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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · Virginia

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Virginia (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Virginia: VA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. VA Registered Agent.org takes first place: the Virginia registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Number one here
Spot 1

1. VA Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only Virginia

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

9.2Editorial score
out of 10

VA Registered Agent.org wins here: $199 over the state fee to register in Virginia, with the agent renewing at $99.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

Three-year cost is where it pulls ahead of Mainstay Filing.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • Service fee $199, state fee extra
  • Then $99 a year for agent service
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Cons

  • Covers Virginia only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full VA Registered Agent.org verdict
Best for multi-state companies
Spot 2

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

$199 service fee, state fee added ($299 today); $149 a year from year two

9.0Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the state's own fee, with the registered agent free for the first year and one price in every state.

The first agent year is free; from then on it runs $149 a year anywhere.

Over three years VA Registered Agent.org is $100 cheaper, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

What you get

  • The registration, prepared and submitted for you
  • Free registered agent service for the first year
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day, free

What we like

  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • One price in all fifty states
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee
  • Registered agent service free in year one

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above VA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict

The 2 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1VA Registered Agent.org9.2$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing9.0$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each mark out of 10 is our own judgment from the weighted criteria on How we rank. None of it comes from customer ratings.

Virginia foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
VA Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Virginia's $100 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

What settled the order

What settled Virginia: total over three years. The method puts 35% on total over three years, 35% on paperwork the price handles and spreads 30% across renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing.

VA Registered Agent.org totals $397 over three years, $100 under Mainstay Filing. Year one is covered by both services, so the renewal price decided the order.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Virginia foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk by filing the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052). The state fee is $100. Virginia also asks for certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued within 365 days of filing.

Afterwards the company files the annual registration fee ($50), due last day of your registration month.

Before you file: a checklist

  • Certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued within 365 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $100 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the annual registration fee and its $50 fee.

What skipping Virginia registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Virginia courts (Va. Code 13.1-1057(A)). Contracts it signs stay valid (Va. Code 13.1-1057(C)).

Virginia foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Virginia require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Virginia?

The state fee is $100, and the service fee is $199.

Which form does Virginia use for foreign registration?

Use the Application for Certificate of Registration to Transact Business in Virginia as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC1052), filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.

Does Virginia want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for certified copy of articles of organization and all amendments, issued within 365 days of filing.

Is a registered agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a registered agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Virginia?

VA Registered Agent.org, because $199 plus the state fee, with a year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

See also

Sources and dates

  1. Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, confirmed October 2026
  2. Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, confirmed October 2026
  3. Va. Code § 13.1-1010, confirmed August 2026
  4. Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  5. Virginia registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  6. SCC, foreign limited liability company forms and fees, confirmed October 2026
  7. SCC, foreign business entities FAQ, confirmed October 2026
  8. SCC, foreign registration checklist, confirmed October 2026
  9. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1052, application for registration, confirmed October 2026
  10. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1059, activities that are not transacting business, confirmed October 2026
  11. Code of Virginia § 13.1-1057, consequences of transacting business without registration, confirmed October 2026
  12. Code of Virginia 13.1-1051 to 13.1-1059, foreign limited liability companies, confirmed November 2026
  13. Checked November 12, 2026: VA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  14. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Virginia service page