West Virginia Court Records

The West Virginia Judiciary offers statewide searches of circuit court records and of magistrate court case information for all 55 counties.

Copies of magistrate court records come from the magistrate court clerk in the county where the case was filed, for a small fee set by law.

West Virginia divorces are Family Court cases under W. Va. Code 51-2A-2(a)(1), filed with and stored by the Circuit Clerk under Family Court Rule 5(a). Rule 6(a) makes all orders and indices public and all pleadings, exhibits, transcripts and other documents confidential, open only to the parties, their attorneys, guardians ad litem, written designees and persons with standing to enforce a support order; Rule 6(b) closes the hearings. The sworn Financial Statement, SCA-FC-106, with its employer, income, property and debt sections, carries its own confidentiality legend. The final divorce order, equitable distribution order, support orders and any court entered qualified domestic relations order are the public documents.

WVPASS searches circuit court records statewide, and at the Circuit Clerk's office a non-party receives the orders and the index at $1 per page under 59-1-11; the rest of the file needs a Rule 6(c) order on written motion for good cause with specific findings. The West Virginia asset search page explains what the orders still show.