Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because the fee is $199 plus the state's own, with a free first year as registered agent, and the price is identical in every state.
When the complimentary year ends, the agent charge becomes $149 a year in any state.
Its three-year total is $100 above VA Registered Agent.org's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- The foreign registration handled on your behalf
- Registered agent service is free for the first year
- Legal papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day at no charge
Good
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
- The same price in each of the fifty states
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- No charge for registered agent service in year one
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above VA Registered Agent.org
VA Registered Agent.org makes the list at number two because the Virginia registration is $199 and includes year one as agent, with $99 a year after that.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
In the price
- Virginia registration filed for you
- A first year as your registered agent
Good
- $199 for the service, state fee extra
- Year one as your registered agent is covered
- $99 a year afterward for the agent
Watch for
- Virginia only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 2 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
Virginia foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $100 Virginia registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
How the order came together
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In Virginia, what the price covers made the difference.
Registering in a second state touches two states, and one provider with one price in both scored highest on coverage, ahead of VA Registered Agent.org.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Virginia: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk on the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052). The state fee is $100. Along with the form, Virginia expects certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, no older than 365 days when you file.
Each year after that, the company files the annual registration fee for $50, due last day of your registration month.
What to have ready before you file
- Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated within 365 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A registered agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $100 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the annual registration fee and its $50 fee.
The cost of skipping Virginia registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Virginia courts (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Its contracts remain valid (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).
Common questions about Virginia foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Virginia?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Virginia?
The state fee is $100, and service fees run $199.
What is the Virginia foreign registration form called?
It is the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052), submitted to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.
Does Virginia ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated no more than 365 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a registered agent?
Yes. The company keeps a registered agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which service leads the Virginia foreign registration shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because it charges $199 on top of the state fee, serves as registered agent free for year one and prices every state the same.
Where the figures come from
- Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Va. Code § 13.1-1010 (checked again August 2026)
- Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Virginia registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees (checked again October 2026)
- SCC, foreign business entities FAQ (checked again October 2026)
- SCC, foreign registration checklist (checked again October 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration (checked again October 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are not transacting business (checked again October 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting business without registration (checked again October 2026)
- Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited liability companies (checked again November 2026)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Virginia service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from VA Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026