Jurisdiction record

West Virginia

Everything this record holds on West Virginia: 54 fee cells, 11 verified registered-agent statute citations, 43 good-standing status strings, 7 governance rules, a state-level DBA regime, 10 official statute files in the verification corpus, and 12 monitored sources.

Filing agency: West Virginia Secretary of State. Official sites: agency home (opens the official source) · forms and fees (opens the official source) · fee schedule (opens the official source) · entity search (opens the official source) · annual report filing (opens the official source) · statutes (opens the official source)

Filing fees

Statutory fee is the amount fixed by statute or the agency schedule. Effective remittance is what actually leaves the bank once any e-payment surcharge or bundled component is included. Partnership entity types are covered too: LP is a limited partnership, LLP a limited liability partnership, LLLP a limited liability limited partnership. A row reading not offered or no report required is a verified positive finding cited to the statute that proves it - not a gap.

West Virginia filing fees by transaction and entity type
TransactionStatutory feeEffective remittanceComponents and changesStatus
Formation - LLC$100$131bundled: WV Tax Division Business Registration Certificate (mandatory) $30.00, One Stop processing $0.68Verified
Formation - Corporation$100$131bundled: WV Tax Division Business Registration Certificate (mandatory) $30.00, One Stop processing $0.68Verified
Formation - LP$100not yet publishednoneVerified
Formation - LLP$250not yet publishednoneVerified
Formation - LLLPnot offered in this jurisdictionW. Va. Code ch. 47, art. 9 (Uniform Limited Partnership Act - contains no LLLP election; zero occurrences of 'limited liability limited partnership'); W. Va. Code § 59-1-2 and the WV SOS fee schedule list no LLLP filing; WV SOS 'Choose a Business Structure' page lists LP and LLP but no LLLP · source (opens the official source)Verified
Annual report - LLC$25$26bundled: portal surcharge $1.00Verified
Annual report - Corporation$25$26bundled: portal surcharge $1.00Verified
Annual report - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
Annual report - LLP$500not yet publishednoneVerified
Certificate of good standing - All entity types$10not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLC$15not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Corporation$15not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Nonprofit$15not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LP$15not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLP$15not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - LLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - LLLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - LLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
merger - LLLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
conversion - LLLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - Corporation$100not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - Nonprofit$50not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - LLC$150not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - LP$150not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - LLP$500not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_withdrawal - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_withdrawal - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_withdrawal - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_withdrawal - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_withdrawal - LLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution - LP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution - LLP$25not yet publishednoneVerified
cancellation - LP$25not yet publishednonePending review
cancellation - LLP$25not yet publishednonePending review
dissolution_by_incorporators - Corporation$25not yet publishednoneVerified
dissolution_by_incorporators - Nonprofit$25not yet publishednoneVerified
revocation_of_dissolution - Corporation$15not yet publishednoneVerified
revocation_of_dissolution - Nonprofit$15not yet publishednoneVerified
reinstatement - LLC$25not yet publishednoneVerified
Provenance - West Virginia fee schedulePending review

54 of 58 fee datums on this page are verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (2026-09-04); the rest are marked pending review in the Status column - portal-surcharge components no official page states, values the official source contradicts (held for a correction package), or sources that could not be reached.

Records
54 fee cells
Retrieved
2026-08-04 to 2026-09-21
Official schedule
the agency's own published schedule (opens the official source)

Values were first corroborated across independent internal records; verified cells now also carry the agency's own published schedule or statute as their authority, which is what promotion to verified requires.

Cost position

Ranked 23 of 54 on first-year state filing cost, at $156.68 against a national median of $185.00. Recurring annual cost $26. See the full ranking.

$44 $88 $131 $175 LA Louisiana $140 VA Virginia $150 MN Minnesota $155 WV West Virginia $157 WY Wyoming $164 GA Georgia $170 KS Kansas $175
Where West Virginia sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)
Show all 54 jurisdictions
$260 $520 $780 $1,040 MT Montana $35 MO Missouri $51 NM New Mexico $52 MS Mississippi $53 KY Kentucky $55 HI Hawaii $67 CO Colorado $75 MI Michigan $75 UT Utah $77 IA Iowa $80 AZ Arizona $87 OH Ohio $99 ID Idaho $104 CA California $110 SC South Carolin $125 IN Indiana $129 OK Oklahoma $130 NE Nebraska $131 PA Pennsylvania $132 LA Louisiana $140 VA Virginia $150 MN Minnesota $155 WV West Virginia $157 WY Wyoming $164 GA Georgia $170 KS Kansas $175 NJ New Jersey $182 ND North Dakota $185 WI Wisconsin $196 AR Arkansas $200 CT Connecticut $200 OR Oregon $200 VT Vermont $200 NH New Hampshire $204 RI Rhode Island $208 SD South Dakota $210 NY New York $219 IL Illinois $230 AL Alabama $236 ME Maine $260 WA Washington $280 FL Florida $294 TX Texas $308 NC North Carolin $331 AK Alaska $350 GU Guam $350 DC District of C $399 PR Puerto Rico $400 DE Delaware $410 MD Maryland $464 NV Nevada $575 VI US Virgin Isl $600 TN Tennessee $614 MA Massachusetts $1,040
The full ranking with West Virginia highlighted (USD)

Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim

The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 11 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.

