In your quest to start an LLC, you will need to prepare as well as file articles of organization with the state. This filing should take place with reference to the state where you will conduct your business. In this section, we will look at what this document entails and its necessity in your business formation.
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What are Articles of Organization Virginia?
This document is what you file with the state for you to formally register your business. You might wonder why this is the case. Well, it comes in handy in a few ways as follows:
- It provides the authorities with pertinent information as to your business. When filing, you will include the intent of registration and the nature of your work. The authorities use this information to decide on whether you should operate in the state.
- Additionally, it is a way of protecting consumers and people living in the state. The authorities will go through the paperwork and decide if your work will be of benefit or detriment to the residents.
Filing
You have numerous options when filing and do not have to do so in the state where you will operate. However, you will find that most entities tend to organize their companies in the location of the main office. You are free to check out other regions as well. Sometimes, companies look into other states owing to better tax laws, fewer licenses and lower fees. It might be helpful to look into the prevalent structures in other states and how you can use these to your advantage. When doing this, also look into any extra paperwork you may need to file with your state of operation.
How to Get Virginia Articles of Organization
If Virginia proves to be the best locale for filing, you can access the articles in two ways:
- Online- the beauty of technology is that you no longer have to keep up with piles of paperwork. Instead, you can access the document by simply creating an account with the state corporation commission website. The page you need will be under Virginia LLC.
- PDF Copy- if you would rather keep it old school and have a hard copy, this is also possible. Access the state corporation commission website and get a PDF copy of the articles. Download the form and proceed to fill it. You will not necessarily have to mail it in for filing and can as well upload it online as we will later cover.
Now, let us deal with the pertinent information to include when filling the form.
Necessary Information
The authorities require quite a significant amount of information to approve or reject your formation. You should thus ensure that you get the following details right in your Virginia LLC articles of organization:
- The name of the business. In this section, you must provide the name under which you will operate your venture. Please note that as much as this identifier should be creative, it should also be legal. You must thus ensure that you follow due naming processes as per the guidelines. Additionally, the name should not be in use in the state. To give your business a better competitive advantage, also ensure that the name is not in use on social media sites as well as URLs.
- Your point of contact with the state. You must also provide the name of the person who will serve as the communication hub for your company. Not only will this person receive notifications but also service of process. This party can be you, a member of the organization or a commercial third party.
- In addition to providing the name of your representative, you should also include their address. This location comes in handy when the state delivers important documents as pertain to your operations. Not having a physical address in the state automatically disqualifies anyone from serving as your point of contact. Ensure that you provide a location and not a mailbox.
- You should also include your main office address. When using a commercial agent, you can provide their location instead, enabling you to enjoy some privacy.
How to Create the Article of Organization VA
The filing process is simple. All you have to do is include the above information. You should also add the organizer’s information, a statement of purpose, the duration of the entity’s operation and the organizer’s signature. It is much unlike creating an operating agreement where you have a lot of wiggle room on what to add to the document. However, there are many articles of organization LLC Virginia examples you can use to write articles of organization. All you need is to answer a few questions that relate to state requirements and you will be good to go.
Don’t know how to write Articles of Organization correctly so that there won’t be any problems for your business in the future? Contact a professional Registered Agent who will write the best Articles of Organization for your business
Do I have to file articles of organization in Virginia?
Filing the document called Articles of Organization is a state requirement and there is no way around it if you would like to legally operate your business. You cannot get a license otherwise and would get into legal trouble. After creating the documents, the last step is the submission as follows:
Where to file articles of organization Virginia
You can use the below options:
- Online – SCC eFile portal, you can either complete the form online or upload a manually-filled PDF as earlier discussed.
- Hard Copy – you can send the manually-filled PDF by mail or you can deliver it in person as per the following addresses.
Downloads Hard Copy
Articles of Organization (PDF)
Request for Certified Copy (PDF)
Request for Certified Copy (Word)
Mailing
State Corporation Commission
Clerk’s Office
PO Box 1197
Richmond, VA 23218-1197
In-Person Delivery
State Corporation Commission
Clerk’s Office, First Floor
1300 E. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
Fees & Timings
All applications cost $100. For online submissions, the processing is immediate. Hard copies take about 5-7 business days to process.
Approval & Rejection
Filing Virginia articles of organization does not guarantee you a license to start doing business. You have to wait for a formal review and approval of the document before you can commence your operations. Below are reasons why your document may get rejected:
- Where you create a document that does not meet statutory requirements. Be careful when you decide to write your articles of organization from an articles of organization template.
- Where you forget to add filing fees during submission.
- Where the name does not meet naming guidelines.
- Where the information provided is not satisfactory to the state, is incomplete or unreadable.