West Virginia Genealogy Search at a Glance
Visit publicrecordcenter.com to discover West Virginia ancestors and family history, start a family tree, browse ancestry, genealogy, census records and more historical people and name searches online
1West Virginia Genealogy
West Virginia statewide genealogy links
- West Virginia Division of Culture and Historyarchive.wvculture.orgVital Records Search
- West Virginia Archives and History Genealogy Cornerarchive.wvculture.orgArchives and History
- West Virginia Health Statistics Centedhhr.wv.govHealth Statistics Center
- West Virginia Records Management and Preservation Boardarchive.wvculture.orgLand Records
- West Virginia State Archives Naturalization Recordsarchive.wvculture.orgNaturalization Records
- West Virginia Historical, Genealogical, and Preservation Societiesarchive.wvculture.orgHistorical and Genealogical Societies
- WVGenWeb Projecwww.wvgenweb.orgSearch GenWeb Project
- Library of Virginialva-virginia.libguides.comState Library Collections
2Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement West Virginia's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when West Virginia state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.
https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy (archives.gov)
Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.
https://www.familysearch.org/ (familysearch.org)
The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.
https://guides.loc.gov/genealogy (loc.gov)
West Virginia Genealogy Search, FAQ
Is the 1950 census released?
Yes. Under the 72-year rule, the 1950 U.S. Census was released by NARA on April 1, 2022 and is free to search on archives.gov and familysearch.org.
How do I request a military service record?
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis holds military service records. Requests use SF-180 and are free for the veteran or next of kin.
Do I need a paid subscription to do genealogy?
No. FamilySearch, Archives.gov, the Library of Congress, and most state archives provide substantial free access. Commercial services (Ancestry, MyHeritage) add convenience and private trees but not exclusive records.
Where are vital records for the 1800s kept?
Before state-level vital registration (roughly 1890, 1920 depending on state), most births, deaths, and marriages were recorded only by the county, the church, or the family Bible. State archives and FamilySearch are the primary starting points for that era.