W. Va. Code § 31D-5-501 Verified

West Virginia Business Corporation Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31D) · applies to corporations

Registered office and registered agent.Each corporation may continuously maintain in this state: (1) A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) A registered agent, who may be: (A) An individual who resides in this state and whose business office is identical with the registered office; (B) A domestic corporation or domestic nonprofit corporation whose business office is identical with the registered office; or (C) A foreign corporation or foreign nonprofit corporation authorized to transact business in this state whose business office is identical with the registered office.

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-1-108 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Designated office and agent for service of process.(a) A limited liability company and a foreign limited liability company authorized to do business in this state may continuously maintain in this state: (1) An office, which need not be a place of its business in this state; and (2) An agent and address of the agent for service of process on the company. (b) An agent shall be an individual resident of this state, a domestic corporation, another limited liability company or a foreign corporation or foreign company authorized to do business in this state.

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-2-203 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Articles of organization.(a) Articles of organization of a limited liability company must set forth: (1) The name of the company; (2) The address of the initial designated office in West Virginia, if any, and the mailing address of the principal office; (3) The name and address of the initial agent for service of process, if any; [...]

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-5-504 Verified

West Virginia Business Corporation Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31D) · applies to corporations

Service on corporation.(c) In addition to the methods of service on a corporation provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Secretary of State is hereby constituted the attorney-in-fact for and on behalf of each corporation created pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The Secretary of State has the authority to accept service of notice and process on behalf of each corporation and is an agent of the corporation upon whom service of notice and process may be made in this state for and upon each corporation. No act of a corporation appointing the Secretary of State as attorney-in-fact is necessary. [...]

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-2-202 Verified

West Virginia Business Corporation Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31D) · applies to corp

Articles of incorporation.(a) The articles of incorporation must set forth: (1) A corporate name for the corporation that satisfies the requirements of section four hundred one, article four of this chapter; (2) The number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue, the par value of each of the shares or a statement that all shares are without par value; (3) The street address of the corporation's initial registered office, if any, and the name of its initial registered agent at that office, if any; (4) The name and address of each incorporator; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-2-202 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Organization.(a) One or more persons may organize a limited liability company, consisting of one or more members, by delivering articles of organization to the office of the Secretary of State for filing, together with the fee prescribed by section two, article one, chapter fifty-nine of this code. (b) Unless a delayed effective date is specified, the existence of a limited liability company begins when the articles of organization are filed. (c) The filing of the articles of organization by the Secretary of State is conclusive proof that the organizers satisfied all conditions precedent to the creation of a limited liability company.

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-2-211 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Annual report for Secretary of State.(a) A limited liability company, and a foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state, shall deliver to the Secretary of State for filing an annual report that sets forth: (1) The name of the company and the state or country under whose law it is organized; [...] (c) The first annual report must be delivered to the Secretary of State between January 1 and July 1 of the year following the calendar year in which a limited liability company was organized or a foreign company was authorized to transact business. Subsequent annual reports must be delivered to the Secretary of State between January 1 and July 1 of the ensuing calendar years.

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-14-1420 Verified

West Virginia Business Corporation Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31D) · applies to corp

Grounds for administrative dissolution.(a) The Secretary of State may commence a proceeding under §31D-14-1421 of this code to administratively dissolve a corporation if: (1) The corporation does not pay within 60 days after they are due any fees, franchise taxes, or penalties imposed by this chapter or other law; (2) The corporation does not notify the Secretary of State within 60 days that its registered agent or registered office has been changed, that its registered agent has resigned, or that its registered office has been discontinued; (3) The corporation’s period of duration stated in its articles of incorporation expires; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-8-809 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Grounds for administrative dissolution.(a) The Secretary of State may commence a proceeding to administratively dissolve a limited liability company if: (1) The company fails to pay any fees, taxes, or penalties imposed by this chapter or other law within 60 days after they are due; (2) The company fails to deliver its annual report to the Secretary of State within 60 days after it is due; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-4-401 Verified

West Virginia Business Corporation Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31D) · applies to corp

