Virginia
On this page
Virginia at a glance
- Who runs it
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk
- Clerk's Information System (CIS)
- Cost to search
- Free
- Searching and noncertified document images are free. Certificates and certified copies are $6 each through CIS, with no extra per-page charge online.
- Account needed
- No
- Search without signing up
- Search by
- Entity Name, Entity ID
- and 1 more
State fees
- Form an LLC$100Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011)Official source
- Annual Registration Fee$50Due by the last day of the month the LLC was organized, every year after formation. The SCC sends the assessment two months before the due date, and you can't pay before it's assessed.Official source
- Certificate of Fact of Existence$6Instant download through CIS.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
- Change registered agentNo feeNo fee to update the registered office or change the registered agent (Form LLC1016).Every LLC must have oneOfficial source
Virginia LLC lookup: how to use the Clerk's Information System (CIS)
An LLC lookup in Virginia is the same search as a business search. The Clerk's Information System (CIS), kept by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by entity Name or entity ID. It's free, and you don't need an account.
- Open the Business Entity Search in the Clerk's Information System (CIS). Accept the cookie notice if it appears.
- Enter the Entity Name or Entity ID, or open "Advanced Search" for more options, and click "Search".
- Click the Entity ID in the results to open the entity record.
- Check the status, then open the "Filing History", "RA History" and "Name History" tabs.
- Download free document images from the filing history, or use "Image Request" if an image is missing.
Good to know in Virginia: Virginia's registry is the State Corporation Commission, not a Secretary of State. LLCs don't file an annual report. They pay a $50 annual registration fee by the last day of the month they were formed, and if it's still unpaid three months after the due date, the LLC is canceled automatically by operation of law. Watch for "Pending Inactive", which is the warning stage before that.
What the search shows you
- Entity name and Entity ID
- Status (Active, Pending Active, Pending Inactive or Inactive)
- Filing History, RA History and Name History tabs
- Previous Registrations and Garnishment Designees
- Document images, with an "Image Request" option for missing ones
What the status words mean
Virginia uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Clerk's Information System (CIS), in the state's own wording.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The business is current on the SCC's records. |
| Pending Active | One of the four statuses the SCC lists. Its help pages don't define it further. |
| Pending Inactive | A warning status. For example, a business without a registered agent 31 days after the agent resigned moves to pending inactive, and if it isn't fixed by the last day of the second month after the notice, it is terminated, revoked or canceled automatically. |
| Inactive | The business has been terminated, revoked or canceled. An inactive entity has 5 years to reinstate; after that the Clerk's Office can't reinstate it. |
For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.
Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners
Registered Agent
The "RA History" tab on the entity record shows the entity's registered agents.
Filing history
The "Filing History" tab lists filings with downloadable images. Images of documents filed on or after January 1, 1997 are generally available for free.
Owners, managers and officers
The SCC does not keep a record of LLC members or managers. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.
Finding a Virginia Entity ID
Virginia gives every business on its register an Entity ID. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.
- What it looks like
- A number such as 11064549, the example in the SCC's CIS how-to guide.
- Where to find yours
- In the Business Entity Search results and on the entity record in CIS.
- Search by it
- Yes. The Clerk's Information System (CIS) accepts it.
Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.
Checking whether a business name is available in Virginia
- Use the Name Availability check in CIS before you file.
- Reserve a name for 120 days for $10 (Form SCC631), online or on paper.
- Search fictitious names too, since the SCC is the central filing office for all of them.
A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.
DBA and UCC search in Virginia
DBAs and assumed names
- What it's called
- Assumed or Fictitious Name
- Where they're filed
- The SCC Clerk's Office is the central filing office for all certificates of assumed or fictitious names, including those of registered businesses like LLCs.
- Search
- No statewide online search.
- State fee
- $10. Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name.
Older fictitious names on file with a circuit court are released by filing a certificate of release with that Clerk of Court.
UCC liens
Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk. The online search is free. Our Virginia UCC search guide has the steps and fees.
Virginia fees and deadlines
These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.
Form an LLC
$100- Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011).
- Online filings in CIS are processed in real time. You can also file by mail or in person.
Annual Registration Fee
$50- Due: Due by the last day of the month the LLC was organized, every year after formation. The SCC sends the assessment two months before the due date, and you can't pay before it's assessed.
- If you're late: $25 penalty if paid after the due date. If still unpaid by the last day of the third month after the due date, the LLC is canceled automatically.
- Only corporations file an annual report with the SCC. LLCs pay the registration fee instead.
Change your registered agent
No fee- Every Virginia LLC must have one.
- No fee to update the registered office or change the registered agent (Form LLC1016).
Certificate of Fact of Existence
$6- Proof the company exists and is current, from the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
- Instant download through CIS.
118,488 new business applications were filed in Virginia from January to September 2026, up 13.6% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.
Starting a business in Virginia?
A lot of people search the Clerk's Information System (CIS) to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.
- 1Check the name is free in VirginiaTakes two minutes, steps on this page
- 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $100 state fee
- 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two
Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up an LLC in Virginia?
Search the Clerk's Information System (CIS), the official database kept by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. You can search by entity Name or entity ID. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.
Is the Virginia business entity search free?
Yes. Searching CIS is free, and noncertified images of filed documents download at no charge. A Certificate of Fact of Existence is $6.
Can I find the owners of a Virginia LLC?
No. The SCC does not keep a record of LLC members or managers.
What does "Pending Inactive" mean in Virginia?
The business has a problem that will cancel it if not fixed, such as no registered agent on file. If it isn't resolved in time, the status changes automatically to terminated, revoked or canceled.
Does a Virginia LLC file an annual report?
No. It pays a $50 annual registration fee by the last day of its formation month. Paying late adds a $25 penalty, and three months of nonpayment cancels the LLC.
Sources
We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.
- 1.Clerk's Information System: Business Entity SearchChecked November 8, 2026
- 2.SCC: Virginia Limited Liability Companies forms and feesChecked November 8, 2026
- 3.SCC: Annual Registration Fees FAQChecked November 8, 2026
- 4.SCC: Maintaining Your BusinessChecked November 8, 2026
- 5.SCC: Reinstatements (status list)Checked November 8, 2026
- 6.SCC: Registered Agent and Office AddressesChecked November 8, 2026
- 7.SCC: LLC FAQs (members and managers)Checked November 8, 2026
- 8.SCC: Annual Reports FAQChecked November 8, 2026
- 9.SCC: General FAQsChecked November 8, 2026
- 10.SCC: Certificates and CopiesChecked November 8, 2026
- 11.SCC how-to guide: Download Images or Request Missing Images in CIS (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
- 12.SCC: Fictitious Names FAQChecked November 8, 2026
- 13.SCC: Uniform Commercial CodeChecked November 8, 2026
- 14.SCC: UCC FeesChecked November 8, 2026
- 15.SCC: UCC/Tax Lien Searches, Copies & CertificatesChecked November 8, 2026
- 16.SCC: UCC Guidelines & FAQChecked November 8, 2026
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