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Certified Veteran Owned Business — a Decal, Not a Bid Preference

A state certification for a business at least 51% owned by an honorably discharged veteran, by serving military personnel of any branch, or by their spouses. It issues an official decal and logotype for invoices, websites and advertising.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

A state certification for a business at least 51% owned by an honorably discharged veteran, by serving military personnel of any branch, or by their spouses. It issues an official decal and logotype for invoices, websites and advertising.

What it's worth: An official decal and logotype marking the business as veteran or military owned

  • The certification is recognition and marketing. Nothing read this session ties it to a contracting preference, a set-aside or a fee reduction.
  • No application fee is published on the Secretary of State’s page.
  • What it is worth depends entirely on what the marking does for the business, which cannot be quantified.

Who is entitled to it

  • The certification reaches the veteran, serving military personnel and their spouses.
  • The veteran was honorably discharged.
  • You own, or are forming, a business.
  • Your home is in W. Va.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Check the ownership threshold: at least 51% owned by an honorably discharged veteran, by military personnel of any branch, or by their respective spouses.
  2. 2Pick the right programme. There are two — Certified Veteran Owned Business and Certified Military Personnel Owned Business — and they turn on whether the owner has separated or is still serving.
  3. 3Complete the short application; the Business Division reviews it, verifies eligibility and issues the certification.
  4. 4Put the decal and logotype where customers see them — the office describes them as suitable for invoices, websites, commercials and advertisements.
  5. 5Do not confuse this with the bid preference. The 3.5% preference on state bids is a separate thing, claimed on the Purchasing Division’s vendor preference certificate under W. Va. Code §5A-3-37.
Form
Short application to the Business Division
File with
Secretary of State, Business Division
Documents you will need
dd214
Automatic until something changes
Granted once and carried forward. You must report a change in ownership, occupancy or status.
CorrectionCertification does not buy a contracting advantage. Everything the office describes is recognition — a decal, a logotype and the right to say so in advertising.
Worth knowingA spouse can hold the qualifying ownership. The threshold reads 51% owned by a veteran, by military personnel of any branch, or by their respective spouses.
Known gapThe programmes are described as established in 2026 and the page carries no statutory citation and no fee. Confirm both with the Business Division before relying on them.

Sources

Why only one source type: The administering office’s own page is the only source read this session. It cites no code section and states no fee, so neither is claimed here.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.