| Statewide case search | WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System) |
|---|---|
| Criminal history check | West Virginia State Police Criminal Records Section |
| Appellate opinions | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia — Opinions Search |
| Federal cases | PACER (2 districts) |
| Plain copy fee | $1.00 per page, prepared by the Circuit Clerk to leave the office (W. Va. Code §59-1-11(b)) |
| Certified copy fee | Set by each clerk — ask when you request |
| Who keeps trial records | Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals; Clerk of the Intermediate Court of Appeals |
West Virginia's trial-court records are split between two elected county officers. The circuit clerk is the clerk of the circuit court (the state's only general-jurisdiction trial court) and also keeps the separate family court's files, so one office holds felony criminal, civil, divorce, custody, guardianship, and juvenile records for the county. The county clerk is a different office that probates wills and oversees estate administration, plus recording deeds and other county records. Misdemeanors, small civil claims, and preliminary felony hearings go to the county's magistrate court, which has its own clerk.
West Virginia rolled out its first statewide public case-search tool only recently. WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System), launched by the Supreme Court of Appeals in 2025, lets anyone search circuit court records from all 55 counties back to 1999; registration is free and document downloads carry a small per-page charge. A separate, older Magistrate Court Record Search covers magistrate cases statewide for free, though it returns only a name/case index, not documents. Neither tool replaces the county clerk for probate records, and WVPASS does not cover family court or magistrate filings.
The most common mistake is assuming one office or one portal covers everything. A divorce or custody case is a family court matter but the file sits with the circuit clerk, not the county clerk. A will or estate is with the county clerk, not the circuit clerk. And a misdemeanor or small claim is in magistrate court, which WVPASS does not search at all.
How West Virginia courts are organized
Which court heard a case decides who keeps the file. Use this table to pick the right clerk before you search, and see the guides to criminal, civil, family, and probate records for what each court's file contains.
| Court | Handles | Who holds the records |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia |
| Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals West Virginia's only appellate court with statewide final authority; it is a court of five justices elected to 12-year terms. |
| Intermediate Court of Appeals |
| Clerk of the Intermediate Court of Appeals Began operating July 1, 2022. It does not hear criminal, juvenile, abuse and neglect, or domestic violence appeals; those go directly to the Supreme Court of Appeals. |
| Circuit Courts (30 circuits, 55 counties) |
| Circuit Clerk of the county West Virginia's only general-jurisdiction trial courts of record. The circuit clerk also serves as the recordkeeper for the county's family court, which is a separate bench but not a separate clerk's office. |
| Family Courts |
| Circuit Clerk of the county (family court has no separate clerk) Family court decisions in domestic-violence matters can be appealed to circuit court; most other family court appeals go to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. |
| Magistrate Courts |
| Magistrate Court Clerk of the county Every county has at least two magistrates; Kanawha County, the most populous, has the most. Appeals go to circuit court. |
| Municipal Courts |
| Municipal court clerk for that city Not part of the state court system and not covered by WVPASS or the magistrate search; contact the city directly. |
Search West Virginia court records online
Statewide case search
WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System)
- Cost
- Free to register and search; small per-page charge to download documents
- Coverage
- Circuit court case records from all 55 counties, back to 1999
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Probate
Launched by the Supreme Court of Appeals in March 2025. Does not include family court, magistrate court, or municipal court records. Search results are capped, so narrow by date range or case type.
Statewide case search
Magistrate Court Record Search (MCRSearch)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Name or case-number index of magistrate court cases from all 55 counties, up to 30 results per search
- Records
- Criminal, Civil, Traffic
Shows only an index, not documents. To get copies of a magistrate case, contact the magistrate court clerk in the county where it was filed.
Criminal history (convictions)
West Virginia State Police Criminal Records Section
- Cost
- Fee varies by request type (commonly cited around $20 for a state-only check); confirm the current amount before applying
- Coverage
- Statewide criminal history maintained by the Criminal Identification Bureau
- Records
- Criminal
West Virginia State Police no longer take fingerprints in person for background checks; all requests are fingerprint-based and processed through IdentoGO (identogo.com or 855-766-7746) rather than a free public name search. There is no walk-in or online name-search option for the general public.
Appellate courts
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia — Opinions Search
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Published opinions and orders of the Supreme Court of Appeals
- Records
- Appeals
The Intermediate Court of Appeals, created in 2022, has its own opinions search at courtswv.gov/appellate-courts/intermediate-court-of-appeals/opinions. Neither page publishes case dockets the way TAMES does in Texas.
Federal court records in West Virginia
Federal cases (bankruptcy, federal crimes, lawsuits under federal law) are not in state portals. They live in PACER, organized by district. West Virginia has 2 federal judicial districts.
| District | Main courthouse | Court website |
|---|---|---|
| Northern District of West Virginia | Clarksburg | www.wvnd.uscourts.gov |
| Southern District of West Virginia | Charleston | www.wvsd.uscourts.gov |
Read our PACER guide for registration, the per-page fee, and the quarterly fee waiver.
West Virginia county court records
Trial-court records are kept by the clerk in the county where the case was filed. These are the largest counties in West Virginia; each guide covers the circuit clerk and other court offices, their addresses, and what is searchable online.
