Secretary of State Mac Warner Reports 937 New WV Business Registrations for November of 2023

Charleston, W. Va. – The WV Secretary of State's Office registered 937 new businesses statewide during the month of November according to Secretary of State Mac Warner.

McDowell County led the state in the percentage of new business growth with a total of 10 new business registrations, a 1.59% increase. The Secretary of State’s Business Division reported that Wayne, Mercer, Jefferson and Mason Counties also experienced notable growth during the month.

Top five counties in new business growth:

1. McDowell County - 1.59% growth.
2. Wayne County - 1.39% growth.
3. Mercer County - 1.32% growth.
4. Jefferson County - 1.31% growth.
5. Mason County - 1.31% growth.

Counties that lead the state in total businesses registered in November include Kanawha, Berkeley, Monongalia, Jefferson and Raleigh.

Top five counties in total businesses registered:

1. Kanawha County - 112 new registrations.
2. Berkeley County - 76 new registrations.
3. Monongalia County - 73 new registrations.
4. Jefferson County - 58 new registrations.
5. Raleigh County - 46 new registrations.

Statewide, West Virginia registered 13,867 new businesses in the previous 12-month period, from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023. Taylor County led all 55 counties with a 19.18% growth rate during the one-year timespan. To review county-by-county growth, visit our Business Statistics Database.

WV Secretary of State Mac Warner is issuing an important notice to West Virginia business owners who have received third-party solicitations to file 2024 Annual Reports on their behalf.

According to Secretary Warner, the solicitations have the appearance of an official government form, but are not government-approved, reviewed, or official notices in any manner. These are advertisements.

Warner urges business owners to read the fine print in the solicitations. Third-party providers have been reported to charge businesses more than 500% of the statutory $25 fee and often advertise the wrong deadline for state compliance.

Most importantly, the 2024 Annual Report filing period does NOT begin until January 1, 2024 and ends June 30, 2024.

Business owners can use free tools provided by the Secretary of State’s Office to avail themselves of the most convenient and least costly filing method directly at Business4.WV.gov.