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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · West Virginia

West Virginia LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Graded for 2026, the best help with starting an LLC in West Virginia comes from Mainstay Filing ($199), West Virginia Registered Agent.co ($199) and WV Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. West Virginia charges $100 to file and expects the annual report every year; the 7 assignments walk you through it.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Class overview

Cost at the state office$100Check the textbook page: sos.wv.gov (read October 2026)
Annual report$25 a yearCalendar entry: July 1
State cost, years 1 to 3$150Filing plus the repeating state fees
Assignment count7In order

What this class teaches

  • What West Virginia charges for a new LLC and where the filing goes
  • The agent for service of process requirement
  • The state filing that recurs
  • How the picks stack up

West Virginia: the graded services

Three-year tuition and homework done weigh the most; how we grade lists all five criteria.
Best overall

1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done

$199 per year

We start with Mainstay Filing; $199 yearly covers the formation, the agent for service of process and the annual report, and the renewal bill is $199.

West Virginia Registered Agent.co is $200 cheaper over three years; this one still earns the higher grade because it does more of the work.

You never touch the annual report; the $25 state fee is passed through and nothing more.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent for service of process for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Strengths

  • $199 every year
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • The EIN assignment is part of the package

Weak spots

  • Renewal costs $100 above West Virginia Registered Agent.co
One-state plan

2. West Virginia Registered Agent.co: best for West Virginia LLCs with a small budget

$199 the first year, $99 after

Our second pick, West Virginia Registered Agent.co: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Nothing in the price covers the annual report.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Agent covered in year one
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 and the state fee

Weak spots

  • Preparing the annual report is up to you
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment
One-state plan

3. WV Registered Agent.org: best for another West Virginia option

$199 the first year, $99 after

Our third pick, WV Registered Agent.org: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Nothing in the price covers the annual report.

It lists the same prices as West Virginia Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Agent covered in year one
  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 and the state fee

Weak spots

  • Preparing the annual report is up to you
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment

All the tuition in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2West Virginia Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit West Virginia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3WV Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WV Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is left out of these figures.

The assignments

  1. Assignment
    1

    Pick the LLC's name

    Your first assignment is a name search at the West Virginia Secretary of State, so you do not file under a name that someone else uses.

    Keep a backup in your notebook.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Pick a agent for service of process

    The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any". If one is named: a West Virginia resident, a West Virginia corporation, another LLC, or a corporation or company from another state authorized to do business in West Virginia.

    The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent, and the Articles of Organization ask for one "if any." If an agent is named, its West Virginia address goes on the state record.

    Any of the graded services can take the agent for service of process role.

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: code.wvlegislature.gov (read October 2026)

  3. Assignment
    3

    File on your own or hire a service

    With no service, the bill is the state's $100. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Complete, sign and file the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company

    Your homework here is the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company (Form LLD-1). It is addressed to the West Virginia Secretary of State and costs $100. The office lists a wait of 5 to 10 business days, no extra cost.

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: sos.wv.gov (read October 2026)

  5. Assignment
    5

    Order the LLC's federal tax ID

    The IRS gives out EINs, not West Virginia. Apply once you are approved, then hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state never asks for a copy.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Stay in good standing in West Virginia

    Expect West Virginia to ask for the annual report every year, due July 1, with a fee of $25. Miss the deadline and $50 is added.

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: onestop.wv.gov (read October 2026)

West Virginia costs by assignment

EntryReceiverPrice
Formation feeState office$100
Annual reportState office$25 every year
Penalty for filing lateState office$50
Paid helpThe service company$199 in the first year
State total across three yearsState office$150
Anything paid to West Virginia is an official fee you can look up on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one, and service prices are not part of it.

How the grades came out

On homework the price does (34% of the grade) came out on top, with close behind.

A price that handles the annual report counted for more than West Virginia Registered Agent.co's smaller three-year total.

West Virginia questions

What does it cost to file a new LLC in West Virginia?

The state's fee is $100. Hire a service and add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Assignment 4 shows how to fill out the West Virginia Articles of Organization of Limited Liability Company (Form LLD-1) and where it goes: the West Virginia Secretary of State.

Is an agent for service of process required?

The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any".

How long does West Virginia take to process the filing?

Stated processing time: 5 to 10 business days, no extra cost.

What does West Virginia require each year?

Expect West Virginia to ask for the annual report every year, at $25, with timing described as July 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can file with the $100 fee as long as they appoint an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Pick Mainstay Filing: its $199 yearly tuition pays for the filing, the agent for service of process and the annual report, and next year costs the same $199. Then West Virginia Registered Agent.co and WV Registered Agent.org.

Keep learning

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. The West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing lesson rests on business4.wv.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  2. The West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing lesson rests on business4.wv.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  3. The West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and lesson rests on sos.wv.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  4. The West Virginia yearly filing: Annual report: fee and lesson rests on onestop.wv.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  5. The West Virginia report due date lesson rests on code.wvlegislature.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  6. The W lesson rests on sos.wv.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  7. The West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sos.wv.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  8. The West Virginia formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sos.wv.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  9. The West Virginia registered agent statute lesson rests on code.wvlegislature.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  10. The Processing and expedite, official source lesson rests on sos.wv.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  11. West Virginia service page from Mainstay Filing as of November 13, 2026
  12. pricing page from West Virginia Registered Agent.co as of November 13, 2026
  13. pricing page from WV Registered Agent.org as of November 13, 2026