The $100 state fee, the paperwork, the registered agent requirement — here's exactly what it costs, how long it takes, and the fastest legitimate path to an approved LLC.
Virginia keeps this straightforward — get the order right and you're filed within days, not weeks. Just note it's the State Corporation Commission handling your paperwork, not the Secretary of State.
Must include "LLC" or "L.L.C." — run it through the State Corporation Commission's online name database first, since a taken name is the #1 reason filings bounce.
Non-negotiable under Virginia law. Needs a real street address, staffed during business hours — no P.O. boxes.
Filed online or by mail with the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the $100 state fee. This is the step that makes it official.
Free straight from the IRS — you'll need it before a bank will let you open a business account.
An Annual Registration Fee of $50 — no report content to file, just the payment — is due by the last day of the month your LLC was formed. Miss it and Virginia can revoke your LLC's good standing.
Northwest handles all five steps above and includes your Virginia registered agent free for year one.
Wrong entity designator, missing registered agent info, and name conflicts account for most bounced filings. Here's what changes with a formation service handling it.
| What matters | Filing it yourself | Using a formation service |
|---|---|---|
| Time spent | 3–5 hours of research + filing | ~10 minutes |
| Total cost | $100 state fee only | $100 state fee + service fee |
| Registered agent | Separate purchase, $100–$300/yr | Often included year one |
| Compliance reminders | You track manually | Automated deadline alerts |
| Rejection risk | Common on first attempt | Reviewed before submission |
Northwest handles the filing, includes your registered agent for the first year, and flags common Virginia rejection triggers before you submit — no add-ons to track down separately.
Files your Articles of Organization directly with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, includes a Virginia-address registered agent for the first year at no extra cost, and flags common rejection triggers before you submit.
"Filed on a Tuesday, approved within two days. Didn't expect the registered agent to already be set up when the confirmation came through."
"I tried filing myself first and got rejected over the entity name format. Second time, went through a service and it was fixed before submission."
"Didn't realize the Annual Registration Fee was separate from an actual report until the reminder email explained it. Would've missed the deadline otherwise."
Northwest Registered Agent, $39 plus your $100 state fee, no long-term contract.