How to Search West Virginia Court Records (Start Here)

West Virginia court records are filed with the Circuit Clerk. The Circuit Court / Magistrate Court handles trial-level cases. West Virginia offers a statewide court search through WV Courts, which covers most case types across all counties courts.

What this page covers: West Virginia state court case records — criminal, civil, family, and probate filings. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (those are on PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.

Where to start: Use WV Courts for online case search. If you need documents beyond docket information, contact the Circuit Clerk in the specific county where the case was filed.

Common mistake: WV Courts covers state courts only. Federal cases filed in West Virginia (bankruptcy, federal criminal, federal civil) require PACER — a separate federal system.

Population
1,769,979
Households
729,200
Median Income
$55,948
Median Home Value
$145,800

Court Records Databases

5 official West Virginia court records sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Court Records

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA Report of the Court of Claims 1983-1985 Volume 15
Official Free
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA · Report · of the · Court of Claims · 1983-1985 · Volume · 15 · STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA · REPORT · OF THE · COURT OF CLAIMS · For the Period from July 1, 1983 · to June 30, 1985 · by · CHERYLE M. HALL · CLERK · VOLUME XV · zq ·
🌐 www.wvlegislature.gov
Supreme Court - Opinions | West Virginia Judiciary
Official Free
Links to the current term decisions filed within the Supreme Court are listed in the table below. When the page loads, the Date Filed column is sorted in descending (most recent) order. The new Search capability allows you to enter any case-related information to use as a filter. The decisions are identified using case type and decision type codes. For more information about using the decision list and for an explanation of the codes, review the page: Opinion Information.
🌐 www.courtswv.gov
West Virginia Southern Bankruptcy Court | PACER: Federal Court Records
Official Paid
Official websites use .gov A .gov ... Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. ... Multi-court Voice Case Information System: 866-222-8029 ext. ...
🌐 pacer.uscourts.gov
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Office of the Clerk
Official Free
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is one of twelve regional appellate courts · within the federal judicial system. The court hears appeals from the nine federal district courts in · Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and from federal administrative
🌐 www.ca4.uscourts.gov
Courts & Judicial Services | Berkeley County, WV
Official Free
Authorized by the West Virginia Constitution, the state judicial system is comprised of Appellate (Supreme Court of Appeals, Intermediate Court of Appeals) and Lower (Circuit, Family, Magistrate, Treatment, Mass Litigation, Business Court Division) Courts that serve all 55 counties. Court information, including a listing of the elected members of the Judiciary that preside in Circuit, Family, Magistrate, Treatment and other court proceedings in Berkeley County can be found here.
🌐 www.berkeleywv.org

West Virginia Counties

55 West Virginia counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Kanawha Berkeley Cabell Wood Monongalia Raleigh Jefferson Harrison Mercer Barbour Boone Braxton Brooke Calhoun

Frequently Asked Questions

West Virginia's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. County-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

West Virginia's court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Trial-court business is handled by the Circuit Court (31 circuits), Family Court, Magistrate Court. Many West Virginia courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The West Virginia Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

West Virginia vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the West Virginia DHHR (Vital Registration Office) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The West Virginia sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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