How to File Articles of Organization for LLC in Virginia: Guide

At times, aspiring entrepreneurs delay starting their first company. They think they will need a lot of money to create an LLC in Virginia: thousands of dollars for a lawyer and payment of all the fees. We are happy to tell you that these people are wrong! We know how to make this process easy and inexpensive so you can get one step closer to your dream.

In fact, you can either do all the paperwork yourself and not pay thousands of dollars to an attorney, or you can contact an LLC formation service and pay only $100-200 for their help in establishing your LLC. Either option will save you a lot of money. Of course, no service or expert will save you from having to pay the state fees, but usually, they are not that expensive.

In this article, we'll detail how easy it is to fill out and submit your company's main document to the state of Virginia. Once the state approves this document, your company will be considered registered, and you can legally do business in Virginia. Let's get started!

What Is an Article of Organization?

Articles of Formation is the most important document for your company. It's like a passport for a person. Without this document, your company simply does not exist. After Virginia SCC certifies this document (if everything is in order and it is filled out correctly), your company is incorporated and listed in the Registrar of State's Office.

Since your LLC is visible to legal entities, you can run your business properly, and state officials can monitor it. All of this makes running a business in the state of Virginia transparent and as beneficial to the community and the country as possible.

We've already told you that the articles of organization for LLCs in Virginia are your main documents. You probably thought that such an important document consisted of dozens of pages and was difficult to fill out? It is absolutely not!

Articles of organization are short documents that you can fill out fast and effortlessly. You only need to fill out one page of information. This is just the most important info about your company, and there is nothing extraneous. Later, we'll provide an example of articles organizations document in Virginia, and you'll get to see it for yourself.

Next, we'll describe every step you'll need to take on your way to getting your certificate of organization in Virginia. 

Important: If you do not want to waste time and do the paperwork yourself, contact one of the LLC formation companies. These services will do all the work for you, and you can concentrate on the more important aspects of your business that cannot be delegated.

How to File Articles of Organization in Virginia Step by Step

We offer you a step-by-step guide on how to receive your Certificate of Organization in Virginia. If you read this article carefully, you'll be left with no questions and can easily complete the filing process without the assistance of a professional lawyer.

Step 1: Get Your Articles of Organization Forms

The first thing you need to do is to get an Articles of Organization template in Virginia. If you are filling out this document for an LLC, you will need an LLC1011 form. Click on the document title, and you will be led to a PDF file provided by Virginia SCC. This is the current form as of 2022. Feel free to use it. The PDF file has three pages, but we are most interested in the second page.

All you have to do is fill out the form for your LLC. Once you open it up, you will see that it has 6 Sections (they are labeled with roman numerals):

• LLC Info;
• Office Address;
• Registered Agent's Info;
• Qualification;
• Registered Agent's Address;
• Signatures.

Important: When submitting your completed form, do not attach any additional documents. Send only the Articles of Organization and your state fee check.

Step 2: Fill Out the Articles of Organization In Virginia

Let's move on to filling out the Articles of Organization for Virginia LLCs. We'll help you do it correctly and avoid mistakes.

First, download the Virginia Articles of Organization form to your computer and upload it to a text editor to fill out.

There are a few basic rules for filling out this document:

• You may only use English;
• You should avoid lexical and grammatical mistakes in completing the form;
• Do not change the structure of the document by adding extra sections with information.

Now, let's go over each point in detail.

LLC Info

This section consists of three fields to be completed:

• LLC Name;
• LLC Contact Number;
• LLC Email.

Only the first of the points is mandatory while the other two are optional. We, of course, advise you to fill in all the points and not to miss anything in order to create a positive impression of your company.

But let's take a closer look at the first mandatory point. There, you're asked to introduce a name for your company. It seems effortless at first glance, but it's not like that at all. There are a few rules for choosing a name that you need to follow:

• Your company name has to be absolutely unique. This means that there should be no company with the same or similar name in Virginia. If the name is easily confused with one already registered, you will be rejected;
• First of all, you need to show that your business is an LLC. You can do this by adding these words and phrases to your company name: LLC, L.C., LC, Limited liability, Ltd, etc.;
• Your company name should not be offensive to any segment of the population. This means that any allusions to sexism, racism, insulting of any religion, and so on should be excluded from the name of the LLC. Also, you are prohibited to use profanity or rude words.

