- Name a registered agent and registered office. Rules are in our Virginia registered agent guide.
- File LLC1011 online, or download the form. Pay $100.
- Add articles only if you must. The SCC says attaching articles adds about five business days, so you get approval faster by not attaching them.
Paper filings cannot be expedited. That is a reason to file online if time matters.
The SCC has a separate professional LLC form, LLC1103. It is only for businesses that provide the qualified services.
What comes next?
Write an operating agreement. The SCC does not ask for it, and our Virginia operating agreement guide explains how to handle the gap. Then get an EIN. See how to get an EIN.
What does a Virginia LLC owe each year?
An annual registration fee of $50. The due date is the last day of the month the LLC was organized or registered, so a company formed in March pays by the end of March every year. The SCC sends an assessment two months before the due date, and you cannot pay earlier. There is no processing fee for online payment.
Pay late and a $25 penalty applies to an LLC. If it is still unpaid after the last day of the third month past due, the SCC cancels the LLC. You then have five years to reinstate, and the fee is $100 plus unpaid fees. After five years the Clerk cannot reinstate it. Compare dates across states in our annual report deadlines guide.
Anything else unusual in Virginia?
Two things. The SCC uses the word registration, not report, for the yearly LLC bill, so search for the right term. And its record keeps the agent and office, not the owners. If you need proof of good standing, the LLC certificate is a Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration. It costs $6. When a record shows a problem status, the Reason for Status field explains the next steps, so read it before you pay anything to fix the record.
Ready to file? Use the start an LLC form.
After approval, check the rules in our Virginia business license guide.