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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Class 2 · Virginia

Registered Agent in Virginia (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 2 Best Agents

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and VA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) earned the top three grades for finding a registered agent in Virginia in 2026, in that order. 6 short steps lead from the legal rule to keeping the agent up to date.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

Required by lawYesClass notes: law.lis.virginia.gov (October 2026)
Agent price range$99 to $149 a yearPosted prices
Annual Registration Fee$50 a yearClass notes: scc.virginia.gov (October 2026)
Lesson steps6From start to finish

Lesson goals

  • Why Virginia wants an agent on file
  • Who qualifies and the address rule
  • Recording the agent
  • Who we would hire as agent

Our graded picks for Virginia

Graded on our report card: three-year cost (32%), lesson steps handled (33%), renewal, fit with Virginia's steps and clear pricing.
Best grade

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single agent nationwide

$149 per year, unchanged at renewal

First in the class in Virginia is Mainstay Filing: an agent at $149 a year who can come along when the company adds a state.

Three years here cost $150 more than VA Registered Agent.org, in return for doing more of the work.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the office
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • $149 a year
  • The same price in all fifty states

Where it loses points

  • VA Registered Agent.org is $50 a year lower
  • Report filing needs the formation package
One-state plan

2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for founders on a budget

$99 per year, unchanged at renewal

VA Registered Agent.org lands in second place, and the reason is clear: $99 yearly, with scans of any served papers posted to your online account.

What the price covers

  • A Virginia address for the registered office
  • Online copies of served documents

Marks in its favor

  • A lower yearly cost than the national pick
  • $99 a year with no increase

Where it loses points

  • No help in other states
  • No help with the Annual Registration Fee

Compare the picks

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2VA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. Changing your agent leaves state fees alone.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Step
    1

    Understand the requirement

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: law.lis.virginia.gov (October 2026)

  2. Step
    2

    Find out who can serve

    A Virginia resident who is a member, manager or officer of the LLC (or of an entity that manages it) or a member of the Virginia State Bar, or a corporation, LLC or registered LLP authorized in Virginia. The statute is Va. Code § 13.1-1015.

  3. Step
    3

    Use an address that qualifies

    The address has to be a registered office in Virginia that is the agent's business office. A P.O. box is accepted only in a town of under 2,000 people with no street address.

    Hiring a service keeps your own address off the public record.

  4. Step
    4

    Decide: serve yourself or hire someone

    Naming yourself is allowed for those who meet the rules, and the graded agents cost $99 to $149 annually.

  5. Step
    5

    Get the agent on record

    A new LLC names its agent in the Articles of Organization of a Virginia Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1011) sent to the State Corporation Commission (SCC). An existing LLC that wants a different agent files a change with that same office.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: law.lis.virginia.gov (October 2026)

  6. Step
    6

    Keep the details up to date

    File the Annual Registration Fee on time ($50, last day of the LLC's anniversary month) and the agent record stays correct.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: scc.virginia.gov (October 2026)

Agent and state costs

WhatGoes toAmount
The agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
Annual Registration FeeTo the state$50 every year
State fees come from the official sources listed in the references. For three years we count the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where it applies.

Why Mainstay Filing comes first

Homework the price handles carries 33% of the report card, and that is where pulled ahead in Virginia.

VA Registered Agent.org costs less, but coverage across states earned the higher grade.

Short answers

Will my Virginia LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Owners may serve if they qualify; the qualifying tests are in steps 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes; the State Corporation Commission (SCC) takes change filings, and step 5 covers what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in Virginia?

From $99 to $149 a year on this page.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each year it is the Annual Registration Fee at $50.

Which registered agent would you choose?

We would pick Mainstay Filing, because a flat yearly price of $149 no matter which state the LLC is in. After that, VA Registered Agent.org.

More lessons

Class references

  1. Source for Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source: law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source: scc.virginia.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for Va: law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source: law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for Virginia registered agent statute: law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. On November 13, 2026 we read the Virginia service page of Mainstay Filing
  7. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of VA Registered Agent.org