Last Updated on February 4, 2022
Cost to Form a West Virginia LLC
To form a Limited Liability Company in West Virginia, file the Articles of Organization with the West Virginia Secretary of State. The LLC filing fee is $100; however, the fee is waived for veteran-owned businesses.
Standard approval for the LLC is 5-10 days. Expedited service is available. One-hour approval is an additional $500, 2-hour approval is an additional $250, and 24-hour approval is an additional $25.
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Steps to Form a West Virginia LLC
The filing for an LLC in West Virginia can be done online or by mail. The steps below show how to file by mail.
Instead of forming an LLC, an existing out-of-state LLC wanting to do business in West Virginia will have to register as a foreign LLC with the West Virginia Secretary of State.
Begin by downloading the Articles of Organization (Form LLD-1) from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.
Step 1: Name the LLC
If you have previously reserved an LLC name with the Secretary of State, you can select “Yes” and include the business name registration number. You do not have to reserve a name before forming the LLC.
Enter the name you want for the LLC. The name of the LLC has to differ from other entity names registered with the Secretary of State. You should run a West Virginia LLC name search with the Secretary of State before going through the filing process to ensure the one you want is available.
The LLC’s name must include a descriptor at the end of the business name to describe its type of business entity. Available name endings include the following words or abbreviations:
- Limited Liability Company
- Ltd. Liability Company
- Ltd. Liability Co.
- Limited Company
- Ltd. Company
- Ltd. Co.
- L.L.C.
- LLC
- L.C.
- LC
Be sure to check the box indicating you used one of the name endings.
Step 2: Type of LLC
Choose whether the business is a regular LLC (most common) or PLLC (Professional LLC). A Professional LLC is an LLC that provides a service that requires licensing in West Virginia. See West Virginia Licenses and Permits for more information on which services require licensing.
If your business is licensed, be sure to attach the Verification of Eligibility proving licensure.
Step 3: Principal Office Address
In this section, enter the street address, city, state and zip code of the initial principal office. This address can be the LLC’s physical address, or it can be the address where the business records are stored. This does not need to be an address in West Virginia, but you may not use a PO Box for the designated office.
If you prefer to have the LLC records sent to a different address, enter that information in the Mailing Address Section. If the address is the same as the principal office, leave blank. A Post Office Box is acceptable to use.
Step 4: Initial Designated Office
The Designated Office is the physical address where the business will operate. This address has to be in West Virginia and can’t be a PO Box.
If there is an address where notifications should be mailed, enter that address in the Mailing Address section.
Step 5: Notice of Process
This is an optional section, but you may want to have an “agent for service of process,” which is a resident of West Virginia, a WV corporate entity, or a Registered Agent service that acts as a point of contact to receive legal documents, tax notices, summons, subpoenas, etc. on behalf of the LLC. This agent is commonly known in most states as a Registered Agent.
Step 6: E-mail Address
This is an optional section but you may enter an email address where the Annual Notice reminder can be sent. This doesn’t have to be a “business” email.
Step 7: Website Address
This is an optional section, and if the business has a website address, you may enter it here.
Step 8: Number of Businesses Owned
Indicate the number of businesses owned in West Virginia. If you do not want to provide that information, check the “Decline to answer” box.
Step 9: Organizers
An LLC Organizer is someone involved with the formation of the Articles of Organization. The Organizer may or may not become a member, such as a mentor, attorney, or accountant, but any of the initial LLC members can be listed as an organizer.
At least one organizer must be listed; however, each organizer having decision making authority for the LLC must be entered.
Step 10: LLC Existence
In this section, you can indicate how long it will remain in existence. Most LLCs will choose “At-Will”; however, some businesses (usually investment related) will have a specific closure date and will choose “Term.”
Step 11: Management Structure
Member Information
The names and addresses of each LLC member must be listed. If there are more than 4 members, attach an additional page.
LLC Management
This section asks if the LLC is Member-Managed or Manager-Managed.
- Member-Managed LLCs have an active involvement in the management and have authority to act on behalf of the LLC.
- Manager-Managed LLCs are hired by the members to run the LLC, similar to a CEO of a corporation. This is generally used when there are passive members in the LLC and the members do not actively manage or operate in the affairs of the business.
Most LLCs are member-managed and will often be the same individuals listed in Section 11 – Member Information.
If the LLC is Manager-Managed, enter their name(s) and address(es).
Step 12: Member Liability
This section asks whether the LLC members are liable to debts, obligations, and liabilities of the LLC. Selecting “No” means all debts, obligations, and liabilities of the LLC. Choosing “Yes” means members are liable for the LLC’s debts, obligations, and liabilities.
If you select “Yes,” be sure to have their written consent saved with the company records.
Step 13: LLC Purpose
Provide some basic information about what the business does. You will need to provide some basic information otherwise, the LLC filing will be rejected. If you want to keep the business purpose more open-ended, you can add “…including the transaction of any or all lawful business for which corporations may be incorporated in West Virginia” in addition to the original purpose statement.
Step 14: Scrap Metal Dealer
If the LLC is a scrap metal dealer, check “Yes,” complete the Scrap Metal Dealer Form (SMD-1) and attach it to the Articles of Organization.
Step 15: Other Provisions
This is an optional section and not used by most LLCs. Here you would include additional rules for the operation of the LLC.
Step 16: Number of Attached Pages
Indicate the number of attached pages to ensure the Articles of Organization are properly filed.
Step 17: Effective Date
If you want the LLC to start immediately, choose the check box “the date and time of filing in the Secretary of State’s Office.” If you want the LLC to start later, choose “the following date” and enter a date less than 90 days in the future.
The main reason for delaying the LLC start date is when the filing is being done close to the end of a calendar year, and the business isn’t going to have any activity until the start of the year. By delaying until the following year they will reduce the number of end-of-year filings.
Step 18: Veteran-Owned Business
If the LLC is is at least 51% owned by a veteran who was “honorably discharged or under honorable conditions,” check “Yes” and attach the veteran’s DD214 to the Articles of Organization.
Step 19: Signature
Have an individual forming the LLC sign and accept the terms and conditions.
Step 20: Review
Review that all the information is correct. If there are no corrections, print the form.
Step 21: Pay and File
The Articles can be filed by mail or sent by email.
There are 3 service centers:
Charleston Office
One-Stop Business Center
1615 Washington Street East
Charleston, WV 25311
Phone: (304) 558-8000
Fax: (304) 558-8381
Clarksburg Office
North Central WV Business Center
200 West Main Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 367-2775
Fax: (304) 627-2243
Martinsburg Office
Eastern Panhandle Business Center
229 E. Martin Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Phone: (304) 356-2654
Fax: (304) 260-4360
To save on mailing time, the Articles of Organization can be emailed. Standard processing can be sent to CorpFilings@wvsos.gov, and expedited filings are sent to efilings@wvsos.gov.