8-K

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT

TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) September 3, 2009

PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Kentucky	61-1206757
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
2883 Fifth Avenue Huntington, West Virginia	25702
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number    (304) 525-1600

Not Applicable

Former name or former address, if changes since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

o      Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act

(17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act

(17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC,

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT

Item 5.03.  Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On September 1, 2009, the shareholders of Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc. (“Premier”) adopted an amendment to Article IV of Premier’s articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 common shares without par value.  On September 3, 2009, Premier filed with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky articles of amendment evidencing the amendment to Article IV of Premier’s articles of incorporation adopted by Premier shareholders.  The articles of amendment were effective upon filing.  A copy of the articles of amendment is included as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibit 3.1 - Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc. (as filed with and issued by the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky on September 3, 2009.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.

(Registrant)

/s/ Brien M. Chase                                                           

Date: September 9, 2009                                          Brien M. Chase, Senior Vice President

  and Chief Financial Officer

EX-3.1

EXHIBIT 3.1

ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT

TO THE

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF

PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.

Pursuant to KRS 271B.10-060, the undersigned corporation executes these articles of amendment to its articles of incorporation:

(A)	The name of the corporation is Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc.
(B)	The following amendment to the articles of incorporation was adopted by the shareholders of the corporation at a special meeting held on September 1, 2009, in the manner prescribed by the Kentucky Business Corporation Act:
		The first sentence of ARTICLE IV, captioned “Authorized shares”, is hereby amended to read as follows:
		The total number of shares that the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is 21,000,000 shares, which shall be divided into two classes as follows:
			20,000,000 Common Shares, without par value; and
			1,000,000 Preferred Shares, without par value.
(C)	The designation, number of outstanding shares, number of votes entitled to be cast by each voting group entitled to vote separately on the amendment, and number of votes of each voting group indisputably represented at the meeting, were as follows:

Designation of Voting Group	Number of Outstanding Shares		Number of Votes Entitled to Be Cast		Number of Votes Represented at Meeting
Common Stock		6,392,772		6,392,772		5,964,868

(D)           The total number of votes cast by each voting group entitled to vote separately thereon for and against such amendment, respectively, was:

	Number of Votes Cast
Voting Group	For		Against
Common Stock		5,476,938		443,131

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned duly authorized officer has executed these articles of amendment.

Dated:   September 1, 2009                              PREMIER FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.

By:_____/s/ Brien M. Chase__________

Brien M. Chase,

Senior Vice President

  and Chief Financial Officer

This instrument prepared by:

__/s/ Janet Smith Holbrook_____

Janet Smith Holbrook, Esquire

HUDDLESTON BOLEN LLP

611 Third Avenue

Huntington, WV 25701

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA,

COUNTY OF CABELL, TO WIT:

I, _____Cynthia G. DePriest_________, a Notary Public, do hereby certify that on this 1st day of September, 2009, personally appeared before me Brien M. Chase, who being by me first duly sworn declared that he is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc., that he signed the foregoing document as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the corporation, and that the statements therein contained are true.

My commission expires:___April 6, 2010_________________________

___/s/ Cynthia G. DePriest_______________

Notary Public

 (NOTARIAL SEAL)