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How to get copies of West Virginia court documents

An online case listing, a downloaded page and a certified copy are three different things. Which one you need decides which West Virginia clerk to ask.

General information only. AnswerSignalApp is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. It does not describe legal rights, deadlines or outcomes. Agencies change their procedures and fees; the official page is always the authority.

Three kinds of court record

  • Case information or summary. The Judiciary’s Magistrate Record Search guidance describes the free magistrate search as showing case information. It is not the full file.
  • A copy of a filed document. For circuit cases, registered WVPASS users can download public pages for a per-page charge, as described in the Court’s WVPASS launch announcement (PDF). Read the WVPASS guide.
  • A certified copy. A copy the clerk certifies as true. Ask the clerk of the court that holds the file.

Who to ask

Magistrate documents: the magistrate court clerk in the filing county. Circuit documents: the circuit clerk in the filing county. Find both through the Judiciary’s Court Information by County. This site does not list phone numbers or addresses; use the Judiciary’s current contacts.

Before contacting the clerk

  • The county and court level (see magistrate vs. circuit court).
  • The case number, if you have it from your own paperwork or an official search.
  • Which documents you need, and whether they must be certified.

Ask the clerk about current fees, payment methods, identification and delivery. Counties can differ in how they handle requests, and some records are sealed or confidential and will not be released.

If you cannot find the case online

Online tools do not hold every record. Older files, confidential matters and data-entry differences can all cause a missed match. The clerk can tell you whether a file exists and whether it is public.

This site collects nothing

This page has no search box and no form. Do not send names, case numbers, reports or identity documents to West Virginia Legal Connect; send them only to the official office, and only what it asks for. No lawyer is currently participating and West Virginia legal inquiries are not yet open.