West Virginia Code § 31A-4-2

Use of terms; unlawfully engaging in banking business; penalties;
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enforcement.
(a) No person doing business in this state, except a banking institution, a person authorized
by the commissioner under the terms of this section or an insurer licensed pursuant to
article three, chapter thirty-three of this code under a name including the terms set forth
herein as of December 31, 2003, may use or advertise in connection with suech business, or
as a designation or title thereof, the term "bank," "banker," "banking," "banking company,"
"industrial bank," "savings bank" or "trust company" and the Insurancer Commissioner shall
notify the commissioner of each insurer so licensed. Notwithstanding the foregoing
restriction, the term "banker" may be used in (1) the legal name of a real estate franchisor;
and (2) the tradename of a real estate brokerage firm who is a current or future franchisee
of a real estate franchise system, if in either case the use of tthe term "banker" stems from a
family surname belonging to a principal or former principal of the firm, whether or not such
principal or former principal is currently living. No person doing business in this state
except a banking institution or a person authorized by the commissioner under this article
may engage in the banking or trust business in this state. A nonbanking subsidiary of a bank
holding company or a nonbanking subsidiary of a banking institution having a bank branch
or bank main office in this state that provides trust services pursuant to section fourteen of
this article may use the term "trust company" in its title and advertising. A trust entity
owned jointly by federally insured depository institutions located within this state and
authorized by the commissioner to operate in this state may use the term "trust company" in
its title and advertising. e
(b) It is unlawful for anyL person other than banking institutions, as herein excepted, to
advertise or hold himself herself, itself or themselves, as the case may be, out to the public
in any manner indica ting, directly, indirectly or by implication, that any of them are engaged
in the banking or trust business or is authorized and approved to engage therein in this
state. A nonbanking subsidiary of a bank holding company or nonbanking subsidiary of a
banking institution having a bank branch or bank main office in this state that provides trust
services pursuant to section fourteen of this article may hold itself out to the public as
engaged in the trust business. A trust entity owned jointly by federally insured depository
institutions located within this state and authorized by the commissioner to operate in this
state may hold itself out to the public as engaged in the trust business.
(c) The commissioner may authorize a person to use the term "bank," or "banc" in
connection with nonprofit organizations or medical businesses where the term would have a
common meaning separate and apart from a financial institution and would not result in
confusion to the public (e.g., food bank; medical databank); and in connection with bank
holding companies or their nonbanking affiliates where the term denotes the entities'
common affiliation and would not result in confusion to the public.
(d) Any violation of the provisions of this section is a misdemeanor offense, punishable as
provided in section fifteen, article eight of this chapter.
(e) The Commissioner of Banking, or any one or more banking institutions, acting
individually or jointly may petition the circuit court of the county in which any violation of
the provisions of this section occur or are threatened to occur for injunction or other
appropriate judicial remedies for enforcement of the provisions of this section and the
prevention of further or continued violations of this section.

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