To run a West Virginia clerk of courts public records search, start with the free online tools maintained by the state judiciary: WVPASS for circuit court cases back to 1999, a separate magistrate court search for misdemeanors and small claims, and PACER for anything in federal court. If the file you need is older, sealed from online view, or you want certified copies, go directly to the clerk’s office in the county where the case was filed.
Searching Court Records Online
WVPASS for Circuit Court Cases
The West Virginia Public Access Search System (WVPASS) launched March 10, 2025 and covers publicly available circuit court documents from all 55 counties going back to 1999. Registering an account is free, and searching is free. Downloading a document costs 25 cents per page plus a small credit or debit card processing fee. Attorneys of record on a case can download that case’s files at no charge.1West Virginia Judiciary. Supreme Court Announces Launch Date of WVPASS Search Site The entry point is the court record access page at courtswv.gov.2West Virginia Judiciary. Court Record Access – Search Landing Page
Sealed filings and juvenile cases are excluded from WVPASS. If a case does not show up, it may be sealed, it may predate 1999, or it may have been filed in a court other than circuit court.
Magistrate Court Search
Magistrate court case information from all 55 counties lives in a separate search tool, reached from the same court record access page.2West Virginia Judiciary. Court Record Access – Search Landing Page This is where you look for misdemeanor charges, traffic citations, small claims actions, and emergency protective orders.
Federal Cases Through PACER
Bankruptcy filings and federal civil and criminal cases are not kept by West Virginia’s state clerks at all. Those records live in the federal system, and you reach them through Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). The charge is 10 cents per page with a $3 cap per document, and the fees are waived entirely if your total stays at $30 or less in a calendar quarter.3Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) A county courthouse search for a bankruptcy will come up empty because the file was never there.
Going to the Clerk’s Office In Person or by Mail
Walking into the courthouse is still the most direct route for older files, sealed-from-online matters you have standing to see, or certified copies. Most clerk offices keep public-access terminals in the lobby, and staff can pull and reproduce documents on the spot.
Bring as much identifying information as you can:
- The case number, which appears on any summons, complaint, or court order from the case. This is the fastest way in.
- The full legal name of at least one party.
- An approximate filing date, at least the month and year, if you have no case number.
- The correct county. Each county runs its own filing system, so you need the right office. The online tools above can tell you where a case was filed before you drive.
For mail requests, send a written request that names the documents as specifically as possible, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope, and specify whether you need certified or uncertified copies. A certified copy carries the clerk’s seal and is accepted as authentic in legal proceedings; an uncertified copy is cheaper and fine for personal use. Many clerks require payment by money order or certified check through the mail.
What It Costs
In-person and mail copy fees are set by statute. Under the schedule referenced in W. Va. Code § 59-1-10, the standard rate is $1.50 for the first two pages and $1.00 for each additional page.4Putnam County Clerk’s Office. Recording and Copy Fees Certification adds a small surcharge per document.5Fayette County Clerk. Fayette County Clerk Fee Schedule There is no charge to simply inspect a record in person.6West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 29B-1-3
Online, WVPASS downloads run 25 cents per page plus the card processing fee.1West Virginia Judiciary. Supreme Court Announces Launch Date of WVPASS Search Site For any significant volume of pages, the online route is usually cheaper than ordering physical copies.
Records You Won’t Find in a Public Search
Not every court file is open. Several categories are kept out of public view:
- Juvenile proceedings are generally closed to public inspection.
- Sealed filings and sealed cases are excluded from WVPASS and withheld at the counter. A judge seals material when the harm from public access outweighs the presumption of openness.1West Virginia Judiciary. Supreme Court Announces Launch Date of WVPASS Search Site
- Finalized adoption files are typically sealed.
- Family court dockets may be visible while protective-order details and custody evaluations within them are restricted.
- Expunged convictions are removed from public databases by design; the point of expungement under W. Va. Code § 61-11-26 is that the proceeding is treated as though it never happened.7West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-11-26
A missing record is not always a sealed record. It may just be in a different court.
Which Clerk Holds What
Four court levels generate four separate pools of records, and knowing which court heard a matter tells you which clerk to ask.
Circuit courts are the state’s only general-jurisdiction trial courts of record. They handle all felony criminal cases, equity suits, and civil cases at law where the amount in dispute exceeds $300.8West Virginia Judiciary. Lower Courts They also hear appeals from magistrate courts, municipal courts, and family court domestic-violence rulings.9West Virginia Judiciary. Circuit Courts The circuit clerk holds indictments, plea agreements, final judgments, and sentencing orders.
Family courts have limited jurisdiction over divorce, annulment, child custody, child support, paternity, spousal support, grandparent visitation, and domestic violence protective orders.10West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 51-2A-2 Family court files are maintained separately from circuit court records.
Magistrate courts handle civil disputes where the amount in controversy is $20,000 or less, misdemeanors, preliminary hearings in felony cases, emergency protective orders, and unlawful-entry and eviction cases where title to the property is not in dispute. They do not hear equity claims, eminent domain, libel, slander, or cases turning on real estate title.11West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 50-2-1
The Supreme Court of Appeals keeps its own appellate records, including briefs, hearing transcripts, and opinions. The Clerk of the Supreme Court processes requests from the office at the seat of government in Charleston, and archived material takes extra time to retrieve.12West Virginia Judiciary. Office of the Clerk
If a Clerk Denies Your Request
Court clerks are custodians of public records under West Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. When you submit a request, the custodian must respond as soon as practicable and no later than five business days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) by furnishing the copies, telling you when and where to inspect the materials, or denying the request in writing.6West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 29B-1-3 A denial must state the legal basis for withholding the record and must inform you of your right to file suit in circuit court to challenge the decision. Any fee charged for copies cannot exceed the actual cost of reproduction.