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Formation Explained

LLC rules, unpacked for first-time owners.

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Step by step · Virginia

2 Best Registered Agents in Virginia (2026), Compared

Our 2026 ranking for Virginia puts VA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), in that order. First-year cost: $99 to $149. Three-year cost: $297 to $447.
Formation Explained editorial team

The essentials

Does the law demand one?
Required
Official term
Registered agent
What services charge
$99 to $149 each year
Services we suggest
VA Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

The Virginia shortlist

Prices come from each company's own pricing page. The ranking is explained on how we pick.
1 Our first choice

1. VA Registered Agent.org: best for budget-minded owners

Yearly cost $99, renewing for $99

The reason VA Registered Agent.org leads here is that it charges $99 a year, renewing at $99, for an LLC that remains in Virginia.

A lower three-year total than Mainstay Filing gives it the lead for a company that stays put.

Includes

  • An in-state office address
  • Legal mail scanned and posted

Points in its favor

  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • Annual price $99; renewal price $99

Where it falls short

  • Moving to a second state means a second agent
  • The Annual Registration Fee remains your task
2 Fifty-state coverage

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

Yearly cost $149, renewing for $149

In second place is Mainstay Filing, because the $149 yearly price is identical across states.

VA Registered Agent.org is $150 less over three years, which is enough to place it higher.

Includes

  • An in-state street address
  • Three government mailings a year scanned at no charge
  • Not just LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too

Points in its favor

  • $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
  • Follows the company across states

Where it falls short

  • Pricier by $50 per year
  • An agent only; it does not file reports on its own

The picks compared

#ProviderYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1 VA Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297An in-state office address; legal mail scanned and posted Open VA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447An in-state street address; three government mailings a year scanned at no charge; Not just LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too Open Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Figures come from company pricing on November 13, 2026; three years means year one plus two renewals.

Explanations

Must the LLC have a registered agent?

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

Legal basis: Va. Code § 13.1-1015. see law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026

Who qualifies as an agent?

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.

Qualify, and you do not need to pay for an agent.

What is the price of agent service?

Between $99 to $149 per year; $297 to $447 over three years.

Whichever agent you choose, the state charges the same.

What does the agent handle?

It takes delivery of legal papers and state notices for the company in Virginia.

The point is that nothing important gets overlooked while you are away. What does service of process mean?

Are there yearly state charges?

What recurs is the Annual Registration Fee: annual, $50. In the state's words it falls due last day of the LLC's anniversary month, so keep an eye on it.

see scc.virginia.gov, October 2026

How did you order the services?

What three years cost counts for 34%, and VA Registered Agent.org comes out ahead on it.

Most of the score, 62%, comes from what three years cost and how much work the price handles.

At $297 for three years, VA Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $150.

See the full method

Official Virginia requirements

What it coversDetailReference
Filing fee$100see law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026
Registered agentRequiredsee law.lis.virginia.gov, October 2026
Annual Registration Fee$50 every yearsee scc.virginia.gov, October 2026
Three-year state total$200Sum of the figures above
Three-year state total = the filing + reports in years two and three + minimum tax where there is one. Variable costs stay out.

Additional questions

Can an owner act as the agent?

Yes, if you satisfy the rules on who qualifies and the address on this page, you can do it yourself.

What counts as an acceptable address?

The address has to be a registered office in Virginia that is the agent's business office. A P.O. box is accepted only in a town of under 2,000 people with no street address.

How much is each one after three years?

VA Registered Agent.org comes to $297; Mainstay Filing comes to $447

Are the figures official?

Virginia's official documents supply the state fees, and the companies' price pages supply the service fees.

Does the law require a service?

It is optional, and the state charges the same either way.

What is the best registered agent for Virginia?

VA Registered Agent.org is on top because $99 a year gets an agent located in the state; Mainstay Filing follow.

Where the facts come from

  1. October 2026 confirmation of Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing at law.lis.virginia.gov
  2. October 2026 confirmation of Virginia yearly filing: Recurring filing at scc.virginia.gov
  3. August 2026 confirmation of Va at law.lis.virginia.gov
  4. October 2026 confirmation of Virginia formation fee: Filing fee at law.lis.virginia.gov
  5. October 2026 confirmation of Virginia registered agent statute at law.lis.virginia.gov
  6. VA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  7. Mainstay Filing Virginia service page, read November 13, 2026