West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division

Please Note

We are a service company that can help you file with the West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division. We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer paid services and software to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.

Contact Information

Physical address:
Bldg. 1, Suite 157-K
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25305-0770

Phone: 304-558-8000 or 866-767-8683

Web: Home Name search Forms File online
Email: business@wvsos.com

Notes: Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM

Licenses

We track the following licenses with the West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division in order to provide compliance services to our clients. As a client, you see this and other reference data in License Manager in-line with your licenses.

A laptop placed on a desk with our License Manager software on display

West Virginia Company Name Registration

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division

Initial Registration

Form:

Form NR-2: Application to Register a Company Name

Agency Fee:

$25

Notes:

Name registrations are good for the remainder of the calendar year in which they are filed.

Registration Renewal

Form:

Form NR-2: Application to Register a Company Name (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$10

Due:

Name registrations expire on December 31 of each year.

West Virginia Entity Registration

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?No

West Virginia Name Reservation

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division

Initial Registration

Form:

Form NR-1: Name Reservation

Agency Fee:

$15

Notes:

Names are reserved for 120 days.

West Virginia Private Investigation Agency License

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Bond Requirements:

$2,500

Initial Registration

Form:

Initial Application for License as a Private Investigator

Agency Fee:

$200 for in-state or $500 for out-of-state private investigator firms. $400 for in-state or $1,000 for out-of-state combined private investigator and security firms.

Registration Renewal

Form:

Renewal Application for License as a Private Investigator

Agency Fee:

$200 for in-state or $500 for out-of-state private investigator firms. $400 for in-state or $1,000 for out-of-state combined private investigator and security firms.

Due:

Annually by the date issued.

West Virginia Private Investigator License

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Bond Requirements:

$2,500

Initial Registration

Form:

Initial Application for License as a Private Investigator

Agency Fee:

$100 for West Virginia residents, $500 for out-of-state applicants.

Registration Renewal

Form:

Renewal Application for License as a Private Investigator

Agency Fee:

$100 for West Virginia residents, $500 for out-of-state applicants.

Due:

Annually by the date issued.

West Virginia Trade Name Registration

Is registration mandatory?

Filing a trade name registration is required for any person or entity intending to conduct business under an assumed name.

County Level Filing:

Individuals, sole-proprietorships, and general partnerships only file at the county level with the county clerk where the principal office is located. All other entities file only at the state level.

Does registration prevent others from using the name I choose?

Registration of a trade name does not offer name protection.

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Law:

WV Code § 47-8-4

Initial Registration
Trade Name

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

Application for Trade Name

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$25

Is registration mandatory?:

Filing a trade name registration is required for any person or entity intending to conduct business under an assumed name.

County Level Filing:

Individuals, sole-proprietorships, and general partnerships only file at the county level with the county clerk where the principal office is located. All other entities file only at the state level.

Does registration prevent others from using the name I choose?:

Registration of a trade name does not offer name protection.

Notes:
  • Publication of registration is not required in West Virginia.

Registration Renewal
Trade Name

Not required



Corporate Filings

We track the following filings with the West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division in order to provide compliance services to our clients. We share this reference information with the general public as a courtesy. As a registered agent client, you get access to state templates pre-filled with our company information to help you save time looking up information.

Agent of Process

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Notes:

The West Virginia Secretary of State e-mails your annual report reminders to the e-mail you provide them. They are not sent to your registered agent. If we receive correspondence from the West Virginia Secretary of State related to your annual report, we will scan and notify you of your mail just like any other document we receive for you.


Annual Report

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

To request a form, contact the Secretary of State's office.

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$25

Due:

Annually by July 1.

Law:

W.V.C. § 59-1-2a

Penalties:

$25 late fee. Administrative dissolution or revocation notice may be mailed for companies that fail to file.

Notes:
  • Anyone with authority may file.
  • Original signatures are not required.

Application for Certificate of Authority

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

Form CF-1: Application for Certificate of Authority

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$100

Law:

WV Code § 31D-15-1501

Certified Copy Requirement:

Certified copies not required.

Certificate of Good Standing Requirement:

Certificate of existence dated within the tax year.


Articles of Merger

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

The state does not issue a form for mergers.

Agency Fee:

$25 for the first two companies + $15 per additional entity.

Notes:

Use the statutory instructions to create a draft of merger documents, then file these documents along with the required fee.


Certificate of Existence

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

Certificate of Existence

Filing Method:

Mail, email, phone, fax, in-person and online.

Agency Fee:

$10

Notes:

Use the online system to find your entity and order a certificate of existence.


Trade Name

Agency:West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
Form:

Application for Trade Name

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$25

Is registration mandatory?:

Filing a trade name registration is required for any person or entity intending to conduct business under an assumed name.

County Level Filing:

Individuals, sole-proprietorships, and general partnerships only file at the county level with the county clerk where the principal office is located. All other entities file only at the state level.

Does registration prevent others from using the name I choose?:

Registration of a trade name does not offer name protection.

Notes:
  • Publication of registration is not required in West Virginia.

Related Government Agencies

Explore other West Virginia government agencies we can help you stay compliant with:


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