At the request of WV Secretary of State Kris Warner, the West Virginia legislature created the Certified Veteran-Owned Business (CVOB) Program in 2026. On July 1, 2026, West Virginia became the 15th state in the nation to certify and recognized veteran-owned businesses. The CVOB Program is designed to provide a credible and reliable verifying authority documenting that a business located in West Virginia is at least 51% owned by an honorably discharged American military veteran.

Many small veteran-owned businesses want to show their clients and potential customers that they are owned and operated by an American military veteran. At the same time, many West Virginians want to patronize businesses owned by veterans.

To participate in the CVOB Program, veteran-owned businesses located in West Virginia are required to complete a short application online. The WV Secretary of State's Business Division will review the application and make a recommendation of approval to the Secretary of State for those business entities that meet the qualifications.

The official West Virginia CVOB logo is a registered trademark of the WV Secretary of State's Office. Participating businesses in the CVOB Program are eligible to use the logo to market their business.