Duties of the Office of Secretary of State

The Secretary of State serves as the Chief Elections Officer of West Virginia and oversees the election process throughout the state along with the recording of official campaign financial records and candidate filings. The Secretary of State is a member of the State Election Commission, the Board of Public Works, and the State Armory Board.

The Secretary of State authorizes and issues licenses to private detectives, investigators, and security agencies. The Secretary is the official administrator of the Uniform Commercial Code, the official administrator of the Farm Lien Program and is responsible for the administration of the “Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.” The Secretary of State acts as the statutory attorney-in-fact for service of process for corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships for state agencies.

The Secretary of State is the keeper of the executive journal, an official record of state government, maintaining records of all the official actions of the Governor.

The Secretary of State’s Office registers corporations and limited liability companies, both profit and nonprofit, issuing certificates of incorporation for the creation of all domestic corporations and certificates of authority to foreign corporations to transact business in West Virginia. The Secretary of State’s Office also registers limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, voluntary associations, business trusts, credit service organizations, athlete agents, marriage celebrants, notaries public and commissioners.

The Secretary of State’s Office houses the Code of State Rules and maintains filing of all rules, grievance decisions, ethics opinions, meeting notices, and also maintains a record of all enrolled bills originated and passed in the Legislature. The Secretary of State is the keeper of the seals of the State.