West Virginia Code § 31A-2-5

Certificate or license to engage in business; filing of amendments to
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
charter, bylaws and foreign statutes.
(a) No person shall engage or continue in the business of a financial institution in this state
without a license or certificate to do so issued in accordance with this section, or other
applicable law, which license or certificate remains unsuspended, unexpired and unrevoked
except that a corporation which proposes to apply for such license or certifiecate may secure
its charter, adopt bylaws, elect its directors and officers and perfect its organization.
(b) No person shall operate an office in West Virginia which regularly makes consumer loans
in this state other than first mortgage loans unless they are a finuancial institution, licensed
pawnbroker or a federally insured depository institution authorized and qualified to do
business in this state. The purchase of consumer paper doest not constitute the making of
consumer loans for the purposes of this subsection, unless the purchase is made by a
business affiliated with the credit provider pursuant to a standing arrangement.
(c) Application for such license or certificate shall ble upon such forms and contain such
information as the Commissioner may prescrisbe. In connection with such applications every
corporate financial institution shall file a certified copy of its charter and bylaws, a
statement as to the amount of capital that has been subscribed and paid in and a statement
of its financial condition duly verifiegd under oath by its president or vice president and its
cashier or secretary as the case may be and every financial institution other than a
corporation shall file a verifiede statement of its financial condition.
(d) If the application be that of a West Virginia state banking institution, the Commissioner
of Banking shall examine the information, documents and statements submitted and, if he or
she finds that such banking institution has adopted bylaws which provide practical, safe, just
and equitable rules and methods for the management of its business and it has complied in
all respects with the provisions of this chapter and other applicable laws, he or she shall
issue to it a certificate or license permitting it to engage in business. If the application be
thaWt of a financial institution other than a banking institution, the Commissioner of Banking
shall examine the information, documents and statements submitted and, if he or she finds
that such financial institution has adequate resources for the proposed business and has
provided practical, safe, just and equitable rules and methods for the management of its
business, and it has complied in all respects with the provisions of this chapter and other
applicable laws, and that the public convenience and advantage will be promoted by the
issuance of a certificate or license thereto, he or she shall issue to it a certificate or license
permitting it to engage in business. Such certificate or license shall be preserved and the
original or copy thereof displayed in all the places of business of such banking or other
financial institution located in this state.
(e) In addition to the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, every foreign
corporation applying for a license or certificate to engage in the business of a financial
institution in this state, other than an out-of-state banking institution, shall file with the
Commissioner of Banking a copy of the bylaws under which it operates, together with a cite
to the statutes of the jurisdiction where it is organized which pertain to its organization and
powers and the conduct of its business. The commissioner shall examine the information,
documents and statements submitted by such foreign corporation and if he or she finds that
they provide practical, safe, just and equitable rules and methods for the management of the
business of the corporation, that it has adequate resources for the proposed business and it
has complied in all respects with the provisions of this chapter and other applicable laws and
that the public convenience and advantage will be promoted by the issuancee of a license or
certificate thereto, he or she shall issue to such corporation a certificate or license
permitting it to engage in business in this state, which certificate or licrense shall authorize
such corporation to engage in the business of the type of financial institution specified
therein, until the thirtieth day of the following June. Thereafter a new certificate or license
shall be secured annually by any such foreign corporation, except where annual renewal of
the license or certificate is specifically not required for the ttype of institution involved. The
fee for the original and each additional license or certificate issued to a foreign corporation
shall be $100, unless otherwise provided by statute. A verified statement of the financial
condition of every such foreign corporation shall be filed with the Commissioner before the
issuance of each annual certificate or license. Such certificate or license shall be preserved
and the original or copy thereof displayed in the West Virginia place of business of such
corporation.
(f) Unless the institution is a federally insured depository institution or it is otherwise
provided for by statute, a new certificate or license shall be secured annually by all domestic
state financial institutions ande the fee for the original and each additional license or
certificate shall be $100.
(g) No amendment of the charter or bylaws of any domestic or foreign corporation, other
than an out-of-state b anking institution, engaging in business in this state as a financial
institution shall become effective until the proposed change shall have been submitted to
and approved by the Commissioner of Banking; but, if the Commissioner does not disapprove
such proposed change within twenty days after it is received by him or her, it shall be
deemed to have been approved.
(h) Unless specifically provided for by this chapter, nothing contained in this code shall
authorize any person to engage in the banking business in this state except corporations
chartered to conduct a banking business under the laws of West Virginia and which hold a
license or certificate to do so issued under this section, limited liability companies organized
to conduct a banking business under the laws of West Virginia and which hold a license or
certificate to do so under this section or associations authorized to conduct a banking
business in West Virginia under the laws of the United States and having their principal
place of business in this state.

‹ Prev All West Virginia sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.