West Virginia criminal records are spread across several official systems. Circuit Court felony records are now searchable statewide through WVPASS, Magistrate Court criminal cases use a separate free statewide search, official criminal-history checks are handled through the West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau, jail and prison information comes from the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and older or certified court documents may still require the clerk in the county where the case was filed. This guide explains which official system to use and where the gaps are.
Which West Virginia criminal record do you need?
Felony and serious criminal cases
Search WVPASS for public Circuit Court records from all 55 counties.
Misdemeanors and initial proceedings
Use the free statewide Magistrate Case Record Search for public case information.
City ordinance and municipal matters
Contact the city Municipal Court directly because those records are not the same as statewide Circuit or Magistrate records.
Fingerprint criminal history
Use West Virginia State Police criminal-record services for authorized fingerprint-based checks.
Jail / prison custody
Search West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation jail and prison databases.
Arrest or incident report
Request the report from the police department, sheriff or State Police unit that created it.
How West Virginia criminal courts are divided
General-jurisdiction trial court
Circuit Courts hear all felonies and certain misdemeanors and also review appeals from Magistrate and Municipal Courts.
Lower criminal court
Magistrate Courts handle many misdemeanor matters, preliminary criminal proceedings and other lower-court cases.
Local city offenses
Municipal Courts handle qualifying city ordinance and municipal matters, with local recordkeeping procedures.
Search West Virginia Circuit Court records with WVPASS
West Virginia launched the West Virginia Public Access Search System (WVPASS) on March 10, 2025.
It provides statewide access to publicly available Circuit Court records from all 55 West Virginia counties.
Official entry point: West Virginia Court Record Access.
Open West Virginia Court Record Access
Choose the Circuit Courts option to enter WVPASS.
Register for public access
Registration is free for ordinary public users.
Search the defendant or case
Use the most precise identifiers available and verify the county and criminal case type.
Review the docket
Read the filings, charges, orders and later entries rather than relying only on the first case result.
Download eligible public documents when needed
Public Circuit Court documents can be downloaded for a per-page fee when they are available remotely.
How far back does WVPASS go, and what does it cost?
Public Circuit records from 1999
The Judiciary announced that WVPASS provides publicly available Circuit Court documents dating back to 1999.
Free to search
Registration and searching are free for ordinary public users.
$0.25 per page
The Judiciary announced a 25-cent-per-page public document charge plus a nominal card-processing fee.
West Virginia Magistrate Court criminal record search
The Magistrate Case Record Search is free, statewide and does not require registration.
Anyone can search using:
- first name
- last name
- case number
Search results can provide general case information including:
- case location
- filing date
- charges
- disposition
- bond information
- scheduled events
- case parties
- docket entries
West Virginia Municipal Court records
Municipal Court records are maintained locally by the city or municipality. They should not be assumed to appear in the statewide Magistrate or Circuit Court systems.
If the case involved a municipal ordinance or city-level offense:
Identify the city
Determine which municipality filed or prosecuted the charge.
Contact that Municipal Court
Ask for the docket, disposition or certified record according to the court’s local procedure.
Check Circuit Court if the matter was appealed
West Virginia Circuit Courts hear appeals from Municipal Courts.
How to get actual West Virginia criminal court documents
Court case information and court documents are different. The Magistrate online search shows case information but does not provide downloadable documents. WVPASS can provide eligible public Circuit Court documents remotely.
| Record | Online source | Where to get document |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court docket | WVPASS | WVPASS or county Circuit Clerk |
| Circuit Court pleading/order | WVPASS when remotely public | Download or request from Circuit Clerk |
| Magistrate case information | Magistrate Case Record Search | Search online |
| Magistrate document | Not remotely downloadable through Magistrate search | County Magistrate Court clerk |
| Municipal record | Varies by city | Municipal Court |
West Virginia State Police criminal-history checks
The West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau (CIB) maintains the state criminal-history repository.
West Virginia State Police says criminal-record checks are used for purposes including:
- employment
- housing
- licensing or certification
- personal information
Fingerprint appointments now use IdentoGO
WVSP states that ordinary background-check fingerprint appointments are handled through IdentoGO. The State Police no longer tells applicants to walk into headquarters for routine fingerprint background checks.
