Secretary of State Kris Warner Reports 1,733 New WV Business Registrations for February of 2026
Charleston, W.Va. –The WV Secretary of State's Office registered 1,733 new businesses statewide during the month of February according to Secretary of State Kris Warner. Counties that led the state in total businesses registered in February include Berkeley, Kanawha, Monongalia, Raleigh and Jefferson.
Top five counties in total businesses registered:
- Berkeley County - 134 new registrations
- Kanawha County - 127 new registrations
- Monongalia County - 100 new registrations
- Raleigh County - 87 new registrations
- Jefferson County - 69 new registrations
Of the 1,733 new businesses registered in February, 96 registered as non-profit and
175 qualified for one of the fee waiver programs offered by the WV Secretary of State's Office Each program waives the initial registration fee for registering the business. The Boots to Business incentive also waives the first four years of Annual Report filing fees, offering potential savings of up to $250 for new business owners.
New business owners eligible for WVSOS cost savings programs:
Learn more about the Boots to Business and Young Entrepreneur fee waiver programs.
Statewide, West Virginia registered 19,363 new businesses in the previous 12-month period, from March 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026.To review county-by-county growth, visit our Business Statistics Database. A total of 166,029 businesses are registered with the Secretary of State's Office to do business in West Virginia.
Business Tip of the Month:
Checking to see if your future business name is available? Use a wild card search by using % around each keyword. John’s Hot Dogs LLC may search as %john%hot%dog%. Our office cannot provide a name check over the phone.
The WVSOS Business Division works closely with the WV Department of Commerce to help get entrepreneurs the support and assistance they need to start and open their business. Read more about the partnership at WV Business-Link.
Customer Service Summary
WVSOS Business Division Director Sarah Carey is pleased to announce that, last month, the Business Division assisted 4,438 customers through phone calls, in-person office visits, and virtual appointments. Launched earlier this year, the WVSOS Office's virtual appointment scheduler allows customers to receive face-to-face customer support at a time or with a specialist of their choosing from the comfort of their office or even their own home.
- Phone calls to the WVSOS Business Division - 4,208
- Virtual appointments with WVSOS Business Specialists - 8
- In-person customers to WVSOS Business Offices - 222
In the month of February, Wirt County led the state in the percentage of new business growth with a total of 6 new business registrations, a 2.61% increase. The Secretary of State’s Business Division reported that Pocahontas, Clay, Mingo, and Jackson counties also experienced notable growth during the month.
Top five counties in new business growth:
- Wirt County - 2.61% growth
- Pocahontas County - 2.02% growth
- Clay County - 1.76% growth
- Mingo County - 1.74% growth
- Jackson County - 1.67% growth
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