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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · West Virginia

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in West Virginia (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in West Virginia the order reads West Virginia Registered Agent.co ($199), WV Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). West Virginia Registered Agent.co posts the top score: the West Virginia registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Number one here

1. West Virginia Registered Agent.co: best for companies that add just West Virginia

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

West Virginia Registered Agent.co leads the card: $199 beyond the state fee to register in West Virginia, agent renewing at $99.

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

It pulls ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year cost.

What you get

  • West Virginia registration filed for you
  • Year-one agent for service of process service included

Strengths

  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • Includes the first agent for service of process year
  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee

Watch for

  • Limited to West Virginia; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. West Virginia Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best for a West Virginia-only company

2. WV Registered Agent.org: best for registrations in West Virginia only

9.0 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee; $99 a year for the agent afterwards

WV Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in West Virginia, agent renewing at $99.

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

West Virginia Registered Agent.co and WV Registered Agent.org post identical prices and plan features, so the points between them are close and either is a sound pick.

What you get

  • West Virginia registration filed for you
  • Year-one agent for service of process service included

Strengths

  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • Year one as your agent for service of process is included

Watch for

  • Limited to West Virginia; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. WV Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best for multi-state companies

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee; $149 a year for the agent afterwards

Mainstay Filing takes third spot: it files the West Virginia registration for $199 and acts as your agent for service of process, free for year one and $149 a year after.

From year two the agent runs $149 a year, the same price in every state.

West Virginia Registered Agent.co undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Your registration paperwork, filed
  • Service of process scanned and uploaded the same business day, no fee

Strengths

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

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than West Virginia Registered Agent.co charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 West Virginia Registered Agent.co 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 WV Registered Agent.org 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing 8.9 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores are Formation Scorecard's own marks out of 10, based on the criteria explained on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything here.

West 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
West Virginia Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
WV Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add West Virginia's $150 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

The case for West Virginia Registered Agent.co in first

The marking scheme gives 25% to cost across three years and 25% to coverage of the price, with renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity sharing 50%. For West Virginia, cost across three years made the difference.

West Virginia Registered Agent.co tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

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

An outside company registers by sending the West Virginia Application for Certificate of Authority of Limited Liability Company (LLF-1) to the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division, with a $150 state fee. West Virginia additionally requires certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($25), due June 30.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state agent for service of process; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $150, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $25 fee.

West Virginia foreign registration service: quick questions

Does West Virginia make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there.

What will foreign registration run in West Virginia?

Expect $150 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in West Virginia?

The form goes to the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division; its exact name is in the facts above.

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

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence (good standing), dated in the current tax year.

Does a registered company still need a agent for service of process?

The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any".

Which foreign registration service leads the card for West Virginia?

West Virginia Registered Agent.co, since $199 plus the state fee and a year of agent for service of process service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

Related pages

Where the figures come from

  1. West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division, as of August 2026
  2. West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division, as of August 2026
  3. West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and filing, official source, as of October 2026
  4. West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and filing, official source, as of October 2026
  5. West Virginia report due date, as of August 2026
  6. W. Va. Code § 31B-2-202, as of August 2026
  7. West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  8. West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  9. West Virginia registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  10. West Virginia SOS, register an out-of-state business, as of October 2026
  11. Form LLF-1, application for certificate of authority, as of October 2026
  12. W. Va. Code § 31B-10-1003, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  13. W. Va. Code § 31B-10-1008, effect of failure to obtain a certificate, as of October 2026
  14. W. Va. Code § 59-1-2a, annual report fee, as of October 2026
  15. West Virginia SOS, cancel or withdraw a foreign business, as of October 2026
  16. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for West Virginia Registered Agent.co
  17. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for WV Registered Agent.org
  18. Read on November 12, 2026: West Virginia service page for Mainstay Filing