How to form an LLC in Virginia (2026)

File a domestic Virginia LLC on the SCC Clerk’s Information System when you live in Virginia and will do the work from Virginia. Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) cost $100 on the SCC forms-and-fees page. Five steps: confirm Virginia facts, gather the articles details with a registered agent, file online, pay $100, then get a free EIN. Compare structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.

Short version for 2026: form through the Virginia SCC Clerk’s Information System (CIS) (Articles of Organization Form LLC1011), expect $100 on the SCC Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page, appoint a Virginia registered agent with a Virginia registered-office street address — see registered agent, skip any newspaper advertising pitch that is not on the LLC1011 path, and calendar the $50 annual registration fee due the last day of your formation month each year after the formation year.

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Virginia?

$100. The SCC Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page and the Business Types table (re-checked 13 October 2026) list Form LLC1011 Articles of Organization at $100 — the same fee as foreign LLC Form LLC1052. Budget $50 a year after the formation year for the annual registration fee. Optional Online Expedited Services fees are separate and only apply when you pick them at checkout.

How long does a Virginia LLC take?

Online CIS filings without an attachment get a receipt email and an acceptance email after checkout (SCC LLC FAQs, re-checked 13 October 2026). If you upload your own Articles or the name needs review, expect about five business days for Clerk review. Optional Online Expedited Services can guarantee next-business-day or same-day response for extra fees when the Payment Details page offers them.

How do I file Articles of Organization on the Virginia CIS portal?

Go to cis.scc.virginia.gov, create or sign into a CIS account, and choose Limited Liability Company → Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011). Enter the name, principal office, registered agent, and Virginia registered-office street address, review, and pay. Skipping an uploaded Articles attachment is the faster path per the SCC LLC FAQs.

1. Confirm you live and work in Virginia. Use this path only if you live in Virginia and will do the work from Virginia. A Georgia operator should not treat Virginia filing as a default upgrade.
2. Gather Articles of Organization information. Have a distinguishable LLC name that includes limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation; Form LLC1011 details; a Virginia registered agent; and a Virginia registered-office street address.
3. File on the Clerk’s Information System. File through the Virginia SCC Clerk’s Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov (Form LLC1011 Articles of Organization), or follow the paper LLC1011-DOC path if you are not filing online.
4. Pay the $100 filing fee. Pay the $100 Articles of Organization fee printed on the SCC Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.
5. Get an EIN after the articles are accepted. After the state Articles of Organization are accepted, obtain an Employer Identification Number free on IRS.gov. Form the state entity first.

Do I need a registered agent in Virginia?

Yes. Every authorized Virginia business must keep a registered agent and a Virginia registered office. The agent accepts service of process and annual registration fee notices; the office must be a Virginia physical business address (a P.O. box alone is generally not acceptable). Changing the agent or office later is Form LLC1016 at no fee on the forms-and-fees list. DIY versus commercial: Registered agent basics.

When is the Virginia LLC annual registration fee due, and what does it cost?

Every Virginia and foreign LLC pays an annual registration fee each year after the year of formation. The SCC Annual Registration Fees FAQ sets the amount at $50.00 and the due date at the last day of the month the LLC was organized or registered. Pay online through CIS — that FAQ also says there is no processing fee for online payments. A late payment adds a $25 penalty; unpaid fees through the last day of the third month after the due date cancel the LLC by operation of law.

Do I get an EIN before or after the Virginia LLC?

After the Articles of Organization are accepted. The IRS says to form the state entity first, and the EIN is free on IRS.gov. Walkthrough: Get an EIN. After the EIN, park operating cash in a dedicated account — see First business checking account.

Virginia LLC fee table (re-checked 13 October 2026)

Fees re-checked on the SCC Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page, Business Types table, and Annual Registration Fees FAQ on 13 October 2026. If CIS shows a different checkout total, pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

File in Virginia if the work is in Virginia

A domestic Virginia LLC is organized by filing Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) with the State Corporation Commission. Online filing runs through the Clerk’s Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov. A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Virginia files an Application for Registration as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form LLC1052) — a different instrument, also $100 on the SCC Business Types table.

Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Virginia work out of Virginia. A foreign entity that transacts business here still needs a Virginia registered agent and Virginia foreign registration, plus the formation state’s agent and annual report. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Multi-state registration overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

What to have on the desk before opening CIS

The SCC LLC FAQs, Registered Agent FAQ, and forms-and-fees list set the baseline. Checked against those pages on 13 October 2026:

• A distinguishable LLC name that includes “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation. Use the SCC name-availability check before ordering letterhead.
• Articles of Organization Form LLC1011 (online equivalent or LLC1011-DOC), including the registered agent and Virginia registered-office street address, plus a principal office address (which may be the same as the registered office and need not be in Virginia).
• Registered agent who meets SCC qualifications, with a Virginia physical registered office. Virtual offices, mail drops, and commercial mail-receiving agencies are not acceptable registered offices on the SCC path. See Registered agent basics for a new LLC.
• Organizer signature(s) as the current form and portal require. Payment follows whatever CIS shows at checkout for the online path.

No newspaper or other advertising is required on the standard domestic LLC1011 path. Professional LLCs (Form LLC1103) and protected-series filings are out of scope for a default 1099 single-member LLC on this page.

