Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 30, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Clay County, West Virginia, has about 7,700 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Clay County depends on where the incident happened: the Clay County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County warrants, Clay County inmate search, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Clay County
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
In Clay County that is the Clay County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also places the Clay State Police in Clay County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the State Fire Marshal in Clay County and the Department of Natural Resources in Clay County (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Clay County Sheriff's Office
The Clay County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 1,152 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at claycountysheriff.org/cur_inmates.html (page title: Redirecting…), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
What the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 304-587-2702, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Clay County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Clay County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Clay County have to answer?
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Clay County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Clay State Police in Clay County.
How do I get a report from the Clay County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Clay County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.