For the Media
The Communications Division of the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office is committed to helping the public and the press by communicating actions and services of the Office and the Secretary.
This is done by press releases and social media. The Division helps grant interview requests with Office officials, as well as public information requests.
Becoming a Qualified Newspaper Authorized to Accept Legal Advertisements
State, county and municipal governing bodies are required to publish legal advertisements in properly qualified newspapers. Also, state law requires publication of legal ads in many cases where citizens will be affected by the result of an action.
In order to assure those legal advertisements are published in a newspaper which can be expected to reach a reasonable audience, West Virginia law establishes the criteria for eligibility to publish these ads as a qualified newspaper. The criteria include circulation and frequency of publication.
West Virginia Code Chapter 59, Article 3 establishes both the requirements for qualified newspapers and the classifications of legal advertisements.
For a complete list of qualified newspapers, download the Qualified Newspapers List (opens in a new tab).
Requirements for Qualification
A newspaper which is qualified to publish legal advertisements required under West Virginia Code §59-3-1 must:
- Be published in the State of West Virginia (unless otherwise specifically provided in law).
- Bear a title or name and consist of not less than four pages without a cover.
- Be a newspaper to which the general public resorts for passing events of a political, religious, commercial and social nature, and for current happenings, announcements, miscellaneous reading matters, advertisements and other notices.
- Be issued regularly, at least once a week, for at least 50 weeks during the calendar year as prescribed by its mailing permit.
- Have been published regularly for at least one year immediately prior to the date on which a legal advertisement is delivered for publication.
- Be generally circulated at a definite price in the "publication area" — the area or areas for which a legal advertisement is required by law or a court to be made. "General circulation" means the "actual circulation throughout the publication area is large enough to give basis for a reasonable belief that publication of a legal advertisement therein will give effective notice to the residents of the publication area."W. Va. Code §59-3-1.
Filing an Affidavit
A newspaper which meets the other requirements of a qualified newspaper must file an affidavit of circulation no later than November 1 annually.
Download the Qualified Newspaper Affidavit Form NW-1 (opens in a new tab), complete it on screen, and print the form ready for signing. Sign the form and have it notarized, attach the printed affidavit of circulation, and mail to the Secretary of State.
For assistance, call (304) 558-6000 or email Communications@wvsos.com.
SOLO — Single Online Location
SOLO is the name we've given to our artificial intelligence-supported virtual assistant designed to provide current, accurate, and applicable information to assist entrepreneurs, business owners, and customers of the WV Secretary of State's Business & Licensing Division. Assistance and guidance is now available at whatever time is most convenient for the user.
SOLO, short for Single Online Location, is an online complement to our WV One Stop Business Center initiative. SOLO works with our WV One Stop Business Portal to combine online registration services with an interactive virtual assistant to help you navigate the process step-by-step. With 24/7 access, our online business services allow entrepreneurs to work on their own time from the comfort of their own home.
The inspiration for the name SOLO also takes influence from the aviation community and the significance of the solo flight. For new pilots in training, your first flight without an instructor in the cockpit is a significant milestone known as 'soloing'. While the SOLO virtual assistant does not replace the services that our professional staff provides, we envision the tool as a virtual copilot available to help you navigate your state government on your own if you choose.
SOLO is an integral part of our office's efforts to enhance and expand our customer se
