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How to Change Your Registered Agent in West Virginia

The form, the fee, and how to file it.

Filing details

Form name
Application to Appoint or Change Process, Officers, and/or Addresses (Form AAO)
Filing fee
$15
Online filing
Yes
Processing time
West Virginia publishes "Standard (5-10 business days) - No additional cost". Above that it sells four tiers on top of the $15 filing fee, available on paper and online alike: $25 buys either same day if you file in person or next business day otherwise, $250 buys two hours and $500 buys one hour. Note that the agency's own expedite page lists only three of those tiers
Filing agency
West Virginia SOS ↗
Note: West Virginia charges $15 to change the registered agent using Form AAO. File online through the One Stop Business Portal at business4.wv.gov or onestop.wv.gov, by email to CorpFilings@wvsos.gov (expedited filings to efilings@wvsos.gov), by fax to (304) 558-8381, or by mail or in person to the WV One Stop Business Center, 13 Kanawha Blvd. West, Suite 201, Charleston WV 25302. Make cheques payable to "West Virginia Secretary of State". You can also bundle the agent change into your annual report (filed between January 1 and June 30 each year). The annual report fee is $25. Filing online adds a $1 portal charge.
Open online filing portal ↗

How to change your registered agent in West Virginia

  1. Choose your new registered agent first. Do not file the change form until you have a new agent lined up. The new agent has to consent to the appointment, and most states will not process the change without that consent in hand. If you let coverage lapse, the West Virginia SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.

    Two ways to go. Name yourself or someone you know. Nothing to pay beyond the state filing fee above, but your address goes in the public record and somebody has to be there during business hours to accept legal mail.
    Or use a service at $125/year. That keeps your address private and prepares the change form for you. If you are here because your current agent resigned, missed a delivery, or raised its price, this is usually the reason. See what Northwest charges, or compare what the major agents cost first.

  2. Get the Application to Appoint or Change Process, Officers, and/or Addresses (Form AAO). Download the form ↗ You can file this online through the West Virginia Secretary of State portal. The form requires your LLC name, the new agent name and address, and a signature. The new agent must consent to the appointment.
  3. Pay the $15 filing fee. Pay by credit card during the online filing. A small processing surcharge usually applies. Mail filings accept check or money order; confirm the exact payee on the form before you send it, because it is not the Secretary of State in every state.
  4. Notify your old agent. Once the change is processed, your old agent's responsibility ends. If you are paying them an annual fee, cancel that subscription so it does not auto-renew. Most agents do not refund the unused portion, so time the cancellation against your renewal date.
  5. Verify the change in state records. Search your LLC name on the West Virginia SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Check back after the processing window shown above.

Important to know about West Virginia

  • You can change the registered agent for free during your annual report filing window (January 1 to June 30 each year) - just update the agent details when filing the annual report.
  • WV processes filings within 24-48 hours, which is exceptionally fast among states. In-person delivery gets same-day processing.
  • The veteran fee waiver does NOT cover this filing. W. Va. Code 59-1-2(j) waives the $100 registration fee for a veteran-owned LLC formed on or after 1 July 2015, and 59-1-2a waives the $25 annual report fee for the first four years. Both need a DD214 attached. Neither reaches the $15 agent or address change, and the change form has no veteran box.
  • Some third-party guides cite $25 for this filing - this is incorrect. Official WV SOS documentation confirms $15.

Have a service handle the change for you

Northwest will prepare and file the Application to Appoint or Change Process, Officers, and/or Addresses (Form AAO) for you when you sign up. The state filing fee is yours to pay. The change is usually filed the same business day.

Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
$125/year · All 50 states · Privacy included
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$99 first year, then $149/year · Full-service compliance option
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Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
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Choosing a replacement agent? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review compare pricing, renewals, and service before you file.

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available West Virginia Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the West Virginia SOS before filing.