SOS Entity SearchPublic registry guide

51 · jurisdiction profile

Virginia business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search

Domestic LLC

Virginia LLC Articles of Organization Form LLC1011 cost $100. A name can optionally be reserved for 120 days for $10; online filing is encouraged and the filing requires a Virginia registered agent/office and organizer information.

Domestic corporation

Virginia stock-corporation formation includes a $25 filing fee plus a charter/entrance fee based on authorized shares: $50 per 25,000 shares or fraction up to one million shares, with a $2,500 charter fee above one million, so the minimum total is $75. Nonstock corporation formation is $50 plus a $25 charter fee.

Standard turnaround

Virginia encourages online CIS filings to prevent errors, while paper submissions are available. The SCC does not promise one universal standard approval time; complete online filings are generally faster and paper filings do not qualify for expedited services.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For Virginia, the filing office is Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as Virginia SCC Clerk's Information System (CIS). The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision pointWhat the current profile says
Domestic formationLLC: Virginia LLC Articles of Organization Form LLC1011 cost $100. A name can optionally be reserved for 120 days for $10; online filing is encouraged and the filing requires a Virginia registered agent/office and organizer information.
Corporation: Virginia stock-corporation formation includes a $25 filing fee plus a charter/entrance fee based on authorized shares: $50 per 25,000 shares or fraction up to one million shares, with a $2,500 charter fee above one million, so the minimum total is $75. Nonstock corporation formation is $50 plus a $25 charter fee.
Foreign qualificationLLC: Virginia foreign LLC registration/Certificate of Registration is $100. The foreign LLC must supply jurisdictional evidence, a Virginia registered agent/office, and the required registration information; it also owes the $50 annual registration fee thereafter.
Corporation: Virginia foreign stock-corporation qualification uses the SCC foreign registration form and the authorized-share charter/entrance schedule plus the $25 filing component. The exact total depends on authorized shares; foreign corporations also owe annual registration fees and annual reports.
Recurring maintenanceLLC: Virginia LLCs pay a $50 annual registration fee each year after formation, due the last day of the month of organization or registration. A $25 penalty is imposed when unpaid; LLCs do not file the corporation-style annual report, but the fee is necessary to remain active.
Corporation: Virginia corporations must file an annual report beginning the year after formation or registration; the annual report itself has no filing fee. Stock-corporation annual registration fees are based on authorized shares, while nonstock corporations pay $25; the fee/report is due the last day of the formation month.
Registered agentVirginia requires every registered company to maintain a Virginia registered agent and registered office. The agent must be an eligible Virginia resident or authorized business entity with a physical Virginia address and availability for service; the agent and office are public and annual notices are sent there.

Choose your next guide

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.