Gullia Filing
Virginia state guide - 6 lessons

How to start an LLC in Virginia

Virginia forms an LLC through the State Corporation Commission's Clerk's Office, not a Secretary of State, and it does the filing through its own online system called the Clerk's Information System. Articles of Organization on Form LLC-1011 cost $100, and there is no annual report of the kind most states use. Instead Virginia charges a flat $50 annual registration fee that keeps the LLC in good standing, plus a local BPOL tax in many counties that is calculated on gross receipts. This guide covers each step in the order you will actually do it, with the SCC page or Code of Virginia section behind every figure.

Virginia LLC facts at a glance

Virginia LLC facts at a glance
Official filing agencyVirginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office
Formation documentArticles of Organization (Form LLC-1011)
State filing fee$100
Filing methodsOnline through the Clerk's Information System, Mail to the Clerk's Office in Richmond, In person at the Tyler Building in Richmond
Typical processing (recent)5-7 business days
Typical expedited processing24 hours for an extra $200
Registered agentRequired
Annual Registration Fee$50, due Last day of anniversary month
Late penalty$25 + cancellation after 3 months
State-level business taxNo franchise tax. 6% corporate income tax if C-Corp elected.
Publication requirementNone
Filing agencyVirginia uses the State Corporation Commission (SCC), not a Secretary of State, to register businesses.
Registered agent residencyAn individual registered agent must be a Virginia resident and either a member or manager of the LLC or a Virginia-licensed attorney. A registered agent that is a business entity must itself be authorised to transact business in Virginia.
Name reservation$10 to reserve a name for 120 days, optional, renewable
BPOL taxMany Virginia counties and cities levy a Business, Professional and Occupational License tax on gross receipts, administered locally rather than by the SCC or Virginia Tax.

Processing times reflect recent official guidance and change often. Check the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office current processing calendar before you rely on a date.

File it yourself

Virginia accepts filings directly from business owners. You do not need us, or any other company, to form your LLC. Here is the official portal.

the Clerk's Information System (CIS)

The Virginia lessons

  1. 1Name your Virginia LLCDesignator wording, the SCC's name distinguishability check, and the optional $10 reservation.
  2. 2Appoint your Virginia registered agentWho qualifies, the residency and licence rules, and why the office address is public.
  3. 3File the Articles of OrganizationForm LLC-1011, the $100 fee, and filing through the Clerk's Information System.
  4. 4Get an EIN and open a bank accountThe free IRS EIN, what Virginia banks ask for, and keeping the entity separate.
  5. 5Virginia state taxes, licences and BPOLNo LLC franchise tax at the state level, pass-through income tax, and local BPOL on gross receipts.
  6. 6The $50 annual registration fee and staying compliantNo annual report, just a flat fee due every year by the last day of your anniversary month.
Start lesson 1

Related Gullia Filing pages

Or let us file your Virginia LLC for you

Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1011), act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.

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Official sources

Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team, Corporate formation specialists and registered agents