Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In West Virginia, this document is called a Certificate of Existence (for domestic entities; “Certificate of Authorization” for foreign entities) – “certificate of good standing” is the commonly used but not official state term, issued by the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division. $10.00 standard fee, per the official sos.wv.gov page fetched this session.
What it’s called and who issues it
West Virginia calls this document a Certificate of Existence (for domestic entities; “Certificate of Authorization” for foreign entities) – “certificate of good standing” is the commonly used but not official state term, issued by the West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division.
The fee
| Standard fee | $10.00 |
| Full fee detail | $10.00 standard fee, per the official sos.wv.gov page fetched this session. |
| Expedited/rush fee | The same page lists optional 24-hour, 2-hour, and 1-hour expedited options for additional fees, but the exact expedited dollar amounts were not present in the content returned this session. |
| Fee confirmed | $10.00 as read directly from the state’s own site or fee schedule this session. |
How fast you can get it
Online ordering is available (also by phone, mail, fax, or email), but it is not instant – standard processing runs 5-10 business days unless one of the named expedite tiers is purchased.
What makes this state different
West Virginia is one of the few states here where even the online order path is not an instant download – standard turnaround is 5-10 business days regardless of channel, unless you pay for one of several named expedite tiers.
| Fee/process source | West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division |
| Agency business-filings site | West Virginia West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division business filings |
| Confidence | High |
Every fee on this page was read directly from the state’s own Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) site or fee-schedule PDF this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from an archived snapshot of the same official document or independently cross-checked legal-directory sources (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; states change fees without notice, so confirm the current price at checkout before you pay.