West Virginia court case information is available for free through the state judiciary’s online search tools and, for anything not posted online, through the clerk of the county court where the case was filed. Circuit court cases are searchable through the WVPASS portal, magistrate court cases through a separate statewide search, and Supreme Court of Appeals matters through the current docket page. Sealed case types and older paper records stay off the internet and require a trip or a written request to the courthouse.
Figure Out Which Court Has the Case
Circuit courts and magistrate courts keep separate databases, so the first question is which one handled the case. Magistrate courts sit in every county and handle smaller civil disputes and criminal matters short of felonies; no felony conviction can happen in magistrate court.1FindLaw. West Virginia Constitution Art. VIII, Section 10 – Magistrate Courts Circuit courts handle felonies, larger civil suits, equity proceedings, appeals from magistrate and municipal courts, domestic violence matters coming out of family court, and mental health cases.2West Virginia Judiciary. What Is the Circuit Court Jurisdiction?
If you don’t know where a case was filed, the subject usually tells you. A small collection dispute or a traffic citation almost always sits in magistrate court. A felony charge or a substantial civil lawsuit sits in circuit court. Appeals from either trial court can reach the Supreme Court of Appeals, which has its own searchable docket.
What You Need Before You Search
Every West Virginia court search asks for one of two things: the full legal name of a party, or the case number the court assigned. A case number is far more reliable because name searches can return many results or miss a record entirely if the spelling is slightly off. If you have a citation or a court notice, enter the number exactly as printed, including dashes.
Knowing the county helps too. The circuit and magistrate search systems both cover all 55 counties, but filtering to the right county narrows the results. The judiciary cautions that online records may not be complete and recommends confirming anything important with the clerk of the filing court.3West Virginia Judiciary. West Virginia Court Case Information
Searching Circuit Court Cases (WVPASS)
The West Virginia Public Access Search System, called WVPASS, launched in March 2025 and covers circuit court documents from all 55 counties going back to 1999. Registration is free, and individual documents can be downloaded for a small charge. The portal is at wvpass.courtswva.com.4West Virginia Judiciary. Court Record Access
One quirk to plan around: WVPASS returns a maximum of 100 results per search. Broad name queries can hit that cap and cut off the record you actually want. Narrowing the date range and choosing a specific case type gets better results.
Searching Magistrate Court Cases
The magistrate court record search sits at mcrsearch.courtswv.gov. Enter a first or last name or a case number and the system pulls up to 30 matching records across all counties.5West Virginia Judiciary. Magistrate Record Search You’ll see case information and docket entries, but the actual filings are not downloadable. To get copies of specific documents, contact the magistrate clerk in the county where the case was filed.
Every magistrate court office also has a public access terminal in the lobby if you’d rather search on-site.
Searching Supreme Court of Appeals Cases
Cases before the state’s highest court can be tracked through the Supreme Court’s current docket page, which includes an archived docket search covering several years. You can filter by docket year and argument type.6West Virginia Judiciary. Supreme Court – Current Docket Volume is much lower than in the trial courts, so a party name or case number usually pulls what you need on the first try.
When to Go to the Clerk Instead
The online tools miss some things. Records from before 1999, files that haven’t been digitized, and documents from confidential case types don’t appear in WVPASS or the magistrate search. Visiting the clerk’s office in the county where the case was filed gets you the fullest access. Staff can pull the physical file for you to inspect at the counter, and copies of specific documents can be made on the spot.
If you can’t get to the courthouse, mail a written request to the clerk. Include the case name and number (or as much identifying information as you have), a list of the specific documents you need, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return.7Southern District of West Virginia. Records Access and Copies Send payment with the request; most clerk offices won’t ship documents until fees are collected.
What Won’t Show Up in a Public Search
Some categories of cases are sealed in full and won’t appear in any public search tool, and the clerk’s office will decline to release them. West Virginia Trial Court Rule 10.03 closes the entire file in adoption proceedings, juvenile cases, mental health proceedings, domestic violence cases, abuse and neglect cases, paternity disputes, and cases involving child custody, visitation, or support.8West Virginia Judiciary. West Virginia Trial Court Rules Guardianship of minors or incapacitated adults, termination of parental rights, and emancipation of minors are also sealed. If you’re looking for a case in one of these categories, absence from the online results doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; it means the record isn’t public.
Even in cases that are public, personal identifiers like Social Security numbers should be redacted from what you see. That redaction is the filing party’s responsibility, not the clerk’s.
Copy Fees and Fee Waivers
West Virginia Code ยง59-1-11 sets the fees circuit court clerks charge for filings and copies.9West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 59-1-11 – Fees to Be Charged by Clerk of Circuit Court Copies are priced per page. A certified copy, which carries the clerk’s seal and is often required when you’re filing the document in another proceeding, costs an added certification fee on top of the per-page charge. Magistrate courts operate under a separate fee structure, so those charges may differ.
Money orders and credit cards are usually accepted, though credit card payments can carry a convenience surcharge. Policies vary by county, so calling ahead saves a wasted trip. When mailing a request, sending the exact payment amount avoids back-and-forth delays.
If you can’t afford the fees, you can ask the circuit clerk for an Affidavit of Indigence and submit it with proof of income or public assistance enrollment. Through the electronic filing system, you check the fee waiver box and upload the completed application with your financial documentation.10West Virginia E-Filing. What Steps Do I Take When My Client Is Filing for a Waiver of Filing Fees? The clerk’s office reviews it and decides whether you qualify.
Federal Cases Aren’t in the State System
Federal court records don’t appear in any West Virginia judiciary search. The state has two federal districts: the Northern District, based in Elkins and Wheeling, and the Southern District, based in Charleston.11United States District Court. Northern District of West Virginia Federal cases, including bankruptcies, live in the national PACER system, which charges $0.10 per page for viewing documents with a $3.00 cap on any single document. If your total charges for a quarter stay at $30 or less, the fees are waived for that period.12Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records A free PACER account is required to search. The federal clerk’s offices also accept in-person, phone, and mail requests for records.7Southern District of West Virginia. Records Access and Copies