Virginia requires every LLC and corporation to continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in the Commonwealth, and its rules on who can serve are stricter than most states’. An individual agent must be a Virginia resident who is also a member, manager or officer of the company or a member of the Virginia State Bar; otherwise you need a business entity authorized in Virginia. Virginia’s LLC fee statute lists no filing fee for a statement of change of registered agent as of October 2026. We recommend Mainstay Filing at $149 a year, and VA Registered Agent.org is a lower-cost option.
Updated October 2026.
Go to:
Best Registered Agents in Virginia (2026)
Here are our top picks for registered agent service in Virginia, ranked. Mainstay Filing comes first for its flat yearly price; the two Virginia registered agent services below it are options if you only need an agent.
| Rank | Provider | Best for | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | Registered agent service with a flat renewal price | $149/year (renews at $149) | Registered agent service in all 50 states; switching from another agent included (state change fee at cost) |
| 2 | VA Registered Agent.org | Virginia registered agent service only | $99/year | $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online |
1. Mainstay Filing
Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Virginia. It costs $149/year (renews at $149) and covers registered agent service in all 50 states; switching from another agent included (state change fee at cost). The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.
2. VA Registered Agent.org
VA Registered Agent.org is a Virginia registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.
Virginia registered agent at a glance
| Topic | Virginia (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Governing law | Va. Code 13.1-1015 (LLCs); the State Corporation Commission (SCC) keeps the records |
| Individual agents | 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 |
| Entity agents | Corporation, LLC or registered LLP authorized in Virginia; cannot be its own agent |
| Registered office | Must be the agent’s business office in Virginia |
| Statement of change filing fee | None listed in Va. Code 13.1-1005 |
| LLC articles of organization | $100 |
| LLC annual registration fee | $50, due by the last day of the anniversary month |
| LLC name reservation | $10 |
Fees are from the Code of Virginia, section 13.1-1005 and section 13.1-1062.
Who can be a registered agent in Virginia?
This is where Virginia differs from its neighbors. Under Va. Code 13.1-1015, the registered agent of an LLC must fall into one of three groups.
1. A qualifying Virginia resident Living in Virginia is not enough on its own. The individual must also be one of the following, and his or her business office must be the registered office:
- A member or manager of the LLC
- A member or manager of an LLC that is itself a member or manager of your LLC
- An officer or director of a corporation, a general partner of a partnership, or a trustee of a trust that is a member or manager of your LLC
- A member of the Virginia State Bar
A friend or relative who lives in Virginia but has no role in the company does not qualify. That catches many out-of-state owners by surprise: the common workaround of asking a Virginia contact to “hold the address” is not allowed here. If no member, manager or lawyer in Virginia can serve, a registered agent company authorized in the Commonwealth is the practical answer.
2. A business entity A domestic or foreign corporation, LLC or registered LLP authorized to transact business in Virginia can serve, provided its business office is the registered office. It cannot be its own registered agent, and it must designate in a notarized writing one or more people at its office who can accept service, keeping at least one of them there.
3. An officer of the LLC A Virginia resident who is an “officer” of the LLC, meaning an employee (not a member or manager) designated in writing to receive process, can also serve, as long as the agent or a designee is available at the registered office during regular business hours.
Can you be your own registered agent in Virginia?
Yes, if you live in Virginia and you are a member or manager of the LLC. Your business office then becomes the registered office.
Reasons owners hand the role to a service instead:
- The registered office address appears in the SCC’s public records
- Someone must be available to accept service during business hours
- Owners who live in Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, D.C. or elsewhere are not eligible personally
- If you leave Virginia or step down as a member or manager, you stop qualifying, and the LLC must file a statement of change immediately
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Virginia?
Virginia’s LLC fee statute, Va. Code 13.1-1005, lists the filings that carry a fee ($100 for articles of organization, $25 for amendments, $10 for name reservations) and does not list a statement of change of registered office or agent. As of October 2026, that means no filing fee applies to changing your agent.
Virginia’s recurring cost is the $50 annual registration fee, due each year by the last day of the month in which the LLC was formed. A late payment adds a $25 penalty, and an LLC whose fee is still unpaid at the end of the third month after the due date is automatically canceled. Mainstay’s Virginia LLC cost guide puts those state fees next to typical service costs.
When does Virginia require a statement of change?
Va. Code 13.1-1016 requires an LLC to file a statement of change “forthwith” whenever its registered agent:
- Dies
- Resigns
- Stops meeting the 13.1-1015 requirements (for example, moves out of Virginia or is no longer a member or manager)
You can also file one at any time to switch agents or move the registered office. If your agent moves within Virginia or legally changes its name, the agent itself may sign and file the statement and must mail you a copy.
How to change your registered agent in Virginia
- Confirm the new agent qualifies under 13.1-1015. If it is a company, confirm it is authorized in Virginia.
- Sign in to the SCC’s Clerk’s Information System (CIS) and open your LLC’s record.
- File a Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (the SCC’s LLC-1016). Online filing through CIS is processed in real time; a paper form is available from the SCC on request.
- Provide your LLC’s name, the current registered office and agent, the new agent’s name, and the new registered office’s street address with the city or county where it is located.
- Confirm that after the change the LLC complies with 13.1-1015, then submit.
More Virginia guides
- How to start an LLC in Virginia
- Virginia business name search
- How to start a business in Virginia
- Try our business name generator and check domains and handles on namechk
FAQs
Is a registered agent required in Virginia?
Yes. Under Va. Code 13.1-1015, every Virginia LLC and every foreign LLC registered in Virginia must continuously maintain a registered office and a registered agent in the Commonwealth. Corporations have parallel requirements. The registered office must be the agent’s business office in Virginia.
Can any Virginia resident be my registered agent?
No. Virginia requires an individual agent to be a Virginia resident who is also a member or manager of the LLC (or an officer, director, partner or trustee of an entity that is), a member of the Virginia State Bar, or a designated officer of the LLC. Otherwise, the agent must be a business entity authorized in Virginia.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Virginia?
Virginia’s LLC fee statute, Va. Code 13.1-1005, does not list a fee for a statement of change of registered office or agent, so no filing fee applies as of October 2026. The change is filed with the State Corporation Commission, typically online through its Clerk’s Information System.
Can I be my own registered agent in Virginia?
Yes, if you are a Virginia resident and a member or manager of the LLC, and your business office in Virginia serves as the registered office. If you move out of Virginia or stop being a member or manager, the LLC must promptly file a statement of change naming a new agent.
When must a Virginia LLC file a statement of change?
Va. Code 13.1-1016 requires a statement of change whenever the registered agent dies, resigns or ceases to meet the requirements of 13.1-1015. An LLC can also file one at any time to switch agents or move its registered office. An agent that moves within Virginia may file the statement itself.
How much is the Virginia LLC annual registration fee?
Virginia LLCs pay a $50 annual registration fee under Va. Code 13.1-1062. It is due by the last day of the twelfth month after the month the LLC was organized, and by that date each year after, which in practice means the end of the company’s anniversary month.
What does a Virginia registered agent service cost compared with doing it yourself?
If you are a Virginia resident and a member or manager, serving yourself is free. Otherwise you pay a provider: Mainstay Filing is $149 a year, renews at $149 and includes the switch, while VA Registered Agent.org is $99 a year. Virginia’s statute lists no filing fee for the statement of change, so the provider’s price is the main cost.
CHK_ YOUR NAME RIGHT NOW
Use our engine to quickly check your content right now!
Disclosure: We may earn a commission from services recommended on this page.
