West Virginia divorce records
Who holds it: Divorce cases are heard in family court; all case files are filed with and stored by the circuit clerk of the county1
On this page
Copy fee
Circuit clerk: $1 per page for copies going out of the office (certification fee not separately itemized in § 59-1-11)2
Who may order and what is restricted
- Access
- Family court orders and indices are public; pleadings, recordings, exhibits, transcripts and other file documents are confidential (available to parties, attorneys of record, GALs, written designees, persons with standing on support orders); others need a court order on written motion for good cause1
Older records and indexes
- State index
- State Vital Registration Office keeps divorce indexes from 1967 to present; it does not list divorce among the certificates it issues3
Related records in West Virginia
- Courts: court system
- Circuit courts (general jurisdiction trial courts; 55 counties in 30 circuits with 80 circuit judges), family courts, magistrate courts; appeals to the Intermediate Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Appeals. The circuit clerk stores family court case files and collects family court fees4
- Courts: statewide case search
- Circuit courts: WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System) wvpass.courtswva.com — all 55 counties, public circuit documents from 1999; free registration and search, documents $0.25/page plus card fee. Magistrate courts: mcrsearch.courtswv.gov (all 55 counties)5
- Courts: fees
- Circuit clerk: $1 per page for a transcript, copy or paper to go out of the office; $200 civil filing fee; $135 divorce filing2
- Marriage records: who holds it
- County clerk (clerk of the county commission) issues licenses and records marriages; state Vital Registration Office also issues certified marriage certificates6
How West Virginia handles it
- Family court files (divorce, custody) are confidential except orders and indices; physical files are kept by the circuit clerk.1
Divorce records in West Virginia counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | Berkeley County Circuit Clerk7 | — | — |
| Kanawha County | Divorce heard in Family Court; files kept by the Kanawha Circuit Clerk8 | — | — |
| Monongalia County | Monongalia County Circuit Clerk9 | — | — |
| Wood County | Circuit Clerk10 | — | — |
For any other county, see the county list on the West Virginia guide.
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any West Virginia office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: divorce records in every state. Everything else in West Virginia: West Virginia public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family CourtSupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
- W. Va. Code § 59-1-11 Fees to be charged by clerk of circuit courtWest Virginia Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
- GenealogyWV Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Officechecked November 4, 2026
- Circuit CourtSupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
- Supreme Court Announces Launch Date for Online Circuit Court Records System (Feb 24, 2025)Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
- W. Va. Code § 48-2-101 Necessity of marriage licenseWest Virginia Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
- Circuit ClerkBerkeley County, WVchecked November 4, 2026
- Circuit ClerkKanawha County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
- Court Information by County - County MapSupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
- Circuit ClerkWood Countychecked November 8, 2026