Kimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a.
Kimberlee Leonard Small Business Expert WriterKimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a.
Written By Kimberlee Leonard Small Business Expert WriterKimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a.
Kimberlee Leonard Small Business Expert WriterKimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a.
Small Business Expert WriterCassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Written ByCassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Jane Haskins, J.D. contributorJane Haskins practiced law for 20 years, representing small businesses in startup, dissolution, business transactions and litigation. She has written hundreds of articles on legal, intellectual property and tax issues affecting small businesses.
Jane Haskins, J.D. contributorJane Haskins practiced law for 20 years, representing small businesses in startup, dissolution, business transactions and litigation. She has written hundreds of articles on legal, intellectual property and tax issues affecting small businesses.
Jane Haskins, J.D. contributorJane Haskins practiced law for 20 years, representing small businesses in startup, dissolution, business transactions and litigation. She has written hundreds of articles on legal, intellectual property and tax issues affecting small businesses.
Jane Haskins, J.D. contributorJane Haskins practiced law for 20 years, representing small businesses in startup, dissolution, business transactions and litigation. She has written hundreds of articles on legal, intellectual property and tax issues affecting small businesses.
Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 12:22pm
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West Virginia has a thriving small business community with more than 113,000 small businesses in the state. If you’re looking to start your own venture, you’re in good company. Consider filing for a limited liability company (LLC) to reduce your personal liability exposure.
We’ve created this guide to assist you as you set up an LLC in West Virginia.
When starting an LLC, it is best to prepare a few things ahead of the filing to ensure everything runs smoothly. The last thing you want is to file and be told that your name is not unique enough or that you haven’t properly designated a registered agent.
The West Virginia Secretary of State (SOS) has a business organization search tool for you to check the availability of your business name. If your name is not unique enough, it will be flagged by the SOS when you register it. This name search helps prevent this problem. Make adjustments to your business name based on the search results, ensuring your business name is distinguishable from other business names registered with the state. An LLC name must include “limited liability company,” “limited company” or an acceptable abbreviation such as “LLC” or “L.C.”
Once you have the name, you can reserve it for 120 days with a $15 fee by completing the Application for Name Reservation. It can be useful to reserve a name if you don’t plan to file your LLC documents right away.
West Virginia LLCs can designate a registered agent to accept lawsuits and other legal documents served on the company. The West Virginia registered agent may be a state resident or a corporation or LLC authorized to transact business in West Virginia. This person would be responsible for getting the documents to the correct members of the LLC.
If you don’t designate a registered agent, the Secretary of State will act as your agent and will forward any legal documents to your company’s address on record. Legal documents have deadlines for responding. Designating an agent helps ensure you’ll receive a notice as quickly as possible.
The registered agent can be a member of your company, or you can hire a registered agent. It costs approximately $50 to $300 each year to hire a registered agent.
A website is almost a necessity for a business in today’s market. You’ll want to make sure that your business name or catchphrase is available as a domain name. Do this by conducting a search on a domain registrar’s website. When you find a domain that works for your company, purchase it. You’ll own it for a year before it needs to be renewed (some companies offer longer terms). Costs range from $0.99 to $49.99 per year for common domain names. Premium names are more expensive.
To register the LLC, you’ll file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. The cost is $100 (waived for veteran-owned LLCs), and it takes five to ten business days to process the request. You can expedite the filing with the following additional fees:
Forms can be completed through the online portal, or you can file a paper form.