Corporate name.(a) A corporate name: (1) Must contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co." or "ltd.", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; and (2) May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by section three hundred one, article three of this chapter and its articles of incorporation. (b) Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d) of this section, a corporate name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from: (1) The corporate name of a corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-1-105 Verified

Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (W. Va. Code ch. 31B) · applies to LLCs

Name.(a) The name of a limited liability company must contain "limited liability company" or "limited company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." or "LC". "Limited" may be abbreviated as "Ltd." and "company" may be abbreviated as "Co.". (b) Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the name of a limited liability company must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from: (1) The name of any corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or limited liability company incorporated, organized or authorized to transact business in this state; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence medium · verified · www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm (opens the official source)

Registered-agent rules in practice

Who may serve as the agent

Pending review

For corporations, the registered agent may be an in-state resident individual, a domestic corporation or nonprofit corporation, or an authorized foreign corporation or nonprofit corporation, in each case with a business office identical to the registered office (W. Va. Code § 31D-5-501). For LLCs, the agent must be an individual resident of the state, a domestic corporation, another LLC, or an authorized foreign corporation or company (§ 31B-1-108(b)). Note both statutes say the entity 'may' (not 'shall') continuously maintain an agent; the Secretary of State is statutory attorney-in-fact regardless.

Is the agent's consent required

Pending review

Consent required: no.

What happens when the agent cannot be served

Pending review

If an LLC fails to appoint or maintain an agent, or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found, the Secretary of State is the company's agent for service. For corporations, an entity with no agent may be served by registered or certified mail addressed to the corporation's secretary at its principal office (§ 31D-5-504(b)), and the Secretary of State is additionally constituted attorney-in-fact for every domestic corporation with authority to accept service (§ 31D-5-504(c)), forwarding process by certified mail and requiring a fee set by § 59-1-2 (outside this corpus).

What happens if there is no agent

Pending review
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
WhatAmountStatus
LLC annual report fee, stated inside the designated office and agent section$25Pending review
Maximum fine for knowingly signing a false document delivered to the Secretary of State for filing (misdemeanor; corporation act); identical amount in the LLC act at § 31B-1-114$1,000Pending review

10 statutory citations and their supporting verbatim quotations sit behind this section in the record and are withheld from public display until the review pass lands, because a citation presented as authority is a verification claimed. Statutory references appearing inside the summaries above are part of the recorded text rather than an authority claim, and they are not rendered as citations, linked, or emitted in this page's structured data. How the gate works.

Governance rules

7 governance rules are recorded for West Virginia - the organizational and annual meetings, action by written consent, and whether bylaws or an operating agreement are mandatory. Each verified rule links to the statutory text it was verified against, quoted verbatim below.

West Virginia corporate and LLC governance rules
RuleEntityAppliesDetailCitationStatus
Organizational meeting requiredCorporationyesW. Va. Code § 31D-2-204Verified
Annual meeting requiredCorporationyesW. Va. Code § 31D-7-701Verified
Action by written consent allowedCorporationyesW. Va. Code § 31D-7-704Verified
Bylaws requiredCorporationyesW. Va. Code § 31D-2-205(a)Verified
Operating agreement requiredLLCnoW. Va. Code § 31B-1-103(a)Verified
Annual meeting requiredLLCnoW. Va. Code § 31B-4-404(d)Verified
Action by written consent allowedLLCyesW. Va. Code § 31B-4-404Verified

The statutory text behind each rule

W. Va. Code § 31D-2-204 Verified

Organizational meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting, at the call of a majority of the directors, to complete the organization of the corporation by appointing officers, adopting bylaws

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31D-2-204 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-7-701 Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

A corporation must hold a meeting of shareholders annually at a time stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31D-7-701 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-7-704 Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to corporations · yes

may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by all the shareholders entitled to vote on the action. The action must be evidenced by one or more written consents bearing the date of signature

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31D-7-704 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31D-2-205(a) Verified

Bylaws required · applies to corporations · yes

The incorporators or board of directors of a corporation shall adopt initial bylaws for the corporation.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31D-2-205 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-1-103(a) Verified

Operating agreement required · applies to LLCs · no

all members of a limited liability company may enter into an operating agreement, which need not be in writing, to regulate the affairs of the company and the conduct of its business

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31B-1-103 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-4-404(d) Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to LLCs · no

Action requiring the consent of members or managers under this chapter may be taken or without a meeting.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31B-4-404 (opens the official source)

W. Va. Code § 31B-4-404 Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to LLCs · yes

any matter relating to the business of the company may be decided by a majority of the members

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified · code.wvlegislature.gov/31B-4-404 (opens the official source)

See how these rules compare across every jurisdiction.

