Looking for public records in West Virginia can consume a lot of time if you don't know where to start your search. This article lists several online sites where you can find West Virginia public records fast and easy.
Free Public Records Search Directory is a good website to start your search for West Virginia Public Records. This online directory contains links to different search websites categorized by the nature or type of the public record. The page also helps the user find the correct public record through different search tools where you can type the name of the person and select the Record Type on the dropdown menu.
Another website where you can find public records quickly and easily is Public Records Search. Here you can find information on birth and death certificates, births, deaths, marriages, divorces and unclaimed properties recorded in West Virginia. The search tool lets the user jump to another state in case he is not sure that the public record is in this state.
Searching for public records by category is a better and faster way. You can go to 50STATES.COM to view West Virginia public records categorized under four sections: Background Check, Asset Section, Businesses, and People Section. In this website, public records on bankruptcies, neighborhood reports, White Pages and Yellow Pages are also provided.
If you want to view the public record via an official state agency, you can visit West Virginia Division of Culture and History. However, they only provide public records of birth, death and marriage. Nevertheless, you should pay a visit if you want to search for a public record and learn about the upcoming events and exhibits in West Virginia at the same time.
Viewing the public record online is usually free-of-charge, but it would cost a small fee to have a copy of it. You can send a request to Vital Registration, Division of Health using the following address:
Vital Registration, Division of Health
350 Capitol St, Rm 165
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Check or money order should be made payable to "Vital Information". For more information, you can call their telephone number: (304) 558-2931, or fax: (304) 558-1051. Be reminded that there was a fire in 1921 that destroyed many public records. However, many counties still have their records dated 1853 onwards.
You can also visit the following places in person to obtain public records:
Before beginning your search, it'll be better to know about the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act or WVFOIA. This act makes access to public record possible while maintaining protection for confidentiality and public safety purposes. For more information, you may take a look at the online booklet on WVFOIA.
In West Virginia public records are becoming available easier than ever before thanks to a collaboration between the West Virginia State Archives and the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU). This ongoing project, dubbed the Vital Research Records Project allows West Virginia county birth, death and marriage records as well as statewide death records to be viewable, searchable and even downloadable.
Death certificates from between 1917 and 1957 are a matter of public record in West Virginia. They have been included and are currently available for searches, with a new year being added each year as the 50 year mark of issuance date expires.
Records not currently a part of this project may be requested from the West Virginia State Archives who handles many West Virginia public records and assists the public in viewing and copying them. Not all records are available for viewing by the general public but the Archives can give you more information and specific details.
Public Records
Court Records
Criminal Records
Birth Records
Death Records
Marriage Records
Divorce Records
Genealogy Records