‹ Virginia Filing Guide
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Virginia
The form, the fee, and how to file it.
Filing details
- Form name
- Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC1016 / SCC635)
- Filing fee
- Free
- Online filing
- Yes
- Processing time
- Immediate to a few hours for online filings; 1-2 weeks for mail; expedited paper service available for $50 next-day or $200 same-day
- Secretary of State
- Virginia SOS ↗
Note: Virginia charges no fee to change the registered agent. File online through the Clerk's Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov, by mail, or in person. Note that Virginia is regulated by the State Corporation Commission (SCC), not the Secretary of State. The registered agent must be a Virginia resident, a Virginia State Bar member, or a business entity authorized to transact business in Virginia. Online filings process near-immediately; mail filings can take 1-2 weeks. If your registered agent address changes, you have 30 days to file an update.
Open online filing portal ↗
How to change your registered agent in Virginia
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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 Virginia SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.
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Get the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC1016 / SCC635). Download the form ↗
You can file this online through the 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.
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Pay the Free filing fee.
Virginia does not charge a state filing fee for this change. The only cost is what you pay your new registered agent.
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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 services prorate or refund the unused portion.
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Verify the change in state records.
Search your LLC name on the Virginia SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Processing typically takes Immediate to a few hours for online filings; 1-2 weeks for mail; expedited paper service available for $50 next-day or $200 same-day, so check back after that window.
Important to know about Virginia
- Virginia's business filings are handled by the State Corporation Commission (SCC), not the Secretary of State - this catches some out-of-state filers off guard.
- You have 31 days to appoint a new registered agent if the previous one resigns. Failure can result in your business being marked pending inactive, then ultimately terminated.
- Mail filings require you to first request a paper form from the SCC; you cannot just download and submit. Online filing through CIS is significantly faster.
Have a service handle the change for you
Northwest will file the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form LLC1016 / SCC635) and pay the state filing fee when you sign up. The change is usually filed the same business day.
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This page provides general information based on publicly available Virginia Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Virginia SOS before filing.