- Kanawha County court records County seat: Charleston Online search Free
- Berkeley County court records County seat: Martinsburg Online search Free
- Monongalia County court records County seat: Morgantown Online search Free Verifying
- Cabell County court records County seat: Huntington Online search Free
- Wood County court records County seat: Parkersburg Online search Free
- Raleigh County court records County seat: Beckley Online search Free
- Harrison County court records County seat: Clarksburg Online search Free
- Jefferson County court records County seat: Charles Town Online search Free
- Putnam County court records County seat: Winfield Online search Free
- Marion County court records County seat: Fairmont Online search Free
Request records in person or by mail
In person. Go to the office that heard the case. The circuit clerk keeps felony, civil, divorce, custody, and juvenile files; the magistrate court clerk keeps misdemeanors and small civil claims; the county clerk keeps wills and estate files. All three offices are usually in or near the county courthouse but are separate staffs with separate counters. Bring the case number if you have it; if not, bring the full names of the parties and the approximate year.
By mail. Write to the specific clerk with the case number or party names and year, exactly which document you need, whether you need a plain or certified copy, and a check or money order for the fee (call first to confirm the amount). Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Turnaround varies by county and whether the file has to be pulled from storage.
Online. WVPASS lets you search and download circuit court documents for a small per-page charge after free registration, but it only covers circuit court (not family court, magistrate, or municipal cases) and only from 1999 forward. The Magistrate Court Record Search shows a free case index but no documents. For anything older, or for family court, magistrate, or probate documents, you must contact the clerk directly.
Copies. Circuit clerk copy fees are set by West Virginia Code §59-1-11; as of this writing that statute lists $1.00 per page for a copy the clerk prepares to leave the office. Certified copies carry an added certification fee that varies by county — confirm it with the clerk before sending payment.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.00 per page, prepared by the Circuit Clerk to leave the office (W. Va. Code §59-1-11(b)) |
| Certified copy | Set by each clerk — ask when you request |
The base per-page copy fee for circuit clerk documents is set by W. Va. Code §59-1-11. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee, and county clerks (probate) and magistrate courts may charge different schedules; none of those additional amounts were confirmed on an official statewide fee schedule, so call the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed, expunged, and restricted records
West Virginia court records are presumed open, but several categories are not available in public search or index:
- Expunged records. West Virginia Code §61-11-25 lets a person acquitted or whose charges were dismissed petition the circuit court to expunge the arrest and case record. §61-11-26 allows expungement of certain misdemeanor convictions committed between ages 18 and 26 after a waiting period, and §61-11-26a covers expungement tied to completed treatment or recovery programs. An approved expungement requires a $100 processing fee paid to the West Virginia State Police records division, and the Criminal Identification Bureau then notifies the circuit clerk once its records are expunged.
- Juvenile records. Juvenile court proceedings are confidential, with narrow statutory exceptions.
- Family court sensitive filings. Family court case outcomes are generally accessible through the circuit clerk, but certain filings (financial disclosures, home addresses in domestic-violence cases) are restricted or redacted.
- Adoption records. Adoption case files are sealed.
- Mental hygiene records. Involuntary commitment and mental hygiene proceedings are confidential.
To request expungement or sealing, start with the circuit clerk in the county where the case was filed; petitions are filed with that circuit court, not through a public-records request to an agency.
To remove your own record from public view, read how to expunge or seal a criminal record.
Frequently asked questions
Are West Virginia court records public?
Yes, in general. Circuit, family, and magistrate court records are presumed open unless a statute or court order restricts them, such as expunged records, juvenile cases, adoptions, and mental hygiene proceedings.
Is there a free statewide search for West Virginia court records?
WVPASS is free to search and register and covers circuit court records statewide from 1999 forward, though downloading documents costs a small per-page fee. The Magistrate Court Record Search is completely free but only shows a name/case index, not documents. Neither covers family court filings or probate records directly — for those, contact the circuit clerk or county clerk.
How do I find out if someone has a criminal record in West Virginia?
There is no free public name-search database of statewide criminal convictions. The West Virginia State Police Criminal Records Section processes fingerprint-based background checks through IdentoGO. For a specific case, the circuit clerk (felonies) or magistrate court clerk (misdemeanors) in the relevant county can confirm whether a case exists.
Which office has my divorce or custody record in West Virginia?
The circuit clerk of the county where the case was filed. Family court cases are heard by a separate family court judge, but the circuit clerk's office is the official recordkeeper for those files, not the county clerk.
Who keeps wills and estate records in West Virginia?
The county clerk, not the circuit clerk. County clerks probate wills, appoint personal representatives, and keep the estate file, including the appraisement and inventory required within 90 days of qualification.
How do I get a certified copy of a West Virginia court record?
Request it from the clerk of the specific office that holds the file — circuit clerk, magistrate court clerk, or county clerk — in person or by mail. Certified copies cost more than plain copies because of an added certification fee; call ahead to confirm the current amount.
Sources
- West Virginia Judiciary — Lower Courts — https://www.courtswv.gov/lower-courts
- West Virginia Judiciary — Circuit Courts — https://www.courtswv.gov/lower-courts/circuit-courts
- West Virginia Judiciary — Court Record Access (WVPASS and Magistrate Record Search) — https://www.courtswv.gov/court-record-access
- WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System) — https://wvpass.courtswva.com
- Magistrate Court Record Search — https://www.courtswv.gov/lower-courts/magistrate-courts/magistrate-record-search
- Supreme Court of Appeals — Opinions — https://www.courtswv.gov/appellate-courts/supreme-court-of-appeals/opinions
- West Virginia State Police — Criminal Records Section — https://www.wvsp.gov/departments/criminalrecords/Pages/default.aspx
- West Virginia Code §61-11-25 — Expungement (acquittal or dismissal) — https://code.wvlegislature.gov/61-11-25/
- West Virginia Code §61-11-26 — Expungement of certain convictions — https://code.wvlegislature.gov/61-11-26/
- West Virginia Code §59-1-11 — Circuit Clerk fees — https://code.wvlegislature.gov/59-1-11/