Doing business as

State-level regime

Verified
Filing office
West Virginia Secretary of State (Form NR-3, Application for Trade Name (DBA)) for corporations/LLCs/LPs/LLPs
State fee
$25 for corporations and LLCs (also LP/LLP/voluntary association/business trust); +$1.00 online processing fee for online filings
Term
No fixed term/expiration - W. Va. Code 47-8 contains no renewal provision; registration remains effective until a certificate of withdrawal is filed
Renewal
None required (no renewal provision; discontinue by filing certificate of withdrawal with the SOS)
Publication
Not required. No newspaper publication requirement (statute 47-8-4 contains no publication language)
Online filing
Available
The regime
West Virginia's assumed-name statute is a statewide Secretary of State filing regime. Individuals, sole proprietorships and general partnerships doing business under any name other than the owners' real names must file a true-name form with the Secretary of State, and registered entities (corporations, LPs, LLPs, LLCs, business trusts, voluntary associations) must file an application for registration of trade name with the Secretary of State before doing business under an assumed name.
Where it is filed
All filings under the article go to the West Virginia Secretary of State - the true-name form for individuals, sole proprietorships and general partnerships (§ 47-8-2) and the application for registration of trade name for registered entities (§ 47-8-4). The Secretary of State maintains a searchable database of filers. No county-level filing appears anywhere in the article.
Publication
No newspaper-publication requirement appears anywhere in the article (all five sections, §§ 47-8-1 through 47-8-5, were read in full); the obligations are filing obligations with the Secretary of State only.
Term and renewal
The act states no fixed term and no renewal cycle for either the § 47-8-2 true-name form or the § 47-8-4 trade-name registration. Instead, an entity that stops using a registered trade name withdraws it by filing a certificate of withdrawal with the Secretary of State.
Name restrictions
An entity's registered trade name must be distinguishable from the name of any other corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, business trust or voluntary association, and from any reserved or registered name for those entity types. The article states no comparable content restriction for the § 47-8-2 sole-proprietor/partnership true-name filing.
Assumed names for registered entities
The entity-side mechanism is inside the general act itself: § 47-8-4 requires registered entities to file an application for registration of trade name with the Secretary of State, with distinguishability screening and a certificate of registration. Separately, a foreign corporation whose real name is unavailable in West Virginia may adopt a fictitious name by delivering a certified board resolution to the Secretary of State (W. Va. Code § 31D-15-1506(a)), and a foreign LLC whose real name is unavailable must do the same with a certified resolution of its managers or members (W. Va. Code § 31B-10-1005(a)).
Penalties
Willful failure to comply with § 47-8-2 or § 47-8-4 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100, or up to thirty days in county jail, or both.
Official source
sos.wv.gov/business/registration-and-waivers/register-trade-name-dba (opens the official source)

Fees stated in or alongside the act

1 fee records held for West Virginia
FeeAmountAuthorityStatus
Filing fee (published by the filing office)$25 for corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs, voluntary associations and business trusts; +$1.00 processing fee for online filings.Official filing-office page / fee schedule official source (opens the official source)Verified

Known gaps in the record

  • ch. 47B (Uniform Partnership Act) was not searched for any additional partnership-side assumed-name provisions beyond the general act
  • § 47-8-1 exists only as a repealed placeholder (Acts, 1963 Reg. Sess., Ch. 193), so the article's operative sections are 47-8-2 through 47-8-5

Common questions

Where is a DBA filed in West Virginia - with the county or the state?

With the state. W. Va. Code § 47-8-2 directs individuals, sole proprietorships and general partnerships using an assumed name to file a true-name form 'with the Secretary of State,' and § 47-8-4 directs registered entities to file their application for registration of trade name 'in the office of the Secretary of State.' The Secretary of State keeps a searchable database of all filers (§ 47-8-3).

What can happen if a business skips the West Virginia assumed-name filing?

Under W. Va. Code § 47-8-5, willful failure to comply with § 47-8-2 or § 47-8-4 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100, imprisonment in the county jail for up to thirty days, or both.

Do LLCs and corporations use the same filing as sole proprietors in West Virginia?

No. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file the § 47-8-2 certificate of true name, while corporations, LPs, LLPs, LLCs, business trusts and voluntary associations file an application for registration of trade name under § 47-8-4, whose name must be distinguishable from other registered entity names. A new certificate of registration is required for each additional assumed name an entity wants to use.

Does a West Virginia trade-name registration expire?

The statute states no fixed term or renewal cycle. Instead, § 47-8-4(c) provides that upon discontinuing use of a registered trade name, the registration 'shall be withdrawn by filing a certificate of withdrawal' with the Secretary of State.

