Virginia Law

A. A foreign corporation may not transact business in the Commonwealth until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Commission.

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.