Virginia Code 13.1-919: Authority to transact business required
A. A foreign corporation may not transact business in the Commonwealth until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Commission.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 13.1-919
- Board of directors: means the group of persons vested with the management of the business of the corporation irrespective of the name by which such group is designated, and "director" means a member of the board of directors. See Virginia Code 13.1-803
- Commission: means the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. See Virginia Code 13.1-803
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative and investigatory action conducted by a governmental agency. See Virginia Code 13.1-803
- Transact business: includes the conduct of affairs by any corporation that is not organized for profit. See Virginia Code 13.1-803
B. The following activities, among others, do not constitute transacting business within the meaning of subsection A:
1. Maintaining, defending, or settling any proceeding;
2. Holding meetings of the board of directors or members or carrying on other activities concerning internal corporate affairs;
3. Maintaining bank accounts;
4. Selling through independent contractors;
5. Soliciting or obtaining orders, whether by mail or through employees or agents or otherwise, if the orders require acceptance outside the Commonwealth before they become contracts;
6. Creating or acquiring indebtedness, deeds of trust, and security interests in real or personal property;
7. Securing or collecting debts or enforcing deeds of trust and security interests in property securing the debts;
8. Owning, without more, real or personal property;
9. Conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within 30 days and that is not one in the course of repeated transactions of a like nature;
10. For a period of less than 90 consecutive days, producing, directing, filming, crewing or acting in motion picture feature films, television series or commercials, or promotional films which are sent outside of the Commonwealth for processing, editing, marketing and distribution; or
11. Serving, without more, as a general partner of or as a partner in a partnership that is a general partner of a domestic or foreign limited partnership that does not otherwise transact business in the Commonwealth.
C. The list of activities in subsection B is not exhaustive.
Code 1950, §§ 13.1-265 to 13.1-265.2; 1956, c. 428; 1962, c. 239; 1980, c. 630; 1985, c. 522; 2007, c. 925.