Recurring entity-level tax

No franchise or privilege tax in this jurisdiction

Verified
Administering agency
WV State Tax Division (administered the now-zeroed Business Franchise Tax; administers the Corporation Net Income Tax)

See the national picture and the corporation cost model.

Filing-office closures, 2026

Stored as a delta against the federal baseline: 6 days this state closes that the federal government does not, and 1 federal holiday its filing office works through.

West Virginia 2026 closure delta
DateDayFiling office
2026-05-12Primary Election DayFiling office closed
2026-06-19JuneteenthOPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-06-19West Virginia DayFiling office closed
2026-11-03General Election Day (Susan B. Anthony Day)Filing office closed
2026-11-27Day After Thanksgiving (Lincoln's Day)Filing office closed
2026-12-24Christmas Eve half dayFiling office closed
2026-12-31New Year's Eve half dayFiling office closed
Provenance - West Virginia 2026 closuresVerified

Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.

Source
personnel.wv.gov/employee-benefits (opens the official source)
Retrieved
2026-07-29
Confidence
high
Review
verified

Good-standing status decoder

43 distinct status strings observed for West Virginia: 2 mean in good standing, 28 mean not in good standing, and 13 are deliberately unresolved. How this decoder is derived and why it can never be marked verified.

West Virginia observed status strings and their verdict
Observed status VerdictConfidence
(BLANK)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
ACTIVEIn good standinghigh
BANKRUPTCYNot in good standingmedium
CANCELEDNot in good standinghigh
DISSOLUTION BY COURT ORDERNot in good standinghigh
FICTITIOUS NAME TERMINATIONUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
FILED IN <YEAR>Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
LLC CANCELLATION (FOREIGN)Not in good standinghigh
LLC TERMINATIONNot in good standinghigh
LLC TERMINATION (DOMESTIC)Not in good standinghigh
LLC TERMINATION (FUTURE TERM)Not in good standinghigh
LLP TERMINATIONNot in good standinghigh
LP CANCELLATIONNot in good standinghigh
MATERIAL MISREPRESENTATIONNot in good standinghigh
MERGERNot in good standingmedium
NAME CHANGE (RESERVED FOR OLD RECORDS)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NON SOSUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT ACTIVENot in good standinghigh
NOT FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT IN COMPLIANCEIn good standinghigh
NOT PROCESSEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT YET FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
OTHERUnresolved - do not automate on thislow
PENDINGUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
PENDING WITHDRAWALUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
REVOKEDNot in good standinghigh
REVOKED (FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORT)Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATEDNot in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (DISSOLUTION BY COURT ORDER)Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (LLC CANCELLATION (FOREIGN))Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (LLC TERMINATION (DOMESTIC))Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (NAME CHANGE (RESERVED FOR OLD RECORDS)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
TERMINATED (OTHER)Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (PENDING)Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (RECORD TO BE DELETED - DUPLICATE RECORNot in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (REVOKED (FAILURE TO FILE ANNUAL REPORTNot in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION (DOMESTIC))Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED (WITHDRAWAL (FOREIGN))Not in good standinghigh
TERMINATED - MERGERNot in good standinghigh
TERMINATIONNot in good standinghigh
UNKNOWNUnresolved - do not automate on thishigh
VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION (DOMESTIC)Not in good standinghigh
WITHDRAWAL (FOREIGN)Not in good standinghigh

Restricted entity-name words

4 restricted entity-name word entries are recorded for West Virginia, the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.

Governing law: W. Va. Code 31D-4-401 (corporate name); 31B-1-105 (LLC name); 31D-4-402 (restricted-word statute).

West Virginia restricted entity-name words
TreatmentWord or phrase AuthorityCitationStatus
Consent requiredbank / banker / banking / banking company / industrial bank / savings bank / trust companyWest Virginia Commissioner of Financial Institutions (Division of Financial Institutions)W. Va. Code 31A-4-2: no person doing business in WV, except a banking institution, a person authorized by the commissioner, or a grandfathered licensed insurer, may use these terms in connection with or as a designation or title of the business; commissioner may authorize non-financial uses (e.g., 'food bank') and holding-company/affiliate uses; 'banker' surname exception for real-estate franchises; misdemeanor plus injunctive enforcementVerified
License requiredcredit unionWest Virginia Commissioner of Financial Institutions (must be a WV-chartered or federal credit union, an authorized out-of-state credit union, or a credit-union association/organization)W. Va. Code 31C-2-4 (Use of name exclusive): only credit unions and credit-union organizations may use the phrase 'credit union' or derivations; fine up to $100 per day of illegal use and/or up to one year imprisonment; commissioner may seek injunctionVerified
Restrictedcorporation / incorporated (and abbreviations)West Virginia Secretary of State (must be a domestic or foreign corporation authorized to transact business under ch. 31D or 31E)W. Va. Code 31D-4-402(a): 'No person may use the word "corporation" or "incorporated" or any abbreviation of these words in any trade name, business or other organization name unless the name is used by a domestic or foreign corporation authorized by the Secretary of State to transact business in West Virginia'; misdemeanor, fine $500-$1,000 and/or up to 30 days (31D-4-402(e)); grandfather for pre-July 1, 1988 businessesVerified
Restrictedlimited (and abbreviations)West Virginia Secretary of State (must be an entity authorized under ch. 31D, 31B, 31E or 47)W. Va. Code 31D-4-402(b): 'No person may use the word "limited" or any abbreviation of the word "limited" in any trade name, business or other organization name unless the name is used by a domestic or foreign corporation authorized... under the provisions of this chapter, chapter thirty-one-b, thirty-one-e or forty-seven of this code.'Verified

