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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Class 1 · Virginia

How to Start an LLC in Virginia (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 2 Best LLC Services

Here is who we would send a new founder to for setting up an LLC in Virginia in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199) and VA Registered Agent.org ($199), in grade order. Take it in 7 steps: the state charges $100 to file and wants the Annual Registration Fee every year.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Before you begin

Fee to file$100Checked against law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026
Annual Registration Fee$50 a yearReport and fee go in last day of the LLC's anniversary month
State fees over three years$200Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Number of steps7Numbered below

What you will learn

  • Where to file in Virginia and what the fee is
  • The registered agent requirement
  • How to stay in good standing
  • How the graded picks compare

Our graded picks for Virginia

Three-year cost and the number of steps a price takes off your list weigh the most; the grading page lists all five criteria.
Highest mark

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the annual registration fee paperwork

$199 a year, with $299 covering the state fee

First in the class in Virginia is Mainstay Filing: one yearly price of $199 does three lesson steps for you: the filing, the registered agent and the annual registration fee.

Three years here cost $200 more than VA Registered Agent.org, in return for doing more of the work.

The Annual Registration Fee comes with the service, and the $50 state fee is passed along.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for twelve months
  • Annual registration fee prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

Marks in its favor

  • Renewal stays at $199
  • The EIN step is in the price
  • A flat $199 each year

Where it loses points

  • Renews $100 higher than VA Registered Agent.org
In-state service

2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for an inexpensive Virginia start

Formation $199, renewal $99 a year

Taking second place is VA Registered Agent.org, where formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

You file the Annual Registration Fee on your own every year.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one

Where it loses points

  • It does not file the Annual Registration Fee
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Compare the picks

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2VA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($100) is not counted.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Use the business search at the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to see whether another Virginia company already holds your name; a clash can get the filing sent back.

    Jot down two backup names before you search.

  2. Step
    2

    Find your registered agent

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

    Each of the picks above is able to act as your registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Checked against law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Decide: do it yourself or hire help

    Filing directly costs only the $100 state fee. A service adds $199 but handles the forms. See the graded list.

  4. Step
    4

    Deliver the Articles of Organization of a Virginia Limited Liability Company

    When the State Corporation Commission (SCC) accepts the Articles of Organization of a Virginia Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1011) together with $100 (Va. Code § 13.1-1010), the LLC exists.

    Where this comes from: Checked against law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Apply for an EIN

    Wait for the state to approve the LLC, then request the EIN from the IRS. Mainstay Filing covers this step too.

  6. Step
    6

    Put your operating agreement on paper

    Even if you are the only owner, a written operating agreement kept with the company records is a good idea for a Virginia LLC.

  7. Step
    7

    Keep the LLC active

    Once a year the LLC files the Annual Registration Fee and pays $50; the due date is last day of the LLC's anniversary month. A late filing costs $25 more.

    Where this comes from: Checked against scc.virginia.gov, October 2026

What each step costs in Virginia

StepPaid toAmount
The formation stepTo the state$100
Annual Registration FeeTo the state$50 every year
Late reportTo the state$25
A service, if you use oneThe service$199 up front
State total over three yearsTo the state$200
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 this order

Homework the price handles decided first place in Virginia. It is worth 33% of the grade, and the rest comes from tuition over three years, year-two price, fit with the state's lesson plan and pricing a beginner can read.

VA Registered Agent.org costs less, but the Annual Registration Fee stays with you.

Short answers

How much does Virginia charge to form an LLC?

Virginia charges $100. Our picks charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

It is the Articles of Organization of a Virginia Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1011), and you hand it to the State Corporation Commission (SCC).

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Virginia require each year?

Expect to file the Annual Registration Fee every year, paying $50 by the deadline: last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes, you may. Pay the state $100 when you file, and remember that the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

We would pick Mainstay Filing, because you pay $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent service and the annual registration fee all get done. After that, VA Registered Agent.org.

Up next

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. Mainstay Filing, Virginia service page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026
  7. VA Registered Agent.org, pricing page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026