In the United States, just because you are registered to do business in one state does not mean that you can legally do business in another state.  If you want to transact any serious business in a state other than the state in which your LLC is registered, most likely you will have to register with the state in which you want to do business before you can legally conduct business there. 

For example, a LLC that is registered in California wants to do business in West Virginia.  The California LLC is a "Domestic" LLC in California and will be a "Foreign" LLC in West Virginia.

The California LLC needs to register with the West Virginia Secretary of State as a West Virginia Foreign LLC.

The use of the term Foreign in this case refers specifically to individual US states.  The US government, including the IRS, considers a Foreign company to be a company that is registered outside of the United States.

You want to do business in the state of West Virginia but are registered as a LLC in another state.  In order to legally conduct business in the state of West Virginia you must register with the West Virginia Secretary of State as a Foreign LLC.  The process of registering as a Foreign LLC in West Virginia is called West Virginia LLC Foreign Qualification.

The process of West Virginia LLC Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic LLC in West Virginia.  Your original home LLC formation documents (frequently called Articles of Organization) and By Laws apply to your West Virginia Foreign LLC.  The Officers and Directors of your home LLC will have the same roles in the West Virginia Foreign LLC.  Specific requirements to qualify as a Foreign LLC in West Virginia are explained below. 

Once you have made the decision to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in West Virginia, a West Virginia lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services.

The short answer is no.  The state of West Virginia does not legally require a lawyer to form a West Virginia Foreign LLC.

Our detailed Foreign Qualification page may help you understand some of the implications of forming a West Virginia Foreign LLC.  However, if there is anything about forming a Foreign LLC in West Virginia that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent West Virginia lawyer, a West Virginia accountant, or both before you form a Foreign LLC in West Virginia.

Once you have made the decision to form a Foreign LLC in West Virginia, a West Virginia lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services and save money that you can use in your new West Virginia Foreign LLC.

You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new West Virginia LLC Corporation before you submit your application to Form a Foreign LLC in West Virginia.

The LLC name that you have registered in your home state may or may not be available in West Virginia.  In that case you need a different name your West Virginia Foreign LLC.  Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new West Virginia Foreign LLC depends entirely on your business situation.  The West Virginia Secretary of State uses LLC names on a first come first served basis.  So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that West Virginia Foreign LLC Name.

If the Name you have chosen for your new West Virginia Foreign LLC is already in use by a currently active West Virginia Corporation or LLC then you will have to register a DBA Name with the West Virginia Secretary of State.  "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."

We verify that the Name you have chose for your new West Virginia Foreign LLC is available before we submit your Foreign LLC filing to the West Virginia Secretary of State.  If necessary we can register a DBA Name in West Virginia for you so that you can open your new West Virginia business as quickly as possible.

1. Choose a name for your West Virginia Foreign LLC
2. File Registration Documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State
3. Determine how you want your West Virginia Foreign LLC to be taxed

1. Choose a name for your West Virginia Foreign LLC
   
   You can use the same name in West Virginia that you use in your home state, however, if the name of your Domestic LLC is not available you need to choose another name.  Your West Virginia Foreign LLC name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide; or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
   
   In any case, the West Virginia Foreign LLC name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered West Virginia LLC or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of West Virginia.  Your West Virginia Foreign LLC name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the Articles of Organization for your Domestic LLC and your West Virginia Foreign LLC name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of a West Virginia Foreign LLC must include the word "Limited Liability Company" or or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C.".
   
   It's important to choose a good name for your West Virginia Foreign LLC because if you want to change it after you qualify you will have to file amended documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
   We will check to make sure that your requested West Virginia Foreign LLC name is available and conforms to all state of West Virginia Limited Liability Company naming regulations.
2. File Registration Documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State
   
   In order to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in West Virginia you must file Registration Documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State.  In West Virginia the registration documents are named "".
   
   The registration documents must include certain specific information about your West Virginia business.  If the LLC Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of West Virginia Foreign LLC requirements they will be rejected. 
   
   If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your West Virginia Foreign LLC has been approved, you may amend the registration documents for your West Virginia Foreign LLC but you will have to pay a fee to the state of West Virginia in order to make the changes official.
   
   
3. Determine how you want your West Virginia Foreign LLC to be taxed
   
   The West Virginia Corporate Income Tax Rate is 8.5%.  You may choose that your West Virginia Foreign LLC is to be taxed as a C Corporation or S Corporation. 
   
   A C Corporation is what you may think of as a traditional Corporation like General Electric or Ford.  C Corporations pay a Corporate income tax to the state if that state taxes Corporations. 
   