Filing channels

● accepted · ○ not accepted · ? unknown or conditional (hover for the recorded condition). Channel data covers 54 jurisdictions (2026-08-15 wave). Source links render on verified rows only.

Contact the filing office

Verified against the agency's own contact page 2026-08-13 - office hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST (Charleston). Source links render on verified rows only.

Reaching the filing office

Verified
Phone
(304) 558-8000
Email
[email protected] (standard) / [email protected] (expedited)
Mailing address
WV One Stop Business Center, 13 Kanawha Blvd. W., Suite 201, Charleston, WV 25302
Courier / walk-in
WV One Stop Business Center, 13 Kanawha Blvd. W., Suite 201, Charleston, WV 25302 (street address; forms say any of the three hub offices accepts filings)

The Business and Licensing Division line and the purpose-split filing mailboxes (standard vs expedite), with the Charleston One Stop Business Center as the primary hub - NOT the State Capitol main office (304-558-6000), which is the executive switchboard

Purposed contact channels, West Virginia
KindValueWhat it is forPurposeSource
phone(304) 558-8000Business Division phone (also on form footers)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
phone(866) 767-8683Toll FreeBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
phone(304) 558-6000Main office, State Capitol Building, Charleston WV 25305general_switchboardsource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Standard Service (5-10 days) filings emailBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Expedite Service (24-Hr, 2-Hr, 1-Hr) filings emailExpedited servicesource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Business Division general inquiriesBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
emailucc@wvsos.govUCC DivisionUCCsource (opens the official source)
fax(304) 558-8381Charleston fax (also printed on Form LLD-1 footer)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressWV One Stop Business Center, 13 Kanawha Blvd. W., Suite 201, Charleston, WV 25302One Stop Business Center, Charleston - 'Please Mail Filing to Any Secretary of State Hub Office' (Form LLD-1)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressNorth Central WV Business Hub, 153 West Main Street, Suite G - Third Floor, Clarksburg, WV 26301Clarksburg hub (filings accepted)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressEastern Panhandle Business Hub, 229 East Martin Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401Martinsburg hub (filings accepted)Business filingssource (opens the official source)
phone(304) 558-8000UCC DivisionUCCsource (opens the official source)
fax(304) 558-8381UCC DivisionUCCsource (opens the official source)
mailing_address1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Building 1, Suite 157K, Charleston, WV 25305-0770UCC DivisionUCCsource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Business and Licensing Division (UCC Online Services help)UCCsource (opens the official source)
phone(866) 767-8683UCC Division - toll-freeUCCpending review

UCC records

Where to search West Virginia's UCC (Article 9) financing statements, on what terms, and what the office charges to file one. Verified against the filing office's own pages 2026-09-11. UCC division contacts are listed with the other filing-office contacts above.

