Cheapest LLC formation in West Virginia

What does West Virginia charge to form an LLC?

The state sets these fees, and no provider can lower them. Package prices on this page are quoted before them.

One fee always applies to a new West Virginia LLC: $100 for the Articles of Organization. Filing through the One Stop portal adds a $1.00 online processing fee, and the state's page says it will apply to all online filings, formation included. A paper form mailed or handed in avoids it.¹

A name reservation is optional, at $15 for 120 days. If you're ready to file, check the name and file the Articles; the reservation adds nothing then.⁶

Owners of an LLC formed in another state don't pay the formation fee here. They register for $150 instead, a larger fixed cost than forming locally.⁷

West Virginia's recurring fixed cost is small: the annual report is $25, filed between January 1 and June 30 of each year, starting the year after registration, and the business franchise tax no longer applies (None (business franchise tax eliminated for tax years beginning on or after Jan 1, 2015)). An LLC with a long record of on-time reports can later move to biennial reporting, with a $50 biennial report fee; staying compliant in West Virginia covers when that option opens.^{4, 8}

What raises the cost of a West Virginia LLC?

Several costs can sit on top of the state fee: faster processing, an agent, provider add-ons and compliance plans, and penalties for a late report. Each is a choice or a risk you can plan around.

The price of speed

Standard handling is 5-10 business days and carries no extra charge. The tiers above it are 24-hour $25, 2-hour $250 and 1-hour $500, each charged on top of the filing fee. The cheapest paid tier is a modest extra next to the filing fee, worth it if a bank account or contract is waiting on the LLC. The faster tiers cost more than the filing itself. When a provider advertises quick processing, ask whether its price includes the state's expedite charge.^{9, 10}

The agent, if you name one

Because West Virginia LLCs are not required to appoint an agent for service of process, the agent can cost nothing in West Virginia: you leave the line empty. Owners who prefer to name one have these routes.

1. Serve yourself, if you qualify as an individual resident of this state. No fee, but your address goes on the record and you need to be reachable there.²
2. Take a first year bundled with formation, then pay the provider's renewal or drop the service.
3. Buy the agent alone at a published standalone price, listed below.

Before leaving the line empty, ask the state or a lawyer where legal papers would go; the West Virginia agent for service of process guide covers the rules. Switching or adding an agent later costs $15 on Form AAO.^{11, 12}

Add-ons and compliance plans

Checkouts commonly offer an EIN, an operating agreement, a business address and a compliance subscription. Compliance plans have a real task in West Virginia, since the report comes due between January 1 and June 30 of each year, but their price usually runs well above the $25 state fee. ZenBusiness, for example, sells Annual Report Filing $100 per report. Filing the report yourself costs only the state fee, plus the online charge if you file online.¹³

Late reports and reinstatement

A late report carries the $50 late fee if received after June 30 (total $75). Waiting longer is riskier still. Under the dissolution statute: Failure to file within 60 days after due is a ground for administrative dissolution. Reinstatement then costs a $25 application fee plus every missed report fee and a $50 late fee per year; it also requires a WV Tax Division letter of good standing and must happen within 2 years. A calendar reminder is the cheapest protection.^{14, 15}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a West Virginia LLC?

The table shows each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest-priced package. It follows our score, highest first, ties in editorial order, and is not sorted by price.

In the same order, here is what each lowest-priced option adds to the West Virginia fee in the first year and what it costs afterwards.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees with no agent listed, which a West Virginia filing allows. Adding the agent costs $199/year. Essential, at $199/yr plus state fees, bills every year and includes report filing. See the Tailor Brands review.^{16, 17}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on +$199/yr, with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then $199/yr. Starter also carries Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr); mark that renewal date, because the plan then costs more than the report it files. See the ZenBusiness review.^{18, 19}

LegalZoom. Basic is $0 + state filing fees, and its list starts with the Articles of organization. An agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers); it renews at the purchase rate each year, and the rate subject to change. See the LegalZoom review.^{20, 21}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee, with the agent free for the first year with any Bizee formation package. After that the agent is $149/year (ongoing annual fee). A West Virginia owner can let it lapse, since the agent is optional, or keep paying. See the Bizee review.^{5, 22}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent is billed quarterly, about $596/year. Every LLC plan opens a trial of ComplianceGuard $199/year, described as a 14-day free trial then auto-charged, so cancel before it bills if you'll file the report yourself. See the Swyft Filings review.^{23, 24, 25}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent. The plan price itself recurs each year, so the second year costs the plan, not just an agent. See the doola review.²⁶

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees; Northwest mentions an included agent year, as stated on the corporation page, so confirm it for an LLC. The agent alone is $125 per year. Its page says "RA customers auto-enrolled in Compliance Services billed in annual auto-pay," with report filing at $100 + state fees, charged at filing, so check that enrolment if you'd rather file yourself. See the Northwest review.^{27, 28, 29, 30, 31}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation needs a membership (First registration free with a Rocket Lawyer membership). Standard costs $149/year and has no agent; adding the agent means Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year), with the agent fee ($125 with a Plus or Pro membership) on top. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{32, 33, 34}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. Renewal follows its terms: billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. See the InCorp review.^{35, 36, 37}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees. The agent is $99 first year (new customers), renewing at $159 annually, and stopping it needs notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{38, 39, 40}

National agent-only prices are on cheapest registered agent services, and full formation packages are compared on West Virginia LLC formation services.