WV State Police Criminal Records IdentoGO
How to challenge an incorrect West Virginia criminal-history record
West Virginia State Police provides a specific personal-review/challenge process. WVSP states that the state repository is fingerprint-based rather than name-based.
Obtain the relevant fingerprint-based record
Start with the criminal-history record actually associated with your fingerprints.
Use WVSP Form 136A
Complete the state’s Challenge of Criminal History Record form.
Submit the current processing fee
WVSP’s current challenge instructions list a $20 processing fee.
Correct the source if the charge or disposition is wrong
WVSP says charge-level or disposition-level discrepancies generally must be addressed with the court or arresting agency that originally submitted the information.
South Charleston, WV 25309
Criminal Records: 304-746-2418
West Virginia arrest and police records
A court record is not the same as an arrest report. If you need an incident report, arrest report, investigative report or other police-created record, identify the agency that generated it.
This may be:
- West Virginia State Police
- county sheriff’s office
- municipal police department
- another state or local law-enforcement agency
West Virginia FOIA and criminal-record requests
West Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act provides access to qualifying nonexempt government records. A request should normally go to the public body that actually maintains the record.
Ask the law-enforcement agency
Send the request to the sheriff, police department or State Police unit that maintains the record.
Use the court clerk
Court records are available under court-access law and rules; use WVPASS or the clerk rather than treating them like an ordinary agency FOIA request.
Describe the existing record
Give names, dates, report numbers and other identifiers that help the custodian locate it.
West Virginia jail and prison offender searches
The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation provides multiple public custody tools.
Offender Search — Jails
Use for qualifying people in West Virginia regional or local correctional custody covered by DCR.
Offender Search — Prisons
Use for people in the state prison system.
Daily Incarcerations
DCR also publishes a daily-incarceration lookup for current custody research.
DCR’s public search page also links to escapee and absconder information.
West Virginia DCR Offender SearchWest Virginia Sex Offender Registry
West Virginia State Police maintains the state’s sex-offender registry for individuals who are required by law to register.
It should not be treated as a general list of everyone with a criminal record.
West Virginia appellate criminal records
Criminal appeals from Circuit Courts go to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. West Virginia also operates an Intermediate Court of Appeals, but its jurisdiction differs by case type.
Appellate case records that are public can be reviewed through the Clerk’s Office or electronically when the Judiciary posts them online.
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305
Federal criminal cases in West Virginia
West Virginia state court searches do not include federal criminal prosecutions. Federal cases are divided between the Northern District of West Virginia and the Southern District of West Virginia.
Northern District
Use the Northern District and PACER for federal cases filed in that district.
Southern District
Use the Southern District and PACER for federal cases filed in southern West Virginia.
How to find West Virginia criminal cases older than the online systems
WVPASS provides publicly available Circuit Court documents dating back to 1999, while the Magistrate online system is designed around electronically available case information.
For an older file:
Identify the county and court
Determine whether the matter was Circuit, Magistrate or Municipal Court.
Search the current statewide system first
Use WVPASS or Magistrate Case Record Search to obtain any available identifiers.
Contact the local clerk
Give the full name, approximate year and case number if available.
Ask whether the record is archived
Older paper records may require manual retrieval or courthouse inspection.
West Virginia criminal-record expungement
West Virginia provides several expungement procedures under state law. The Judiciary currently publishes separate forms for:
- misdemeanor violations and traffic citations
- qualifying felony violations
- acquittals or dismissals for reasons other than entry of a plea
Where a petition is filed
West Virginia Judiciary instructions generally direct eligible conviction-based petitions to the Circuit Court in the county where the conviction occurred.
General waiting-period examples
| Category | General waiting period described by Judiciary instructions |
|---|---|
| Single misdemeanor | Generally 1 year after conviction and completion of incarceration/supervision, subject to eligibility. |
| Multiple misdemeanors | Generally 2 years after the last conviction and completion of incarceration/supervision. |
| Qualifying nonviolent felony | Generally 5 years after completion of incarceration and supervision. |
Accelerated procedures can apply in specified circumstances, and numerous offenses are excluded. Pending criminal charges can also affect eligibility.
State Police processing after an expungement is granted
Current Judiciary instructions state that a person granted expungement generally pays a $100 processing fee to the West Virginia State Police Records Division, subject to stated exceptions.
