Where do I file a DBA in West Virginia?
With the West Virginia Secretary of State. Unlike several neighboring states, West Virginia does not register trade names at the county level. The fastest method is online through the West Virginia One Stop Business Portal; paper forms are also accepted, with a different form depending on your entity type.
Quick facts
- Name used in WV
- Trade name (the West Virginia term for a DBA)
- Where to file
- West Virginia Secretary of State, or the One Stop Business Portal
- Fee - individuals and sole proprietors
- No filing fee
- Fee - corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs
- $25.00
- Online processing charge
- $1.00 on all online filings
- Expedite options
- $25 for 24-hour, $250 for 2-hour, $500 for 1-hour
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 24 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on DBA filing fees by state.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Alaska | You file an Assumed Business Name with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED), Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Filings can be done online or by mail. |
| Arkansas | Registered entities such as LLCs and corporations file the fictitious name with the Arkansas Secretary of State. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships file with the county clerk in the county where they do business. |
| California | You file a Fictitious Business Name statement with the county clerk or recorder in the county where your principal place of business sits. California DBAs are county filings, so the exact form, fee, and process vary by county. |
| Colorado | You file the Statement of Trade Name with the Colorado Secretary of State through its online business portal. Unlike some states, Colorado trade names are registered at the state level, so there is one central filing rather than a county-by-county process. |
| Connecticut | Connecticut trade name (DBA) certificates are filed with the town clerk in each town where you conduct business, not with the Secretary of the State. Fees are set by the town and are usually modest. |
| Delaware | You file a Registration of Trade, Business and Fictitious Name Certificate with the Prothonotary of the Superior Court in each Delaware county where you do business: New Castle, Kent, or Sussex. It is a county filing, not a Division of Corporations filing. |
| Georgia | You file a Georgia DBA, called a trade name, with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where your business is located. Georgia does not register trade names at the state level, so there is no Secretary of State DBA filing. |
| Indiana | Incorporated businesses such as LLCs and corporations file the Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Indiana Secretary of State through INBiz. Unincorporated businesses such as sole proprietorships and general partnerships file with the county recorder in the county where they do business. |
| Iowa | It depends on your business type. An LLC, corporation, limited partnership, or nonprofit files a fictitious name resolution with the Iowa Secretary of State through Fast Track Filing. |
| Maine | It depends on your structure. A sole proprietor or partnership files an assumed name with the town or city clerk where it does business. |
| Maryland | You file a Trade Name Application with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), online through Maryland Business Express or by paper. Maryland does not use county-level DBA filings the way California or Missouri do. |
| Massachusetts | You file a business certificate with the city or town clerk in each municipality where you conduct business under the name. Because it is a local filing, the exact form, fee, and process are set by that city or town, and there is no statewide DBA registry. |
| Michigan | It depends on your structure. Registered entities (LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships) file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the LARA Corporations Division. |
| Mississippi | You file the fictitious business name with the Mississippi Secretary of State. In Mississippi, a fictitious business name is registered online through the Secretary of State's business filing system, which puts the assumed name and its true owner on the statewide public record. |
| Missouri | You file a Registration of Fictitious Name with the Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division, online or by paper (Form Corp. 56). |
| New Hampshire | You file the Trade Name registration with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. It is filed at the state level with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division. |
| North Carolina | With the register of deeds of a county where you are or will be doing business, not with the Secretary of State. If you operate in several counties, filing in one of them is enough. |
| North Dakota | You file the Trade Name registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State. It is filed at the state level with the North Dakota Secretary of State. |
| Rhode Island | It depends on your structure. A sole proprietor or individual registers the fictitious business name with the city or town clerk where the business is located. |
| South Dakota | You file the fictitious business name with the South Dakota Secretary of State. In South Dakota, a fictitious business name (DBA) is filed with the Secretary of State, which records the assumed name and its owner for statewide use. |
| Tennessee | Registered entities file the assumed name with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, using Form SS-4402, and can file online through Business Services Online. This is a state filing, not a county filing. |
| Texas | Incorporated businesses (LLCs, corporations, LPs) file the assumed name certificate only with the Texas Secretary of State. Unincorporated businesses such as sole proprietorships and general partnerships file with the county clerk in the county where they do business. |
| Washington | You file with the Department of Revenue through the Business License Application in the My DOR portal. Washington trade names are registered statewide, so there is no separate county DBA filing. |
| Wisconsin | You register a trade name with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), which handles mark and trade-name registrations at the state level. You can file online or by mail. |
Full context for West Virginia
This page answers one question. The complete West Virginia guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at How to File a DBA in West Virginia (2026).
Sources
- https://sos.wv.gov/business/registration-and-waivers/register-trade-name-dba
- https://sos.wv.gov/business
- https://business4.wv.gov/
- https://tax.wv.gov/business/businessregistration/pages/businessregistration.aspx
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/doing-business-as
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number
LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws and fees change; verify current requirements with the relevant government agency before acting.