Certified Copies of Records

The charge for certified copies is a flat $15 for the company formation documents plus $5 for each amendment or additional document filing. Our staff can determine the cost of the documents requested by the data available. Records which may be certified include:

• Screen prints of current data, including type, formation date, addresses, status, officers & directors, agent for service of process, and summaries of amendments, mergers and other details
• Original articles, registrations or applications for certificate of authority
• Amendments, including name changes
• Mergers
• Conversions
• Trade name registrations
• Dissolutions, withdrawals, cancellations and terminations

By-laws and other internal business documents are not ordinarily filed with the Secretary of State, and are usually available only through request by contacting the company.

How to Order Certified Copies

Certified copies of documents on record with Secretary of State may be ordered by completing the Copy Request Form form and selecting:

• Standard Processing (5-10 business days) or
• Expedite Service - Additional expedite fees apply
  • 24-Hour - $25.00
  • 2-Hour - $250.00
  • 1-Hour - $500.00

then submit the request to our office by one of the following methods:

• In person, with payment where applicable by cash, check, money order or credit card,
• By mail, with payment by check or money order,
• By fax, 304-558-8381 or send email to CorpFilings@wvsos.gov for standard processing, or to eFilings@wvsos.gov for expedite service, with payment by credit/debit card. You must provide a contact telephone number where you may be reached to obtain your credit/debit card information to process your payment. Your request will be rejected if we do not receive your credit/debit card information or if the payment is not received.

Verifying Certified Copies Issued by Secretary of State's Office

A certified copy that is not ordered online will always have the certification language stamped in black ink and dated and signed in red ink by the filing clerk, on the back of the documents, in the lower right-hand corner. If you receive a certified document and it is not properly certified in this manner, you should contact the Secretary of State's Office to inquire about the validity of the document.

How the Order/Payment Process Works

Payment for copies must first be made before copies can be issued. When ordering copies by mail, telephone, fax or e-mail, an invoice is created by the filing clerk. The invoice is then sent to the cashier for payment. Be sure to include a working telephone number where you may be reached to make payment by credit/debit card. Once the payment has been processed by the cashier, the request is returned to the clerk who will then process the copies request. The copies will then be forwarded to the contact person and/or address referenced in the request for service by regular USPS mail delivery, unless otherwise requested.​​