West Virginia public records finder
Most West Virginia records are kept by the office that created them. Choose the kind of record below to see which office holds it and where its own official tool is. This finder does not search any database.
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.
What kind of record do you need?
Choose a record type. Nothing is typed, sent or saved.
Who holds it
The agency that investigated the crash. For State Police crashes, the State Police Traffic Records office.
Official starting point
Traffic Safety / Traffic Records — West Virginia State Police
City police and sheriff reports come from those offices, not State Police.
Who holds it
West Virginia State Police, using its Criminal and Crash Report Request form.
Official starting point
Criminal/Crash Report Request forms — West Virginia State Police
Release is decided by State Police; a request is not automatic access.
Read: Requesting a West Virginia State Police criminal (incident) report
Who holds it
The magistrate court clerk in the county where the case was filed.
Official starting point
Magistrate Court case search — West Virginia Judiciary
The online search shows case information, not full documents.
Read: West Virginia magistrate records: search and document copies
Who holds it
The circuit clerk in the county where the case was filed.
Official starting point
WVPASS circuit court search — West Virginia Judiciary (linked from Court Records Access)
WVPASS requires free registration; document pages carry a per-page charge.
Who holds it
The clerk of the court that has the case file.
Official starting point
Court Information by County — West Virginia Judiciary
Certified copies come from the clerk, not from a search screenshot.
Who holds it
The public body that created or keeps the record.
Official starting point
FOIA Records Request — West Virginia Secretary of State
The Secretary of State does not keep every public body’s records.
Who holds it
West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing.
Official starting point
Business Organization Search — West Virginia Secretary of State
Viewing registration is free; certificates of existence are a separate paid document.
Who holds it
West Virginia Secretary of State, for the license types its search lists.
Official starting point
Licensing Search — West Virginia Secretary of State
Many professions are licensed by separate boards not covered by this search.
Read: Checking a West Virginia license: know which office issues it
Why there is no single West Virginia records search
Court cases, police reports, agency records and business filings are kept by different offices. The Judiciary’s Court Records Access page itself separates magistrate searches from circuit searches. A statewide site that claims to search everything at once is not an official source.
How to use the result
- Open the official starting point and read its current instructions, fees and limits.
- If the online tool shows no match, contact the office named under “Who holds it.” Online tools cover only part of what an office keeps.
- If you still cannot tell which office holds a record, the first-steps guide explains how to sort paperwork by issuing office.
Court level matters
Magistrate and circuit courts use different searches. If you are unsure which court has a case, read magistrate court vs. circuit court before searching.
Records this finder does not cover
Family court files, appellate records, vital records, property records and records held by federal agencies are outside this finder. Ask the office that handles that subject, or use a West Virginia FOIA request to the public body that keeps a public record.
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.