We recently got a question from a client at the SBDC about an older Limited Liability Company (LLC) that was created but never really launched. The person had filed the registration paperwork and officially formed the LLC but had then let the registration lapse after a year. Life and circumstances were such that it didn’t make sense to really focus on that company at that time, so it fell by the wayside.

Now, several years later the client was ready to revisit the business and get things up and running again. The question posed to us was “How do I reinstate the LLC? What steps do I need to take?”

The good news is that it is fairly simple to reinstate an entity with the Virginia State Corporation Commission as long as it is reactivated within 5 years. This is not only valid for an LLC, but also S-Corporations or C-Corporations as well. There is even a step-by-step guide to the process (see below). You can file online using the VA SCC website using the businesses Clerk’s Information System (CIC) account. You can file paperwork physically and submit the reinstatement application by mail if you don’t have online access.

The basic steps require you to provide the information for the LLC by doing an entity search then entering the company’s PIN number to access the account for that entity. Then file the application providing the appropriate company information using the online form, upload any company documents (as appropriate for your type of entity), pay the fee and submit.

The SCC staff will review the application and assuming all is in order they will send you notification that your entity has been reinstated.

You can learn more about the process and access both the online process and the paper filing process at the SCC Website HERE.

You can also DOWNLOAD THE PDF REINSTATEMENT GUIDE which will walk you through the process step-by-step.

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