As we mentioned above, the main aspect of approving your application is a unique company name. And, of course, this can be checked through a convenient and free Name Availability Check. Be sure to use this service because it is fast and absolutely free.

Important: If you fill out the optional email and contact phone number fields, state representatives will be able to contact you in case of minor problems with the company name and help you resolve them.

Office Address

This section contains the following fields: city, state, address, and Zip Code. Filling them out shouldn't be difficult if you've chosen a physical address for your office. If you have several locations in different cities, then provide the address of the one where your main documents are stored or where the company's core management team works. It is also important to note that you will not get away with just having a mailbox. Only a physical address is acceptable as the primary address for the company.

Registered Agent's Info, Qualification, and Address

Appointing a Registered Agent in Virginia is a mandatory requirement for establishing an LLC. You can't avoid it, even if you would like to. Without a Registered Agent, your company simply cannot exist. A Registered Agent is a person or company who is the liaison between your Virginia LLC and the state. A resident agent receives all business papers on behalf of the company. That is why this person or company should always be available during business hours.

Your Registered Agent can be any adult U.S. citizen with a Virginia residential address. It can be you, one of your employees, or someone you hire to do the job. We always advise aspiring entrepreneurs to contact LLC formation services for a registered agent's assistance. This will cost you an average of $100-150 per year. In this case, the work will be done by a professional, and you will have more time to devote to the development of your business.

In sections 3-5, you need to fill in the information about the Registered Agent (after you have received agent's consent).

Be sure to include his/her name, email address for contacting the agent, and the address where the specialist will receive correspondence.

Signatures

All organizers are required to sign the document and indicate their name and the date they filled out the Articles of Organization in Virginia form.Well done! You have completed the preparation of Articles of Organization for your LLC in Virginia. All that remains is to submit the document to the state. But where and how to send these papers? Let's learn more!

Want to know the requirements for articles of organization in other states? Select state:

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization

Before you move on to filing Articles of Organization for your LLC in Virginia, you need to make sure you have paid the state fee of $100 and enclosed a check. Without a check for the fee, your application will be rejected immediately.

Also, do not include any additional documents (even if they contain more information about your LLC). 

Remember that you can always amend Articles of Organization in Virginia with the help of the Secretary of State. So, you need to fill out Form SCC710N, Articles of Amendment and list all amendments there.

You can submit your completed Articles of Organization form online, by mail, or in person.

If you wish to deliver your completed document in person, please arrive at 1300 East Main Street, Tyler Building, 1st Floor, Richmond, VA 23219.

If you prefer to use the regular mail, send your Virginia Articles of Organization to P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23219. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218-1197. That way, your application will be processed within 12-15 business days.

But in our opinion, the easiest and most modern way to apply is to use cis.scc.virginia.gov website, so your application will be processed in seconds, and you won't have to wait at all. This will save you a lot of precious time.

Contact Information for Virginia Secretary of State

In this section of our article, you will find a block with contact information for the Virginia Secretary of State. This may be helpful for you when submitting and completing your Articles of Organization in Virginia.

Conclusion

The Articles of Organization is the most important document for an LLC in Virginia that entitles your company to do fair business in the state. Without this document, your company is simply non-existent.

Come up with your company name, verify its uniqueness, sign a contract with a registered agent, and you can start filling out the Virginia Articles of Organization form.

As you can see, filling out and submitting the Articles of Organization in Virginia is a quick and completely hassle-free process. Just one page of information about your LLC in Virginia, and you're ready to start operating lawfully! What's more, submitting Articles of Organization in Virginia online benefits you in the speed of your application processing. After reading this article, you will most likely change your mind about paying a lawyer for his or her help because you've already figured it all out for yourself! We really hope we were able to be helpful to you. Good luck in founding your LLC in Virginia!

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