How Much Does an LLC Cost in West Virginia

The minimum West Virginia LLC Cost is $100, which covers the processing fee for filing your LLC formation document (known as the Articles of Organization).

Having said that, the total cost of forming a West Virginia LLC will depend on several factors, including your personal preferences and business needs.

In our How Much Does an LLC Cost in West Virginia article, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the different costs associated with launching and maintaining an LLC.

LLC Cost in West Virginia

In the table below, you can find a summary of the main requirements of forming a West Virginia limited liability company (LLC) and their associated fees.

                                                                 

Requirement	Fee
Articles of Organization	$100-$151+
Registered Agent Fee	$0-$130+
LLC Name	$0-$40
State Business License Fee	$30
Operating Agreement	$0+

West Virginia LLC Filing Fee ($100-$151+)

Registering your LLC in West Virginia will require you to file one of two formation documents, which will depend on the type of entity you’re planning to form.

To form a domestic LLC, you’ll need to file your Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State’s Business Licensing Division, while foreign LLCs will be required to file a Certificate of Authority instead.

Both can be submitted either electronically through West Virginia’s One Stop Business Portal or by mail.

If you’re filing by yourself, it will cost $100 to register a domestic LLC or $150 to register a foreign one. Keep in mind that all electronic submissions will be subject to an additional $1 filing fee.

However, if you choose to use an LLC formation service, the total cost will be a little higher as it will include a small service fee in addition to the state filing fees outlined above.

The typical cost of these LLC formation services can range significantly, but normally starts from as low as $29, increasing if you decide to purchase any additional offerings.

Note: For more details on the formation process, you can check out our West Virginia LLC Formation guide.

West Virginia Registered Agent ($0+)

As part of the process of filling out either your West Virginia LLC Articles of Organization or Certificate of Authority, you’ll be required to appoint a registered agent. This is a West Virginia resident or entity that you must assign to accept legal documents, as well as tax and governmental correspondence, on behalf of your LLC.

While you can act as your own registered agent at no cost, it’s often recommended to hire a professional service so you avoid any potential penalties or legal issues caused by non-compliance with state regulations and can ensure your personal information is kept off public records.

While the exact West Virginia registered agent fee you’ll be required to pay will depend on the specific provider you choose, you’ll typically be required to pay around $130+ per year.

Alternatively, you can find some of the top recommendations for professional RA services in our Best Registered Agent Services of 2024 article.

Naming Your West Virginia LLC ($0-$40)

When forming your West Virginia LLC, you’ll be required to pick a suitable name that’s available to use.

While registering a business name in itself has no cost, there are two potential costs to be aware of when naming your LLC.

Reserving Name

If you’re planning to launch your LLC in the future and already have a desired name in mind, it’s a good idea to protect it until then by filing an Application for Name Reservation with the West Virginia Secretary of State.

Reserving a name will cost you $15 and will protect it for a period of 120 days. After this time, you’ll need to decide whether to renew this reservation (and repay the $15 filing fee) or proceed to create your LLC.

Note: Before starting, make sure that your LLC’s name is available for use by completing a Business Organization Search on the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.

When choosing a name for your LLC, it’s important to select one that corresponds to an available domain. This is because a matching domain ensures consistency between your LLC’s name and its online presence, which helps to strengthen its brand recognition and credibility.

Doing Business As (DBA) Name

If you want to operate your West Virginia business under a name other than the one it’s currently legally registered as, you’ll need to obtain a Doing Business As (DBA) name — which is also known as a Trade Name in West Virginia.

It will cost you $25 to obtain a trade name for your LLC, which you can apply for either by mail with Form NR-3 or online through the WV One Stop Business Portal.

When submitting a trade name request, be sure to select the right form as there are two possible documents that can be used depending on your business entity type: one for Sole Proprietorships and General Partnerships, and another for Corporations, LLCs, LPs, and LLPs.

Note: Unlike the majority of other states, trade names in West Virginia don’t expire, so you won’t need to renew yours once you register it.

West Virginia State Business License ($30)

To be able to legally operate your LLC in West Virginia, you’ll need to apply for a Business Registration Certificate with the State Tax Department.

It costs $30 to submit an application for this certificate, which can be done online through the WV One Stop Business Portal or by mailing a WV BUS-APP form to the following address:

West Virginia State Tax Department
Tax Account Administration Division
Registration & Account Correction Unit
PO BOX 2666
Charleston WV 25330-2666

Note: You’ll need to pay for a separate certificate for each of your business’s locations.

West Virginia LLC Operating Agreement ($0+)

While not mandatory, it’s good practice for West Virginia LLCs to have an operating agreement (or “company agreement”).

