Virginia Business Licenses, Fees and Filing Requirements for Your LLC

Depending on the specifics of your Virginia business, you’ll be required to pay certain fees and fulfill different filing requirements. Some of these costs are payable to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, while others are due to the federal or Virginia government. We’ve summarized the most common requirements and fees here, including how to determine what Virginia business licenses you need.

Note that Virginia business licenses and permits might need to be paid when you first form your business, on an ongoing schedule or on an ad hoc basis. Find more details below.

Virginia LLC Filing Costs and Articles of Incorporation

To register your business in Virginia, you’ll file your articles of incorporation with the VA State Corporation Commission and pay an associated LLC formation fee. Every state has different LLC filing fees and filing times. Here is the current information for Virginia:

When you incorporate through Incfile, we forward this fee to the Virginia State Corporation Commission on your behalf when we file your paperwork. 

Some states allow you to form your LLC more quickly by paying a rush fee. You can compare state filing times and fees here, including expedited fees for Virginia.

Incorporate your Virginia LLC through Incfile today

Getting an Employer Identification Number for Your VA LLC

Every Virginia LLC should have a unique Employer Identification Number (EIN). These are provided by the Internal Revenue Service, and you use them when filing taxes, opening a business bank account and paying employees. You can get one yourself at no cost from the IRS or have Incfile obtain one on your behalf.

Get an EIN for your Virginia LLC through Incfile

Certificate of Authority to Operate Outside Virginia

If you’re expanding your Virginia LLC beyond the borders of the state, you will need a Foreign Qualification or Certificate of Authority to operate in another state. These are typically necessary if you have a physical presence, employees or banking in a different state than Virginia. Fees and requirements for foreign qualifications depend on each state’s rules. Incfile provides a complete Foreign Qualification service for any state.

Get a Foreign Qualification/Certificate of Authority through Incfile

Virginia LLC Annual Fees and Reports

Most states need you to file a yearly (or other periodic) report with their state corporation commission or secretary of state. When you file your VA LLC Annual Report, you may need to pay a fee. Here are the annual filing requirements for Virginia: 

Learn about your ongoing Virginia LLC filing requirements and business filing deadlines with our helpful Virginia ongoing filing lookup tool.

Incfile can also complete and file your Virginia Annual Report on your behalf.

Incfile’s Virginia Annual Report filing service

Virginia Business Licenses and Permits

Your Virginia LLC may need certain business permits and licenses to comply with specific requirements. These business permits and licenses might be issued by Virginia, regional or federal organizations. Some of the associated fees only need to be paid once, while others have ongoing charges.

Permits and licenses vary based on:

• The industry your Virginia LLC operates in (e.g., restaurants will need health permits)

• The location of your Virginia LLC (state, county or city) (e.g., a license to conduct business from the city of Richmond)

• The type of business that you run (e.g., healthcare providers must meet HIPAA requirements)

You can research these permits and licenses yourself or use Incfile’s Business License Research Package, which includes:

• A complete report on all the licenses, permits and tax registrations your Virginia LLC will need

• The application forms you will need to file with the Virginia, regional and federal licensing authorities

Remember that operating your business without the required licenses can expose you to risks and fines from federal, Virginia and local governments.

Incfile’s Virginia Business License Research Package

An Operating Agreement for Your Virginia LLC

An Operating Agreement is a business document that covers how the business will be run, how managers and members are chosen, rights and duties of members and several other key areas.

An Operating Agreement is extremely useful for several reasons (learn about them here). If you’re interested in having your Operating Agreement created for you, Incfile can draft a general Operating Agreement template when you choose to form your Virginia business. You can choose to make changes to the template based on your unique requirements. 

Ad Hoc Virginia Fees or Requirements for Your VA LLC

There are several other fees or requirements that you may need to meet during the life of your Virginia LLC. These ad hoc fees will only be payable in specific circumstances, which we’ve listed below.

To Obtain a Fictitious/DBA Name for Your Virginia LLC

If you want your VA business to trade under a different name, you can file a form with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. You will need to pay a Virginia filing fee. Incfile can file this form on your behalf.

Incfile’s Virginia Fictitious Name service

To Change the Virginia Registered Agent for Your VA LLC

Your Virginia LLC needs a Registered Agent, which must be appointed when you first incorporate your LLC. You can also switch to a new VA Registered Agent later. Incfile provides a complete Virginia Registered Agent service.

Incfile’s Virginia Registered Agent service

To Reserve a Name for Your Virginia LLC

If you don’t want to form your VA business right away, you can reserve a name with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. You will need to pay a small fee to do this.

To Amend Certain Facts About Your Virginia LLC

Your business formation documents state certain facts about your Virginia business when it was originally formed. Over time, these facts might change — if they do, you need to file “Articles of Amendment” with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. You can do this yourself or have Incfile complete the filing on your behalf.

Areas you might want to file Virginia Articles of Amendment for include:

• Adding, removing or changing a Virginia LLC member or manager

• Changing the business address of your LLC

• Altering the stated business activities of your Virginia LLC

Incfile’s Virginia Articles of Amendment service

The Virginia Corporation Commission Certificate of Good Standing

Some organizations will request that you prove your Virginia LLC’s compliance with laws and tax requirements. If you need to prove you have met your commitments, you will need a “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Incfile can obtain a certificate on your behalf.

Incfile’s Virginia Certificate of Good Standing service

The fees listed above detail all the charges that a standard VA LLC will be required to pay. In some circumstances, there may be other one-off, periodic or ad hoc fees not listed above. 

Of course, your Virginia LLC will also probably need to pay self-employment, payroll, federal, state and sales taxes, but we will cover that when we talk about taxes for VA LLCs.

FAQs About Virginia LLC Costs

What Happens to the State Fees That I Am Charged When Forming My Virginia LLC?

We charge you for this fee at cost and then pay the fee to the VA State Corporation Commission on your behalf when forming your Virginia business. 

Do I Need to Pay an Annual Report Fee Every Year?

Yes. Virginia requires you to file a report for your LLC every year. 

Who Will I Need to Get Business Licenses and Permits From for My Virginia LLC?

It depends on various factors including:

• The type of business you run

• Where you are located

• Governing organizations in your industry

• Federal, state and local regulations

That’s why our Business License Research Package is so useful. It explores all of these areas for you and provides a comprehensive overview of exactly what your Virginia LLC needs to be compliant.