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West Virginia business records are kept by the Business and Licensing Division of the Secretary of State in Charleston. The free Business Entity Search covers corporations, LLCs and the other business types that file with the office. You search by name only, and viewing a record costs nothing. The same tool sells certificates of existence.
Running a West Virginia LLC and corporation search by name
The search has a single box, Organization Name. Enter a portion of the name and click Search. The state's own advice is to search with only the most distinctive word in the name, so that you see every possible conflict.
Keep in mind what the search leaves out. It only covers names registered with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships, joint ventures and associations register with the West Virginia State Tax Department instead, so you must check those names there.
The page shows a "Search Data Current as of" date, and the disclaimer says updates and maintenance are ongoing. The office makes no warranty that the data is complete or correct, so treat a record as a guide and order a certificate when you need proof.
What the results and Details page show
The results list shows each matching entity with its type, city and status. Select Details for the full address, the registered number, the date the entity was created, and the registered agent contact. Our registered agent lookup guide explains how to use agent details, and business entity status covers how to read status words.
Name rules in West Virginia
Every name needs the right ending. An LLC uses Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, or an abbreviation: LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C. or Ltd. Co. A corporation uses Corporation, Incorporated, Company or Limited, or Corp., Inc., Co. or Ltd. The word Foundation is kept for nonprofits only.
A new name must be distinguishable from every name already registered. The office ignores these when it compares names:
- corporate endings such as Company, Inc. or LLC
- small words and separators like The, A, And, the ampersand, hyphens and slashes
- singular and plural forms, such as Food and Foods
- apostrophes, such as Farmer's and Farmers
- words written apart or joined, such as Cut Above and CutAbove
Trade names face a second test as well: there must be no likelihood of confusion with a registered name.
To hold a name, file the Name Reservation, Form NR-1. Once approved, the name is reserved for the applicant for 120 days and appears in the database when others search. The person who reserved it must also sign the startup documents. See our name reservation guide for more.
Annual reports and certificates
WV Code §59-1-2a requires businesses registered with the Secretary of State to file an annual report and pay $25 between January 1 and June 30 each year. Reports start in the year after the business registered, and notices go out by mail or email in January. For an LLC, a report received after June 30 costs $75, which includes a $50 late fee. Not filing can lead to administrative dissolution or revocation. Details are on the annual reports page. Medical cannabis businesses must file on paper and pay by check, as they cannot use the online systems.
Proof of status is a certificate of existence for West Virginia entities and a certificate of authorization for foreign ones. The office issues them only for companies that are registered, active and up to date with annual reports. Bought online, a certificate costs $10, prints at your own computer, and carries a validation number a lender can check. By mail, phone or fax, standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days. Expedite costs $25 for 24 hours, $250 for 2 hours or $500 for 1 hour. A business known only by a trade name cannot get one. Read more in our certificate of good standing guide.
New registrations cost $100 for an LLC or for-profit corporation and $25 for a nonprofit. Online filings add a $1 processing fee. Veterans and West Virginia residents aged 18 to 29 may have the first registration fee waived. A foreign LLC pays $150 for its certificate of authority.
Business lists and bulk data
West Virginia sells data two ways. The Business Entity List Service builds custom lists of names and addresses of businesses, officers, partners and agents, with no phone numbers or email. It costs a $25 minimum search fee plus 5 cents per record. A separate Bulk Data Service lets monthly account holders download entity and UCC data after signing a WV.gov account agreement.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in West Virginia and the West Virginia registered agent rules.
Also see our guides to the West Virginia business license.