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How to start an LLC in West Virginia

Every step to form your LLC in West Virginia, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$100
Regular report
$25
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The West Virginia Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in West Virginia

Filing Articles of Organization with the West Virginia Secretary of State$100
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$25
State business licenseSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the West Virginia Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    In West Virginia, naming an agent to receive legal papers is optional for an LLC or corporation. If none is named, the Secretary of State accepts legal papers for the business and forwards them.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the West Virginia Secretary of State, online through the One Stop Business Portal, which also registers the business with the state Tax Division and WorkForce West Virginia. The state's fee is $100, plus $1 to file online; it's waived for qualifying veteran-owned businesses and some West Virginia residents under 30. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. With the state

    Get your business registration certificate

    Before doing business, West Virginia requires a business registration certificate from the West Virginia Tax Division. The fee is $30, and each fixed business location needs its own certificate, which lasts until the business moves or closes. Registering through the One Stop Business Portal covers this application.

    Get the state license (opens the official site)

  5. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  6. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  7. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    Registering online through the One Stop Business Portal also registers your business with the West Virginia Tax Division, which issues the business registration certificate and handles state taxes such as sales tax, and with WorkForce West Virginia for unemployment compensation if you'll have employees.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  8. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    West Virginia's statewide business license is the business registration certificate from the Tax Division (see above). Some trades need their own state license, such as contractors from the state Division of Labor, and your city or county may have its own rules, taxes and registration; the Tax Division suggests asking your mayor's office and county assessor's office.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  9. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  10. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in West Virginia files an annual report with the Secretary of State between January 1 and June 30 each year, starting the year after it's formed. The fee is $25 ($1 more online), or $75 if it's received after June 30. The state can administratively dissolve an LLC that doesn't file.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in West Virginia

How much does it cost to start an LLC in West Virginia?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $100. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $25. It also asks for state business license, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does West Virginia require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. West Virginia asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $25, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in West Virginia myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the West Virginia Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from West Virginia's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

West Virginia's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states