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Virginia · Registered Agents

Who can be a registered agent in Virginia

Every Virginia LLC and corporation must keep a registered agent on file. Below: eligibility, the address rule and how to make a change, each tied to its source.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Registered Agent rules

The rule

Every Virginia LLC must keep a registered agent who qualifies under Va. Code § 13.1-1015[2], at a physical address in Virginia. Changing the agent costs $0[3].

One option in Virginia: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year as registered agent, renewing at the same price[1].

Legal term
Registered agent
Registered Agent required
Yes
Company can be its own agent
No
Change fee
$0
Change form
Form LLC-1016
Mainstay Filing
$149 a year

Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.

Who qualifies

The rule comes from Va. Code § 13.1-1015[2].

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.

In practice that leaves three common choices: an owner or employee who lives in Virginia, a friend or professional with a Virginia address, or a commercial agent company. Owners who live in Virginia qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. The company cannot name itself as its own registered agent.

Address requirements

Virginia's forms spell it out. 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.[2]

Because the State Corporation Commission (SCC) publishes this address, owners who use their own put it on the public record.

Changing a Virginia registered agent

The filing is the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC-1016), filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk. The fee is $0[3].

  1. Line up a replacement registered agent that meets Virginia's rules and agrees to serve.
  2. File the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC-1016) with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk.
  3. There is no state fee for this filing in Virginia.
  4. Check the State Corporation Commission (SCC) business search to confirm the change shows on the record.

Across the 50 states the median change fee is $15; compared with Virginia's $0, no state charges less (9 others match it).

Mainstay Filing prepares and files the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC-1016) for its Virginia agent customers[1].

How long Virginia businesses last

76%open after 1 year[5]
48.8%open after 5 years
15.63new applications per 1,000 residents, 2025[6]

Agent service is a recurring cost for the life of the company. In Virginia, 76% of new business locations were still open after one year and 48.8% after five, per BLS data through March 2025.

BLS figures for Virginia move more than most states' from one group of openings to the next, so single-year rates should be read with care.

What a registered agent costs

Mainstay Filing's Virginia registered agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee.

Other services' prices for Virginia were read from their own pages on October 20, 2026, 7 in all. First years ran $0 to $249, renewals $125 to $249. 3 of the 7 charge more from the second year on.

Questions

Can I be my own registered agent in Virginia?

Owners who live in Virginia qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. The company cannot name itself as its own registered agent.

Can a Virginia registered agent use a P.O. box?

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.[2]

Who offers registered agent service in Virginia?

Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published Virginia prices ran $0 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.

How much does it cost to change the registered agent in Virginia?

$0, paid to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk[3].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. Va. Code § 13.1-1015. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1015/. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk: Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent fee. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1016/. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC-1016). cis.scc.virginia.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.