File online through CIS (or on paper)

The primary path on this page is the SCC’s Clerk’s Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov. Create or sign into a CIS account, file Articles of Organization for a new Virginia LLC (Form LLC1011), and pay. The SCC Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page lists that filing at $100. That is the fee this page cites. Va. Code § 13.1-1005 matches the $100 articles-of-organization fee.

Optional Online Expedited Services (next-day or same-day) appear on the CIS Payment Details page when offered — this page does not invent add-ons as required for a normal filing. The Annual Registration Fees FAQ states there is no processing fee for online payments. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. Paper Form LLC1011-DOC remains available from the SCC forms pages if you are not filing online (mail to P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218-1197, or deliver to 1300 East Main Street, 1st Floor, Richmond, VA 23219).

After the Articles of Organization are filed

Formation with the SCC is not a Virginia Department of Taxation account, a sales-tax license, a city license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.

The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, then obtain an Employer Identification Number. That application on IRS.gov is free.

Virginia does not require an operating agreement to be filed with Form LLC1011. A written agreement still matters between members. Banks often ask for one anyway. See LLC operating agreement basics.

Annual registration fee — last day of formation month, $50

Every Virginia and foreign LLC pays an annual registration fee each year after the year of formation. The SCC Annual Registration Fees FAQ sets the amount at $50.00 and the due date at the last day of the month the LLC was organized or registered. Pay online through CIS. The Commission mails the assessment to the registered agent at the registered office about two months before the due date — but the duty to pay still falls on the company if a notice never arrives.

Put the first due date on a calendar the day articles are accepted. Payments not received by the due date add a $25 penalty for LLCs. If the fee remains unpaid through the last day of the third month following the due date, the LLC’s existence is automatically canceled by operation of law. Cross-state renewals and “is an annual report a tax?”: LLC annual report and annual registration. This page does not compute anyone’s tax.

Overview of admin-cancel vs reinstate: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC. The SCC forms list prices reinstatement (LLC1050.4P) at $100 + unpaid fees when that path applies.

Virginia LLC FAQ

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Virginia?

The Virginia State Corporation Commission lists Form LLC1011 (Articles of Organization for a new Virginia LLC) at $100 on the Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees page and on the Business Types table (re-checked 13 October 2026). File online through the Clerk’s Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov, or by mail / in person. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. There is no additional SCC fee for paying online per the Annual Registration Fees FAQ.

How long does a Virginia LLC take?

Online filings without an attachment receive a receipt email and an acceptance email after checkout (SCC LLC FAQs, re-checked 13 October 2026). Attaching your own Articles or needing name review adds review time — the same FAQ says to expect about five business days when you attach. Optional Online Expedited Services (next-day or same-day, with separate fees) appear on the CIS Payment Details page when offered.

When is the Virginia LLC annual registration fee due?

Every Virginia LLC pays an annual registration fee each year after the year of formation. The SCC Annual Registration Fees FAQ prices LLCs at $50.00 and puts the due date on the last day of the month the LLC was organized or registered. Pay online through CIS. A late payment adds a $25 penalty; unpaid fees through the last day of the third month after the due date cancel the LLC by operation of law. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.

Do I need a registered agent in Virginia?

Yes. Every authorized Virginia business must maintain a registered agent and a Virginia registered office. The agent accepts service of process and annual registration fee notices. The registered office must be a Virginia physical business address for that agent — a P.O. box alone is not acceptable except in the narrow small-town exception the SCC publishes. Statement of Change of Registered Agent And/Or Registered Office (Form LLC1016) is no fee on the forms-and-fees list. DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics for a new LLC.

Does a domestic Virginia LLC need newspaper publication?

No. The SCC Articles of Organization path (Form LLC1011 / online CIS filing) and the Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms-and-fees list do not include a newspaper publication step for a standard Virginia LLC. Skip any “Virginia LLC publication” add-on that is not on the Articles of Organization path. New York LLCs do publish under a different statute — see How to form an LLC in New York.

Should I form in Wyoming or Delaware if I live and work in Virginia?

For a one-state operator who lives and works in Virginia, home-state (domestic Virginia) filing is the honest default. A Wyoming or Delaware LLC that transacts business in Virginia still needs a Virginia registered agent, Virginia foreign registration (Form LLC1052), and Virginia annual registration fees — plus the formation state’s agent and report. Multi-state overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

How do I file Virginia Articles of Organization online?

Open the Clerk’s Information System (CIS), choose Limited Liability Company → Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011), enter the name, principal office, registered agent and Virginia registered-office street address, then pay the $100 fee. Skip uploading your own Articles unless you must — the SCC LLC FAQs say online filings without an attachment are accepted faster.

Do I get an EIN before or after filing the Virginia LLC?

After the Articles of Organization are accepted and the SCC issues a certificate of organization. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first; the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Walkthrough: Get an EIN after the state entity exists. After the EIN, park operating cash in a dedicated account — see First business checking account.

What this page does not cover

• Professional LLCs (LLC1103), protected-series filings, conversions, or foreign registration of an out-of-state company beyond the fee citation above.
• Sales-tax, employer withholding, unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, or local business licenses.
• Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
• Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
• Telling a Georgia operator to file Virginia as a sophistication upgrade.
• Voluntary cancellation — SCC Form LLC1050 is $25 on the forms-and-fees list; see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
• Processor fees or portal line items that are not printed on the sources above.