Start an LLC in Fairfax County, Virginia

Doing business in Fairfax County

Fairfax County is in a class of its own in Virginia: 38,934 business establishments and 636,430 jobs in 2024, more than double the establishments of Loudoun, the next county on the list. With roughly 1.16 million residents, it is also the most populous county in the Commonwealth. Government contracting, consulting and technology firms make up a large share of the new LLCs and corporations we form here, and many of them start as single-member companies run from home offices in Reston, Herndon, Springfield or Burke.

The City of Fairfax and the City of Falls Church are independent cities, not part of the county for licensing. If your address is inside either city, the business license comes from that city's Commissioner of the Revenue, not from Fairfax County. The same is true of the towns of Herndon, Vienna and Clifton, which can license businesses within their limits. Check your exact address before you apply.

Fairfax County businesses that sell taxable goods collect 6 percent sales tax: the 4.3 percent state rate, the 1 percent local option, and the 0.7 percent Northern Virginia regional tax. Contractors bidding on federal work usually need an active SCC record and a certificate of good standing for proposals, so we suggest ordering the $6 certificate as soon as the company is formed.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk

The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Fairfax County records deeds and land records, keeps court files, and records the SCC certificate of a name change or merger for property the company owns there ($10 recording fee under § 13.1-1067). The office does not form companies.

Fairfax County business numbers

Establishment and employment counts are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.

Fairfax County sales tax and business license

Fairfax County is in the Northern Virginia regional tax area, which Virginia Tax lists at 6 percent. Groceries and essential personal hygiene items are taxed at 1 percent statewide.

With more than 50,000 residents, Fairfax County's business license fee cannot exceed $50 under § 58.1-3703; any license tax on gross receipts is set locally.

Forming the company, step by step

• Check the name against the SCC's records, ignoring endings like LLC and Inc.
• File Articles of Organization with the State Corporation Commission: $100 for an LLC, or $75 for a corporation with up to 25,000 authorized shares.
• Name a registered agent who qualifies under § 13.1-1015. Ours is $199 a year.
• Get an EIN from the IRS, then open a business bank account.
• Apply for the local business license with your city, county or town.
• Pay the $50 annual registration fee each year by the last day of your formation month.