Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk

What it is

The Office of the Clerk of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) is the state office where Virginia business entities are formed and their records are kept. The Clerk of the Commission is the official custodian of the Commission's judicial and administrative records. Business entity, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and SCC case documents are mostly open to public examination, and many can be viewed or downloaded online.

What it offers founders

Almost every Virginia startup that forms a corporation or limited liability company deals with this office. Its main tool is the Clerk's Information System (CIS), where you can:

• Check name availability and form a business entity online.
• Search business records filed with the Commission.
• File annual reports and pay annual registration fees to keep an entity in good standing.
• File reinstatements for entities whose existence has lapsed, within five years of termination or cancellation.

Under the Code of Virginia, the fee to file articles of organization for a Virginia LLC is $100, the same as a foreign LLC's application to register in Virginia. Reserving an LLC name costs $10, and LLCs pay an annual registration fee of $50, due by the last day of the anniversary month of formation or registration.

Who it is for

The office serves anyone forming, registering or maintaining a business entity in Virginia, including founders creating a new company, out-of-state companies registering to do business in the Commonwealth, and lawyers and lenders searching public records or UCC filings.

How to engage or apply

Most filings are made online through CIS. Clerk's Office staff can explain Virginia filing requirements but cannot give legal, business or tax advice, so the office points founders to legal or tax professionals for those questions. Do not include Social Security numbers, dates of birth or financial account numbers in filings; the Clerk may remove such data or refuse the filing. The Clerk's Office is on the first floor of the Tyler Building, 1300 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219, open 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The call center is (804) 371-9733, or 1-866-722-2551 toll-free in Virginia. See the New Business Resources page and the SCC website for more.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

Founders who incorporate or register a company in Virginia, whether in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun or Richmond, file with this office, and local programs such as Alexandria's startup checklist list SCC registration as an early step.