This document defines the roles and responsibilities of the members or managers in your LLC and will help prevent and solve any business disputes that may arise later on.

While you can opt to hire an online service or business attorney to draft this document for you (which typically costs at least a few hundred dollars), it’s actually quite straightforward to do it yourself at no extra cost.

It’s also important to note that this doesn’t actually need to be filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State — it’s purely an internal document.

Additional West Virginia LLC Formation Costs

On top of the more common fees outlined above, there are a number of potential additional formation costs that LLCs in West Virginia may encounter depending on their circumstances.

We’ve summarized some of these additional costs below:

Expedited West Virginia LLC Filing

The West Virginia Department of State’s Division of Corporations typically processes LLC formation documents within five to ten business days.

However, if you need your LLC’s business filing to be processed more quickly, you can pay for one of the following expedited handling services:

• 24-Hour Processing: $25
• 2-Hour Processing: $250
• 1-Hour Processing: $500

Note: These fees are the same regardless of whether you are registering a domestic or a foreign LLC.

Local Business Licenses

In order to comply with the local-level regulations of your city and county, your business may be required to obtain one — or several — local business licenses.

While very few municipalities impose a general licensing requirement for businesses operating within their limits, your LLC might need a specific business license if it’s involved in certain activities.

For example, for your LLC to be able to operate in the City of Huntington, it will need to first obtain a Huntington Business License, which costs $20 and needs to be renewed by July 1 on an annual basis.

This is typically on the lower end when it comes to local business licenses in West Virginia, which typically range from $75 to several hundred dollars. However, for a more exact estimation of how much your business may need to pay, you’ll need to contact your local county clerk’s office.

Certificate of Existence

A Certificate of Existence is a document often required to open a business bank account; it can also be requested by lenders in order to check that your LLC is properly registered and legally authorized to conduct business in the state.

It will cost you $10 to request this certificate, which you can do online through the West Virginia Secretary of State website or by mailing a completed Customer Order Request to the following address:

1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
State Capitol Complex
Bldg. 1, Ste. 157-K
Charleston, WV 25305

Insufficient Check Fee

According to Chapter 61, Article 3, Section 39e of the West Virginia Code, you can be charged an Insufficient Check Fee of $25 if a check you used to pay for any goods or services bounces due to insufficient funds.

This is important to bear in mind because it applies to checks you may use to pay for any of the following business documents:

• Articles of Incorporation
• Certificate of Authority
• Name Reservation
• Trade Name Registration
• Annual Report
• Certificate of Existence
• Certified Copy of Organizing Document

Note: For a full list of the different West Virginia Secretary of State services you may have to pay an Insufficient Check Fee for, refer to this Fee Schedule.

Cost to Maintain an LLC in West Virginia

In addition to the cost of forming an LLC in West Virginia, there are also several ongoing costs you’ll be responsible for paying each year.

We’ve outlined these recurring costs associated with maintaining a West Virginia LLC below.

Annual Report

To keep your LLC’s registration in West Virginia valid, you will need to submit an Annual Report with the Secretary of State by July 1 each year.

This report will cost $25 for you to submit by mail and $26 through the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.

Note: If you miss the July 1 deadline, you’ll also be liable to pay an additional $75 late penalty fee.

Registered Agent Maintenance

If you decide to take advantage of a professional registered agent in order to handle your legal documents, you’ll be required to pay an annual fee in return for their services. This fee commonly ranges between $35 and $300 depending on the provider and features you select.

While you’re not required to use a professional registered agent service, it’s highly recommended for most small LLC owners.

Taxes

In addition to the federal tax obligations your LLC owes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there are a variety of state-specific West Virginia business taxes you need to be aware of, including:

• Sales tax
• Employment taxes
• Business privilege taxes
• Property taxes

Additionally, there are various local taxes your LLC may need to pay depending on the municipality or county it’s based in, such as:

• Sales and use taxes
• Property tax

West Virginia vs Other States

Due to its fairly average startup cost of $100 and ongoing annual costs of $25, West Virginia is a fairly mediocre state in which to form an LLC in terms of cost.

By comparison, states such as Texas, Delaware, and Florida — which are popular among business owners for their favorable tax rates — will most likely be cheaper in the long run even despite their upfront costs of $300, $90, and $125.

Ultimately, however, the best state to form your LLC will be one in which you plan to primarily operate your business from.

This makes it far easier to stay legally compliant on a number of levels, including taxation, licensing, and filing requirements, as you’ll only need to deal with one state’s set of rules.