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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Virginia

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Virginia (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Virginia the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199) and VA Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick in Virginia

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.1 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added ($299 today); agent renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing leads the card: it files the Virginia registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

Year one of agent service is on the house; later years cost $149 anywhere.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above VA Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free first year as your registered agent
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than VA Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Low renewal

2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Virginia

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

VA Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • First-year registered agent service included
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first

Watch for

  • Limited to Virginia; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. VA Registered Agent.org: the full write-up

The 2 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 VA Registered Agent.org 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Virginia foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
VA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Virginia's $100 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Reading the order

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Virginia the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of VA Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Virginia: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052) to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, with a $100 state fee. Virginia additionally requires certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, dated no more than 365 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual registration fee ($50), due last day of your registration month.

Gather these before filing

  • Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued no earlier than 365 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $100, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual registration fee and its $50 fee.

The price of ignoring Virginia registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Virginia courts until it registers (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Its contracts remain valid (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).

Virginia foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Virginia make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Virginia?

Expect $100 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Virginia?

The form goes to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Virginia filing?

Yes, the state wants certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, no older than 365 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Virginia?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

  1. Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, as of October 2026
  2. Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Va. Code § 13.1-1010, as of August 2026
  4. Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Virginia registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees, as of October 2026
  7. SCC, foreign business entities FAQ, as of October 2026
  8. SCC, foreign registration checklist, as of October 2026
  9. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration, as of October 2026
  10. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  11. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting business without registration, as of October 2026
  12. Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited liability companies, as of November 2026
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: Virginia service page for Mainstay Filing
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for VA Registered Agent.org