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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Open it up · Virginia

2 Best LLC Services in Virginia (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the LLC formation services in Virginia rank Mainstay Filing ($199) and VA Registered Agent.org ($199), best on top. Two parts make up the bill: $100 for Virginia and $397 to $597 for three years of service.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

State filing fee
$100, one time
Next layer
$50 yearly
Registered agent
Yes, by law
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing then VA Registered Agent.org

The Virginia stack, best on top

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep handled

$199 a year, with the $100 state fee added

Mainstay Filing is first, and $199 a year packs in formation, the registered agent and every annual registration fee.

Over three years this runs $200 above VA Registered Agent.org, and more of the filings are handled inside.

The Annual Registration Fee is packed in, and the only extra is the state's $50.

Inside the price

  • Formation filed with the state
  • Registered agent for all twelve months
  • Annual registration fee filed on your behalf
  • EIN application
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • EIN handled at no extra charge
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • Stays at $199

Inside, the catch

  • A $100 yearly premium over VA Registered Agent.org
Virginia only

2. VA Registered Agent.org: best for a business that stays in one state

$199 to form; renewal $99

What puts VA Registered Agent.org second: $199 forms the LLC, and the agent renews each year at $99.

Not inside the price: the Annual Registration Fee, which stays with you.

Inside the price

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 plus the state fee to form
  • Agent renews at $99

Inside, the catch

  • You carry the Annual Registration Fee yourself
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Inside each price

#PickYear oneRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation filed with the state; registered agent for all twelve months; annual registration fee filed on your behalfLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2VA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceLook inside VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Opened up, question by question

What is inside the cost of forming an LLC here?

$100 is the state's share. Add $199 if a service files in year one.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $200 over three years. peek at law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026

Which form is inside the filing, and where does it go?

The Articles of Organization of a Virginia Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1011) is the filing, and the State Corporation Commission (SCC) is where it goes. Approval creates the LLC.

The law underneath: Va. Code § 13.1-1010. peek at law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

A Virginia resident who is a member, manager or officer of the LLC (or of an entity that manages it) or a member of the Virginia State Bar, or a corporation, LLC or registered LLP authorized in Virginia.

peek at law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the Annual Registration Fee, every year, at $50 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: last day of the LLC's anniversary month.

Miss the deadline and you owe an extra $25.

peek at scc.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026

Can I file it myself instead of hiring a service?

A service is optional. State fees alone are $200 across three years.

That $397 to $597 over three years is the price of handing off the paperwork and the agent role.

What put number one on top?

Mainstay Filing is strongest on what is inside the price, a layer worth 29% of the score.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

In Virginia the Annual Registration Fee is due every year, and only the first pick packs its filing into the price.

How we open it up

What Virginia requires to form an LLC

RequirementAmount or ruleOfficial source
Fee to form$100peek at law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentYes, by lawpeek at law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual Registration Fee$50 every yearpeek at scc.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$200The rows above, stacked
Every row above links to its official source. The final row is our own total of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

More boxes to open

Who applies for the EIN?

Only Mainstay Filing packs it in. Elsewhere it is $99 at VA Registered Agent.org.

What if the report is late?

Expect a $25 late fee.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Opened up over three years: Mainstay Filing at $597, VA Registered Agent.org at $397, before state fees.

What do these numbers rest on?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Virginia's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Do I have to use a service?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

Who tops the stack in Virginia?

Mainstay Filing, because the annual registration fee is filed for you within the $199 annual price, next to formation and the registered agent. Then VA Registered Agent.org.

Originals behind this page

  1. Unpacking Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing led us to law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing led us to scc.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Va led us to law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Virginia formation fee: Filing fee led us to law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Virginia registered agent statute led us to law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. The Mainstay Filing Virginia service page, opened November 13, 2026
  7. The VA Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026