UCC records - West VirginiaVerified
Filing office
West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division, UCC Division
Filing-office statute
W. Va. Code § 46-9-501 ('The office of the Secretary of State' in all other cases; transmitting utilities also Secretary of State) - read at https://code.wvlegislature.gov/46-9-501/
Official search
https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/UCC/Search (opens the official source)
Access
free public search
Search fees, as the office states them
Querying the database (debtor / secured party / filing number, up to 30 terms, active or lapsed, date range) and viewing the matching filing list (filing number, date, type, debtor, secured party, status) requires no login or payment; buying a search report with the selected filings is 'UCC Search Fee: $ 10.00', 'Portal Fee: $ 3.00', 'WV.gov Price: $ 13.00' by credit card. SOS fee table (ucc-filin
Filing images online
Filing images are purchased, not viewed free: filings are selected and bought as part of the $10.00 (+$3.00 portal) search with a '$1.00' per page fee; the portal's 'Retrieve Documents' function is at /SOS/UCC/Document/Retrieve.
UCC program page
the office's UCC page (opens the official source)
Online filing
filing portal (opens the official source)
Filing a UCC-1, as the office states the fee
$20 for any UCC filing plus a $3 WV Portal fee, $23 total, filed online through UCC Online Services by credit card
Filing channels
online only - paper is not accepted (since 2016-09-15); Portal: UCC Online Services, https://apps.wv.gov/sos/ucc/ (WV.gov portal). No paper filings accepted except a UCC-1 (Transmitting Utility Only) and a UCC-3 (Amendment: Deleting Collateral Upload). Cre
Filing expedite
No expedited UCC filing service is published; all UCC filings are processed through the UCC Online Services system
UCC-3 amendments, as the office states the fees
Every UCC filing, including a UCC-3 amendment, continuation, termination or assignment, is $20 plus the $3 WV Portal fee
Effective for
5 years from filing - W. Va. Code 46-9-515(a)
Bulk data
bulk data by quote only - unpublished - subscription for 'Monthly Account Holders' via WV.gov account + Account Holder Agreement; the public bulk-data site shows no price (login-gated, verified this session)

Source: the office's UCC page (opens the official source)

State business license

Whether West Virginia requires a general state-level business license, and on what terms. A "None" is a verified finding cited to the agency's own pages, not a gap. Which of the state's filings ask for an industry code is in the next section.

State business license - West VirginiaVerified
General state license
Yes - West Virginia Business Registration Certificate
Who must hold it
Every person engaging in or prosecuting any business activity in West Virginia - 'every person engaging in purposeful revenue generating activity in this state' - before commencing; a separate certificate for each fixed business location from which property or services are offered to the public or customer accounts are serviced.
Issuing agency
West Virginia Tax Division (State Tax Department) - Tax Commissioner agency page (opens the official source)
Statute
W. Va. Code Chapter 11, Article 12 (Business Registration Tax) - §§ 11-12-3 (certificate required; tax; exemptions; penalty), 11-12-5 (permanent certificate), 11-12-9 (penalties)
Initial fee
$30
Renewal cadence
one-time - Before commencing business activity in West Virginia (first obtaining the certificate); new certificate on change of legal name, location or ownership
Penalty
Engaging in business without a required certificate: penalty of $50 for each month or fraction thereof in default of the business registration tax (W. Va. Code § 11-12-9); a tax-exempt registrant who fails to register pays $15 per business location in lieu, if it applies within 15 days of written notice (§ 11-12-3(e)); reinstatement of a revoked certificate carries a $100 penalty plus the $30 fee
Exemptions
Exempt from both registration and tax (§ 11-12-3(c)): persons not required to collect or withhold any article-10 tax, not claiming sales/use tax exemption, with gross income from business activity of $4,000 or less in the preceding tax year. This $4,000 statutory threshold is current law: 2025 RS SB933 ('Creating Small Business Protection Act'), which would have amended § 11-12-3, did no
How to file
both filing portal (opens the official source)
Tax registration
the license is also the revenue-department registration
Revenue-department registration
required - West Virginia Tax Division register (opens the official source)
Occupational licensing hub
https://business4.wv.gov/startmybusiness/Pages/OccProSpecLicensePermit.aspx (opens the official source)
Local layer
city licenses - Whenever anything, for which a state license is required, is to be done within the corporate limits of any municipality, the governing body shall have plenary power and authority, unless prohibited by general law, to require a municipal license and for the use of the municipality to impose a reasona

14 of 14 fields verified against the agency's own pages (2026-09-11). Sources: business4.wv.gov (opens the official source) · code.wvlegislature.gov (opens the official source) · code.wvlegislature.gov (opens the official source) · code.wvlegislature.gov (opens the official source) · code.wvlegislature.gov (opens the official source) · tax.wv.gov (opens the official source)

Industry code on filings

Which of West Virginia's business filings ask the filer for an industry classification, and in what form. "No industry information" is a positive finding cited to the form. Where the state uses its own category list and the list was captured, it is expandable below. The NAICS and SIC reference lists are on their own page.