West Virginia juvenile records
Juvenile matters are subject to different confidentiality and access rules from ordinary adult criminal cases. Public web access should not be assumed merely because an adult Magistrate or Circuit Court search is available.
West Virginia criminal-record offices and map
Administrative Office / Supreme Court
1900 Kanawha Boulevard EastState Capitol
Charleston, WV 25305
Statewide court-record resources, court forms and appellate court information.
Criminal Identification Bureau
725 Jefferson RoadSouth Charleston, WV 25309
Criminal Records: 304-746-2418
Google Map: West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau
This map is lazy-loaded to limit initial page weight. Routine fingerprint background-check appointments are handled through the current IdentoGO process rather than ordinary walk-in service at State Police headquarters.
West Virginia criminal-record search tips
Use WVPASS for Circuit Court
It now provides statewide Circuit Court searching rather than forcing users to search county by county.
1999 is an important WVPASS date
Older Circuit Court files may require the local clerk.
Magistrate search is free
No registration is required, but actual documents must be requested from the county clerk.
Narrow common names
Magistrate results can be capped, so use a case number or additional identifying information when possible.
Fingerprint history is different from court search
WVSP CIB is biometric; WVPASS and Magistrate search are court-record systems.
Recent custody? Use DCR
Start with jail or daily-incarceration tools before assuming the court docket will answer current custody questions.
Read the disposition
A criminal charge describes an accusation; later docket entries tell you what ultimately happened.
Correct bad source data first
WVSP says charge and disposition errors normally must be corrected by the court or arresting agency that submitted them.
Federal case? Use PACER
State court searches do not include federal prosecutions.
Using West Virginia criminal records for employment or screening
A public court search is not automatically a legally compliant employment, housing, licensing, insurance or other regulated background report.
West Virginia State Police maintains separate criminal-history procedures for authorized screening, and federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements can apply when a consumer reporting agency is used.
West Virginia criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Can I search West Virginia Circuit Court criminal records online?
Yes. WVPASS provides statewide access to publicly available Circuit Court records from all 55 counties.
2. How far back does WVPASS go?
The West Virginia Judiciary announced that publicly available Circuit Court documents in WVPASS date back to 1999.
3. Is WVPASS free?
Registration and searching are free. Ordinary public users currently pay 25 cents per page, plus a nominal payment-processing fee, for downloadable public court documents.
4. Can I search West Virginia Magistrate Court cases for free?
Yes. The Magistrate Case Record Search is free, statewide and does not require registration.
5. Can I download Magistrate Court documents online?
No. The statewide Magistrate search provides case information, but the Judiciary instructs users to contact the county Magistrate Court clerk for copies of actual documents.
6. Where can I search West Virginia jail and prison records?
Use the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Offender Search page, which links to jail, prison, daily-incarceration, escapee and absconder searches.
7. How do I obtain a West Virginia criminal-history background check?
West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau handles criminal-history records, while routine fingerprint background-check appointments are currently processed through IdentoGO.
8. What if my West Virginia criminal-history record is wrong?
West Virginia State Police provides a criminal-history challenge process using Form 136A. Its current instructions list a $20 processing fee and direct source-level charge or disposition errors to the court or arresting agency that supplied the information.
9. Can West Virginia criminal convictions be expunged?
Some qualifying misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies can be eligible under West Virginia law. The Judiciary publishes current instructions and separate petition forms for misdemeanor and felony relief.
10. Does an arrest or criminal charge mean the person was convicted?
No. An arrest, jail booking, complaint, warrant or indictment does not prove conviction. Review the official final court disposition.
Official sources used for this West Virginia guide
- West Virginia Judiciary — Court Record Access
- West Virginia Circuit Courts
- West Virginia Magistrate Record Search
- Magistrate Case Record Search
- West Virginia Judiciary Public Resources
- West Virginia State Police — Criminal Records
- West Virginia DCR — Offender Search
- West Virginia Attorney General — FOIA
- West Virginia Judiciary — Court Forms / Expungement
- West Virginia Rules of Appellate Procedure
- U.S. District Court — Northern District of West Virginia
- U.S. District Court — Southern District of West Virginia
- PACER Federal Court Records