   You may choose to have your West Virginia Foreign LLC taxed as a S Corporation.  S Corporations "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable personal rate.  S Corporations do not pay any West Virginia Corporate Income Tax.
   
   In addition to paying the West Virginia Corporate Income Tax, all West Virginia Corporations must pay the West Virginia Business Franchise Tax.  The West Virginia Business Franchise Tax is currently .41% of taxable assets and will be phased out by 2015.
   
   If you form a Single Member West Virginia Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Single Member West Virginia Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Sole Proprietorship.  If you form a Multiple Member West Virginia Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Multiple Member West Virginia Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Partnership.
   
   Click here for more West Virginia Corporate Tax Information .
   If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your West Virginia Foreign LLC and include it with your final Foreign LLC documents.

1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
2. File the required reports for your West Virginia Foreign LLC
3. Keep proper records of your West Virginia Foreign LLC on file
4. Pay your taxes to the state of West Virginia

1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
   
   Note that forming a West Virginia Foreign LLC doesn't take the place of obtaining a local business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A West Virginia Foreign LLC merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.  You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.
   
   Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your West Virginia Foreign LLC within West Virginia you may need to get one or more local business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your West Virginia Foreign LLC vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of West Virginia in which you want to conduct business.
   
   If your West Virginia Foreign LLC will be selling products in West Virginia you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate West Virginia state agency.  If your West Virginia Foreign LLC will be selling products in West Virginia you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of West Virginia sales taxes if there are any.
   We have the expertise to find out exactly which state and local permits that you need for your specific business.
2. File the required reports for your West Virginia Foreign LLC
   
   The West Virginia Annual Report includes basic information about your West Virginia Foreign LLC including information on your business location as well as the names of the Officers and Directors.
   
   Failure to submit a properly completed West Virginia Annual Report to the West Virginia Secretary of State on or before the due date may subject the West Virginia Foreign LLC to being administratively dissolved in the state of West Virginia or having its authority to transact business in the state of West Virginia revoked by the West Virginia Secretary of State.
   
   Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any West Virginia Foreign LLC Annual Report to the West Virginia Secretary of State by the due date.
   
   
3. Keep proper records of your West Virginia Foreign LLC on file
   
   Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your West Virginia Foreign LLC:
   • Names and addresses of all Members and Managers of the West Virginia Foreign LLC
   • Foreign LLC formation documents and any Amendments to them
   • West Virginia Foreign LLC Operating Agreement and any Amendments to them
   • Copies of any LLC Resolutions which have been adopted by the West Virginia Foreign LLC
   • Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the West Virginia Foreign LLC for the last 3 years
   
   
4. Pay your taxes to the state of West Virginia
   
   Foreign LLCs that either do business in the state of West Virginia or that derive income from sources within the state of West Virginia are subject to West Virginia and federal tax laws.  If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides West Virginia, you must allocate the amount of income derived from the state of West Virginia in order to determine your West Virginia state taxes.

In order to Form a Foreign LLC in West Virginia you'll need the following information about your LLC:

• The name of your new West Virginia Foreign LLC along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
• Physical address of the Foreign LLC office in West Virginia (not a PO Box)
• A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the West Virginia Foreign LLC
• Whether the West Virginia Foreign LLC will be managed by LLC Members or Managers

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Form a Foreign LLC in West Virginia becomes part of the public record.  Our data entry forms include the absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Foreign LLC in West Virginia.

Processing times for new West Virginia Foreign LLC applications vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new West Virginia Foreign LLC applications takes the state around 8-10 business days.  Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.  Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your new West Virginia Foreign LLC.

The West Virginia Secretary of State reserves the right to extend expedite periods in time of extreme volume, staff shortage or equipment malfunction.  We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the West Virginia Secretary of State.

In our experience 8-10 business days is the time it usually takes the West Virginia Secretary of State to process a new West Virginia Foreign LLC application. We get your West Virginia Foreign LLC application to the WV Secretary of State ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new West Virginia Foreign LLC application process.

The state of West Virginia charges $165.00 to Form a Foreign LLC in WV.  If you choose All Business Documents to help you Form your Foreign LLC in West Virginia our processing fees are $145.00.  This includes:

• Same day processing in of your new West Virginia Foreign LLC order
• WV Name Check and Reservation
• Prepare
• File Formation Documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State
• Certified Copies of Formation Documents
• West Virginia Foreign LLC Checklist
• Priority Mail Delivery
• Unlimited Customer Support