Industry code on West Virginia filings, 7 of 8 rows verified
FilingEntity scopeAsks forRequiredWhere on the formSource
Formationcorporation (Form CD-1)free-text description (no code)mandatoryCD-1 Section 10a 'The purpose for which this corporation is formed'source (opens the official source)
FormationLLC (Form LLD-1)free-text description (no code)mandatoryLLD-1 Section 13a 'The purpose(s) for which this limited liability company is formed is as follows (required)'source (opens the official source)
Foreign registrationforeign corporation (CF-1) and foreign LLC (LLF-1)free-text description (no code)mandatoryCF-1 Section 8a 'Proposed purpose(s) for transaction of business in West Virginia'; LLF-1 Section 13a 'The purpose(s) for which this limited liabsource (opens the official source)
Annual reportcorporations (LLCs provide 'similar information ... as determined by the Secretary of State')NAICS codemandatoryOne Stop Business Portal > SOS Annual Report - business class code (statutory item vi)source (opens the official source)
State business licenseall persons engaging in business activity (Business Registration Certificate)NAICS codemandatoryBUS-APP Section C: '11. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY' and '12. NAICS CODES (6 digits preferred)' - PRIMARY NAICS / SECONDARY NAICS / ADDsource (opens the official source)
Tax registrationallNAICS codemandatoryBUS-APP Section C line 12 NAICS CODESsource (opens the official source)
Entity-tax returnallno industry informationnot askedsource (opens the official source)
Other filingC corporations - Form CIT-120 West Virginia Corporation Net Income Tax Return (Business Franchise Tax repealed effectiveNAICS codemandatoryCIT-120 header: 'NAICS' box (adjacent to CITY / STATE / ZIP)pending review

Counties

West Virginia has 55 county-equivalents: 55 countyies. Names and codes are the U.S. Census Bureau's (2020 national county codes); county seats and official sites are not yet published here.

All 55 county-equivalents
West Virginia county-equivalents
NameTypeFIPSNote
Barbour Countycounty54001
Berkeley Countycounty54003
Boone Countycounty54005
Braxton Countycounty54007
Brooke Countycounty54009
Cabell Countycounty54011
Calhoun Countycounty54013
Clay Countycounty54015
Doddridge Countycounty54017
Fayette Countycounty54019
Gilmer Countycounty54021
Grant Countycounty54023
Greenbrier Countycounty54025
Hampshire Countycounty54027
Hancock Countycounty54029
Hardy Countycounty54031
Harrison Countycounty54033
Jackson Countycounty54035
Jefferson Countycounty54037
Kanawha Countycounty54039
Lewis Countycounty54041
Lincoln Countycounty54043
Logan Countycounty54045
McDowell Countycounty54047
Marion Countycounty54049
Marshall Countycounty54051
Mason Countycounty54053
Mercer Countycounty54055
Mineral Countycounty54057
Mingo Countycounty54059
Monongalia Countycounty54061
Monroe Countycounty54063
Morgan Countycounty54065
Nicholas Countycounty54067
Ohio Countycounty54069
Pendleton Countycounty54071
Pleasants Countycounty54073
Pocahontas Countycounty54075
Preston Countycounty54077
Putnam Countycounty54079
Raleigh Countycounty54081
Randolph Countycounty54083
Ritchie Countycounty54085
Roane Countycounty54087
Summers Countycounty54089
Taylor Countycounty54091
Tucker Countycounty54093
Tyler Countycounty54095
Upshur Countycounty54097
Wayne Countycounty54099
Webster Countycounty54101
Wetzel Countycounty54103
Wirt Countycounty54105
Wood Countycounty54107
Wyoming Countycounty54109

Other records held

Other records held for West Virginia
RecordValueStatus
State trademark registration$50 per class, 10 year term, $50 renewalPending review
Change of registered agent$15Pending review
Who must be named in public filingsCorp annual report must state principal office address, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, person for notice of process, parent and WV-licensed subsidiaries, county/business class codes (59-1-2a(d)(2)(A)). LLC annual report carries the agent name/address and, per 31B-2-211(a)(4), lists 'each member having authority to execute insPending review

These come from a research pass its own author graded CANDIDATES. They are shown because they are useful and withheld from every ranking on this site because they are not ratified.

The record itself

What backs this page
ArtefactHeld
Official statute files in the verification corpus 10 files, retrieved 2026-07-07
Monitored sources 12 sources under scheduled recheck
Official URLs on file 10 agency URL slots populated of 20 possible
Datasets held see the coverage matrix

Cite this page

Cite the page for the compilation and its verification record; for the underlying fact, cite the official source shown on its row. Formats:

incFACTS, "West Virginia business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status," FACTS repository v0.10.08 (data as of 2026-09-21), https://www.incfacts.com/west-virginia/ (accessed 2026-09-21).
incFACTS, West Virginia business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status, https://www.incfacts.com/west-virginia/ (last visited 2026-09-21).
@misc{incfacts_west_virginia_2026,
  author = {incFACTS (FACTS repository)},
  title = {West Virginia business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.incfacts.com/west-virginia/},
  note = {v0.10.08, data as of 2026-09-21, accessed 2026-09-21}
}

How to cite incFACTS · The accessed date is today's; the version and data-as-of date identify what you relied on.