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Making a West Virginia open-records (FOIA) request

West Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act lets the public inspect public records of public bodies. The request goes to the body that created or keeps the record.

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.

Send it to the custodian

The Secretary of State’s FOIA Records Request page says FOIA requests must be submitted directly to the public body that created or maintains the records, and that its office does not maintain records for all public bodies. A request for a county commission record goes to that county; a request for a city police record goes to that city’s police.

Who counts as a public body

The Secretary of State’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request page describes public bodies as including state agencies, county and municipal governments, offices and boards, and some non-government bodies funded with government money.

Writing a clear request

  • Name the public body and the specific record or category, with a date range.
  • Ask the body how it accepts requests and whether it charges for copies.
  • Keep a copy of what you sent and when.

This site does not state response deadlines, fees or exemptions; read the public body’s instructions and the law itself.

The FOIA database is not the records

The Secretary of State’s FOIA Database search shows basic information about completed requests. Per that office, the actual responsive records are not hosted there.

Court and police records

Court case files are usually reached through the clerk and the Judiciary’s searches; see magistrate vs. circuit court. For State Police reports use the agency’s own form; see the incident report guide.

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.