Before going into business, a person should determine what would be the best organizational structure for his or her proposed activity. This determination should be made in consultation with an attorney and tax advisor who understand the legal and tax aspects of the various business organization structures. Please note that the staff in the Clerk’s Office is NOT authorized to provide this type of advice.

Information on how to form a Virginia corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or business trust can be found in the Business Registration Guide, a booklet that has been produced by the State Corporation Commission, the Virginia Employment Commission and the Virginia Department of Taxation. It includes a description of the various types of business organizations and provides other basic information.

The Office of the Clerk makes available a variety of forms to assist you with the preparation of documents regularly submitted for filing in this office. General information about starting a business also can be obtained from other sources, such as the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. In addition, the VDBA provides its Business One Stop service, which can be accessed at www.virginia.gov/bos/index.html. For additional resources, see External Links.

Please note that a business entity document can be filed in the Clerk’s Office if, and only if, its filing is authorized in the Code of Virginia. Accordingly, we cannot accept documents for a sole proprietorship or internal business entity documents, such as bylaws, operating agreements, partnership agreements, minutes of meetings, and consents.