Under Virginia Code, certain licensed professionals cannot form a standard LLC if they practice their profession through their business. Instead, to operate under the LLC type of entity, they must form a Professional Limited Liability Company(PLC or PLLC). This requirement protects the public and ensures that only properly licensed individuals deliver regulated professional services.
If your work requires a state-issued professional license, Virginia law requires you to form a PLC (or PC) when practicing that profession through a business entity.
Examples include:
• Doctors and other healthcare providers
• Dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, pharmacists
• Psychologists, counselors, clinical social workers
• Attorneys
• Architects, engineers, and land surveyors
• Certified public accountants
• Real estate appraisers
• Veterinarians
• Physical and occupational therapists
• Other professions regulated by Virginia’s licensing boards
If you need a license to practice your trade or profession, you almost certainly need a PLC, not an LLC.
A PLC includes restrictions and requirements that do not apply to a regular LLC:
• Ownership and membership are limited to individuals holding the same type of professional license.
• The entity may be formed only for providing those professional services.
• Operating Agreements must contain specific language required by Virginia law and the relevant licensing board.
Failing to form the correct entity can cause problems with your licensing authority and leave you without the liability protections you believe you have.
If you’ve decided that a Virginia PLC is the right structure for your business, we offer three attorney-led PLC formation packages designed to meet you where you are and support you as your business grows. Each package is priced for a single owner and based on a simple deal structure.
IF YOUR BUSINESS HAS COMPLEX NEEDS, PACKAGE PRICES MAY VARY. BOOK A CONSULT TO LEARN MORE.
For each additional owner, add $500.
Basic Package
Ideal for entrepreneurs who want an attorney-led foundation and confidence in their first year.
Includes:
Most popular package
Standard Package
For founders who want structured attorney follow-up throughout the first business year.
Includes:
Premium Package
For business owners who want full legal and strategic coverage including essential startup contracts.
Includes:
Many entrepreneurs start without a legal strategy. They rely on online forms or generic templates—especially for Operating Agreements. But those templates often just restate the default provisions of the LLC Act, which means you’re getting only the basic protection that the law gives everyone else.
Worse, many online templates are drafted under the Model LLC Act, a framework adopted by some states but not Virginia. The Model Act treats ownership, voting rights, and fiduciary duties differently than Virginia’s LLC Act. Using one of those templates in Virginia can lead to misaligned rights, unenforceable provisions, or unintentional tax consequences.
Dunlap Law fixes that by tailoring your documents to Virginia law and your goals—so you control your company’s structure, not a one-size-fits-all statute.
If you’re ready to launch right—with focus, foresight, and the right legal partner—schedule your consultation.
You bring the courage. We’ll bring the legal strategy.
