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How to start a business in Virginia

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Virginia, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee: $100
LLC, first year (state fees): $100
$50 annual registration fee due at your one-year mark
Corporation filing fee: $75
Annual report: $50
DBA filed with: State
General state license: No
Newspaper notice: No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Virginia?

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), Office of the Clerk (Clerk's Office) for $100 (checked Oct 24, 2026). You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) for $75 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Virginia?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC owned by one individual, filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax permits are listed separately.

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Articles of Organization filing fee (Form LLC1011)	$100	at filing	Oct 24, 2026

First-year total: $100 in state fees.
$50 annual registration fee due at your one-year mark Formation $100 at standard speed. The first $50 annual registration fee, due by the end of the LLC's formation month a year later, is shown below the total, not counted in it. Excludes fictitious names, sales tax and employer registrations, local business licenses (BPOL), registered agent services and optional expedite fees.

After the first year: The $50 annual registration fee is due every year by the last day of the month the LLC was formed. There is no annual report for LLCs.

Fees that apply only in some cases

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Fictitious name (DBA) certificate If the LLC does business under a name other than its legal name	$10	before using the name	Oct 24, 2026
Name reservation (Form SCC631) Optional, to hold a name before filing	$10	before filing	Oct 24, 2026
Sales and use tax registration (Virginia Tax) If you sell taxable goods or services in Virginia	Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.	before your first sale	Check when you file
Business One Stop registration Optional state planning portal; not needed to form or register the LLC	$20	one time, if you choose to use it	Oct 24, 2026
Unemployment insurance registration (VEC) Once you pay $1,500 or more in wages in a calendar quarter or have an employee in 20 weeks of a year	Note The VEC pages state no registration fee and give conflicting directions on which online system new employers use.	when you become liable	Check when you file

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Virginia?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $10 (checked Oct 24, 2026).

How to file a DBA

Does Virginia require an annual report?

Yes. The fee is $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026). An annual registration fee, not a report: due every year by the last day of the month the LLC was formed, starting the year after formation (an LLC formed in March 2026 pays by March 31, 2027). The SCC mails a notice to the registered agent about two months ahead. Paying late adds a $25 penalty, and the LLC is canceled if still unpaid at the end of the third month after the due date. LLCs file no annual report.

Initial report: No. (checked Oct 24, 2026) None. Virginia has no initial report for LLCs.

Does Virginia have a franchise or privilege tax?

None for ordinary corporations and LLCs. Virginia's franchise tax applies only to banks and trust companies; other businesses pay the SCC annual registration fee instead. A single-member LLC owned by one person pays no entity-level state income tax; the owner reports the profit on a personal Virginia return.

How do I register for state taxes in Virginia?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

Does Virginia require a general business license?

No. Virginia doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Virginia has no general state business license. Most cities and counties require a local business license (BPOL), which is issued by the local Commissioner of the Revenue. State law caps the flat local license fee at $50 to $100 depending on the locality's size, and some localities charge a tax on gross receipts instead. This is a local cost and is not counted here. Many occupations are licensed separately by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). If you sell taxable goods or will have employees, register online with Virginia Tax for sales and use tax or withholding; sales tax registrants receive a sales tax certificate. Business One Stop is an optional state planning portal with a one-time $20 registration fee. No statewide lookup for local licenses was found.

What local licenses will I need in Virginia?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

Virginia Beach (city)
The Commissioner of the Revenue's forms page lists the Business License Application and renewal, both filed online through VBePay. The office's FAQ says all businesses must register with the Commissioner. Licenses expire Dec. 31 each year and renewals are due by March 1. Neither page states the fee.

When do I need workers’ comp in Virginia?

3 or more employees (more than two regularly employed in Virginia).

Coverage is required once a business regularly employs more than two people in Virginia. Part-time, seasonal, temporary and family workers count, and so do executive officers and LLC managers, even if they are unpaid. A sole proprietor with no employees or subcontractors needs no coverage, and Virginia issues no exemption form. A single-member LLC's member is not covered unless the member tells the insurer they elect coverage. Officers and LLC managers may reject coverage only if the business already has a valid policy. Contractors must count their subcontractors' employees.

What else should I know about starting a business in Virginia?

A stock corporation pays a $25 filing fee plus a charter fee of $50 for each 25,000 authorized shares, so $75 covers up to 25,000 shares; the most it can cost is $2,525 (more than 1,000,000 shares). Corporations then file a free annual report and pay an annual registration fee every year by the last day of the month they were formed, starting the year after formation. That fee is $100 for up to 5,000 authorized shares plus $30 for each extra 5,000 shares, up to $1,700. The state budget for July 2026 to June 2028 sets these amounts, which are double the figures written in the corporation statute. LLCs pay only the $50 annual registration fee and file no annual report. Professional LLCs use Form LLC1103 ($100), and reserving a name costs $10 (Form SCC631). Since January 1, 2020, every fictitious name (DBA), including one used by a sole proprietor or partnership, is filed with the SCC Clerk's Office online for $10, not with the circuit court. Names filed with a circuit court before then are released through that court. No newspaper publication requirement appears on the SCC's formation pages.

What to double-check for Virginia?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

Note https://scc.virginia.gov/pages/Virginia-Limited-Liability-Companies
Note https://scc.virginia.gov/clk/bussrch.aspx/pix/intro_cis.aspx
Note The VEC homepage says new employers register for unemployment tax through Employer Self Service, while its employer and registration pages say to register through iFile/iReg or by mail on Form FC-27. Check which applies before you hire. https://www.vec.virginia.gov/tax-filing-registration
Note https://tax.virginia.gov/register-business-virginia
Note Virginia Beach's Commissioner of the Revenue pages do not state the business license fee or tax rate; call the office at 757-385-4515. https://cor.virginiabeach.gov/commissioner-of-the-revenue/faqs

What to do next

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Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.