State guide · West Virginia
West Virginia: straightforward formation, one firm summer deadline.
West Virginia keeps its LLC regime simple: Articles of Organization, an agent for service, and an annual report due June 30. The founders who get hurt here are usually working both sides of the PA line and only registered on one.
WV-1Form the entity
- Search the name in the WV Secretary of State business database.
- File Articles of Organization, fee $100, naming an agent for service of process with a West Virginia address (or using the Secretary of State's default service provisions where they apply).
- Register with the WV State Tax Department for a business registration certificate before transacting — West Virginia separates this from formation.
- Operating agreement and EIN as usual.
WV-2Stay compliant
| Obligation | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report | Jun 30, yearly | Fee $25, filed with the Secretary of State. Late reports draw penalties; repeated misses risk administrative dissolution. |
| Business registration | Renewal cycle | Keep the tax-department registration current alongside the Secretary-of-State record. |
WV-3The WV–PA pattern
The northern panhandle and Morgantown corridors run straight into southwestern Pennsylvania. A WV LLC with regular PA work files a PA foreign registration and adopts PA's September 30 LLC annual report alongside WV's June 30 — two summer deadlines, two states, one calendar. Write both down at formation; neither state accepts "I was watching the other one" as a reason.
Where this route hands off
Working the Pennsylvania side? PA CROP runs that stretch. Multi-state agent needs? RA Navigator.
Guide content is general information, not legal advice. Fees and deadlines reflect state practice as of October 2026 — verify current figures with the West Virginia Secretary of State before filing. CXI is operated by PA Registered Office Services, LLC, 924 W 23rd St, Erie, PA 16502.