SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 10, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Kanawha County is a county in West Virginia with about 174,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 6 county office pages for Kanawha County, every one opened and checked, and lists 1 more whose site blocks automated checks.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, Prosecuting Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Kanawha County public records live

Each kind of Kanawha County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Kanawha County

A person arrested in Kanawha County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Kanawha County.

  • Website: kanawhasheriff.us (page title: Kanawha County Sheriff's Office | Charleston, West Virginia)
  • Phone: 304-357-0216
  • Address: 301 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Kanawha County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Kanawha County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Kanawha County.

  • Website: kanawha.us/circuit-clerk
  • Checked: October 10, 2026, the site did not answer our automated check (HTTP 429); open it directly in a browser.

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County Clerk of Kanawha County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Kanawha County.

  • Website: courtswv.gov/node/32668 (page title: Kanawha | Circuit Court | West Virginia Judiciary)
  • Phone: 304-357-0369
  • Address: 111 Court Street Charleston, WV 25301
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Kanawha County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Kanawha County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Clerk (deeds)

  • Website: kanawha.us/county-clerk (page title: County Clerk | Kanawha County, West Virginia)
  • Phone: (304) 357-0130
  • Address: 409 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: County Assessor

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Birth, death and marriage records in Kanawha County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Kanawha County are issued by the office below. The West Virginia state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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Prosecuting Attorney for Kanawha County

The Prosecuting Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Kanawha County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: kanawha.us/prosecuting-attorney (page title: Prosecuting Attorney | Kanawha County, West Virginia)
  • Phone: (304) 357-0300
  • Address: 301 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Kanawha County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Kanawha County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified a central records request page for Kanawha County. Send the request to the office that holds the record, using the contact details above.

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Statewide West Virginia sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the West Virginia state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Kanawha County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Kanawha County

Kanawha County has 14 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

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Kanawha County Arrest Records

The Kanawha County arrest records guide names the 27 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 7,371 arrests the nine agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Kanawha County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Kanawha County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Kanawha County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Kanawha County inmate search (the state's inmate search for the regional jail and who books people), Kanawha County criminal records (the court file, the West Virginia criminal history and the local arrest records), Kanawha County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Kanawha County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act requires), Kanawha County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Kanawha County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Kanawha County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Kanawha County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Kanawha County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Kanawha County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Kanawha County at kanawhasheriff.us, or call 304-357-0216. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Who records deeds in Kanawha County?

The County Clerk (deeds), at kanawha.us/county-clerk. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Kanawha County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Kanawha County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Kanawha County vital records at dhhr.wv.gov/HSC/VR/Pages/default.aspx, or from the West Virginia state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Kanawha County?

From the office that holds it: the court for case files, the County Clerk (deeds) for deeds, the sheriff for jail records, and so on. Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices.