West Virginia § 31E-4-401 Corporate name

West Virginia Statutes

§ 31E-4-401 — Corporate name

West Virginia § 31E-4-401

Ch. 31EWEST VIRGINIA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT

Art. 4NAME

This text of West Virginia § 31E-4-401 (Corporate name) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 31E-4-401 (2026).

Text

(a)A corporate name:

(1)Must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; and

(2)May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by section three hundred one, article three of this chapter and its articles of incorporation.

(b)Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d) of this section, a corporate name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from:

(1)The corporate name of a corporation or business corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state;

(2)A corporate name reserved or registered under section four hun

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(a) A corporate name:

(1) Must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; and

(2) May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by section three hundred one, article three of this chapter and its articles of incorporation.

(b) Except as authorized by subsections (c) and (d) of this section, a corporate name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from:

(1) The corporate name of a corporation or business corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state;

(2) A corporate name reserved or registered under section four hundred three or four hundred four, article four of this chapter;

(3) The fictitious name adopted by a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state because its real name is unavailable;

(4) The corporate name of any foreign corporation authorized to transact business or conduct affairs in this state; and

(5) The name of any other entity whose name is carried upon the records of the Secretary of State.

(c) A corporation may apply to the Secretary of State for authorization to use a name that is not distinguishable upon his or her records from one or more of the names described in subsection (b) of this section. The Secretary of State shall authorize use of the name applied for if:

(1) The other corporation consents to the use in writing and submits an undertaking in form satisfactory to the Secretary of State to change the name so that it is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from the name applied for; or

(2) The applicant delivers to the Secretary of State a certified copy of the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the applicant's right to use the name applied for in this state.

(d) A corporation may use the name, including the fictitious name, of another domestic or foreign corporation that is used in this state if the other corporation is incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state and the proposed user corporation:

(1) Has merged with the other corporation;

(2) Has been formed by reorganization of the other corporation; or

(3) Has acquired all or substantially all of the assets, including the corporate name, of the other corporation.

(e) This chapter does not control the use of fictitious names.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any domestic nonprofit corporation and any foreign nonprofit corporation, if permitted by the law of the state of its incorporation, may include in its name the word "foundation" in lieu of or in addition to the word "corporation", "company", "incorporated" or "limited" or an abbreviation of these words.