Search the Register to view the full text of the current and historical issues of the West Virginia Register.
The West Virginia Register is the title of a weekly online publication which gives the public quick access to current information about the status of rules moving through the rule-making process in addition to newly filed orders, decisions, opinions and actions of state entities.
The West Virginia Register is published online every Friday, with few exceptions. In weeks that end in a state holiday it is published on the last business day of that week.
The Register is a quick reference of filings, documents and notices received by the Administrative Law Division during the work week. Its purpose is to allow citizens to keep up-to-date on rule making and other official actions of state government agencies, boards and commissions.
The Register also contains the Rule Monitor, which is a table of all rules currently going through the process of being promulgated. With one quick glance, the Rule Monitor shows you the current status of a proposed rule and if anything new has been filed.
About the Register
Organization, Publication and Contents
Each year, a new volume begins with Volume Number and Issue 1. As additional issues are published on the last business day of each week, the Issue Number increases.
Search Tip: When searching Historical Registers, use the "Select Year" dropdown in the upper left corner of the Registers Results table to limit your search results to the year you select.
For each year, the date issued, volume number and issue number will be displayed.
Over the years, the State Register has been expanded to make more information conveniently available. We are continually working to find better ways to structure our information to make it easier to locate and utilize.
Sections
Recent State Registers include the following sections:
A listing of rules that have been put out for public comment or filed as an emergency during the week. It also provides information about where to send public comments and the deadline for receiving them.
Contains detailed information on the status of each proposed and emergency rule through the full rule-making process from the first filing until the date it goes into effect.
The orders report lists determination of fact or judgment tendered by an agency.
Different official filings required for legal action or other purpose including:
- Executive Orders issued by the Governor
- Attorney General Opinions
- Ethics Commission Opinion
- Tax Appeal Decisions
- Grievance Decisions
This section includes notice of anything filed which does not fit within any of the other categories. The Administrative Procedures Act (APA) provides for these miscellaneous filings, and other sections of the Code sometimes require an agency to file a specific report or other document with the Secretary of State.
Publication Deadlines
The Register publication date is the last business day of the week, ordinarily Friday, unless it has to be moved forward due to a holiday.
Filing closes at 5:00 p.m. the day before publication.
Background
In 1982, the West Virginia Legislature established the "State Register" as the repository of all required filings listed in West Virginia Code §29A-2-3.
Originally, the term covered the full text of everything filed — rules, notices, orders, decisions, etc. — in addition to a rule monitor, cross index and chronological index. In order to meet these requirements and provide better service to the public, the Secretary of State reorganized the publication process in 1985.
So began the current practice of publishing, online, the weekly State Register containing weekly status updates as well as maintaining the full text of all rules filed in the Code of State Rules.
