How to search West Virginia business entities online

What the search covers

The database covers all entities registered with the Secretary of State: domestic and foreign LLCs, profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, LLPs, trade names (DBAs) registered at the state level, and fictitious business names. The search also surfaces licensing registrations (private investigator agencies, scrap metal dealers) that are filed with the SOS Business and Licensing Division.

Search options

Two primary search modes are available:

• Organization Name — the "%" character can be used as a wildcard anywhere in the search string; for example, "Blue%Group" returns any entity with "Blue" and "Group" separated by any text
• Agent / Officer Name — searches by individual or organization name across all registered entities

An advanced search adds filters for county, city, state, organization type (LLC, corporation, LP, LLP, sole proprietor, business trust, cooperative, and more), domestic/foreign charter type, active/inactive status, and formation or termination date ranges. Certificates of Existence ($10, payable by credit card) can be ordered for active entities directly from the search results without navigating away.

Annual report window — January through June

West Virginia annual reports are due between January 1 and June 30 each year, with a $25 filing fee. All entity types follow this same window — there is no anniversary-based deadline. A $50 late fee applies after June 30 for most entities that have not filed; nonprofit corporations face a lower $25 late fee. Starting July 1, 2026, entities may instead elect biennial reporting: a $50 fee covers two years, with a $100 late fee if delinquent ($50 for nonprofits).

Veteran-owned and active-duty-member-owned businesses that qualify under the SOS's veteran-owned business program have their annual report fee waived for the first four years after initial registration.