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Kanawha County, West Virginia public records

In Kanawha County, deeds are recorded by the Kanawha County Clerk - Record Room; property values come from the Kanawha County Assessor; court files are kept by the Kanawha County Circuit Clerk.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Good to know about Kanawha County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsKanawha County Clerk - Record Room3—$1.50 per copy of a writing or document plus $1 for each additional page over two pages (WV Code § 59-1-10, statewide county clerk fees)2
Property values and ownersKanawha County Assessor4Property search5—
Property tax billsKanawha County Sheriff - Tax Division6Tax bill search7Free search—
Court casesKanawha County Circuit Clerk8—Circuit clerk: $1 per page for copies going out of the office (WV Code § 59-1-11)9
Marriage recordsKanawha County Clerk3—$5 certified copy from the county clerk2
Divorce recordsDivorce heard in Family Court; files kept by the Kanawha Circuit Clerk8——
Birth certificatesCounty Clerk Vital Statistics (304-357-0241) or WV Vital Registration Office ($12); county certified copy $52——
Death certificatesCounty Clerk Vital Statistics (records births, marriages and deaths) or WV Vital Registration Office ($12)3——
Probate and willsWills filed with the County Clerk10——
Business names (DBA)Trade names filed with the WV Secretary of State, not the county11——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Kanawha County are recorded by the Kanawha County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission) - Record Room.3

Copy fee
$1.50 per copy of a writing or document plus $1 for each additional page over two pages (WV Code § 59-1-10, statewide county clerk fees)2
Certified copy fee
Copy fee plus $1 for annexing the seal (WV Code § 59-1-10)2
Recording fee
$30 to record a deed of conveyance or trust deed (WV Code § 59-1-10)2
How to order
Contact or visit the County Clerk Record Room (Record Room phone 304-357-0240); County Clerk's Office, 409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 2530112

How deeds work in West Virginia

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Kanawha County Assessor sets property values4; the Kanawha County Sheriff - Tax Division bills and collects the tax6.

Property search
IAS Portal (WV State Tax Department): public.ias.wvtax.gov/…; land book at kanawha.wvassessor.com/landbook5
Tax bill search
Sheriff Tax Office Pay Taxes page: kanawhasheriff.us/tax-2/informational (online payments: credit cards 2.4% of total taxes, minimum $2; electronic checks free)7
Parcel map (GIS)
Kanawha County Assessor tax map: kanawhacountyassessorgis.com/…5
Appealing a value
Protest to the County Commission sitting as board of equalization and review, beginning February 113

How property tax works in West Virginia

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Circuit Court (Eighth Judicial Circuit; Kanawha is its only county)Felony, civil, appeals; family court files stored by circuit clerkKanawha County Circuit Clerk (circuit court, family court and mental hygiene records) WVPASS statewide circuit-court search (free registration and search; $0.25 per page to download)14Free search, fee for copies
Family Court (Eleventh Family Court Circuit)Divorce, custody, supportKanawha County Circuit Clerk (circuit court, family court and mental hygiene records)—
Magistrate CourtMisdemeanors, preliminary felony hearings——
Fees
Circuit clerk: $1 per page for copies going out of the office (WV Code § 59-1-11)9

Criminal records and background checks

Summary
WV State Police Criminal Identification Bureau (statewide; written authorization of the record subject required for non-law-enforcement requests); circuit case files via WVPASS15

How West Virginia courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Kanawha County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission; elections, marriage, vital statistics, wills).3

Marriage license
$55 marriage license ($35 with premarital education certificate), issued by the County Clerk2
Copy fee
$5 certified copy from the county clerk2

West Virginia marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Divorce heard in Family Court; files kept by the Kanawha Circuit Clerk8

West Virginia divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

County Clerk Vital Statistics (304-357-0241) or WV Vital Registration Office ($12); county certified copy $52

Ordering a West Virginia birth certificate

Death certificates

County Clerk Vital Statistics (records births, marriages and deaths) or WV Vital Registration Office ($12)3

Ordering a West Virginia death certificate

Probate records and wills

Wills filed with the County Clerk; estates administered through the County Commission Fiduciary & Probate Department10

Business names (DBA)

Trade names filed with the WV Secretary of State, not the county11

Voter records

Kept by: County Clerk Voter Registration Office, 415 Quarrier Street3

Good to know about Kanawha County records

  • Kanawha is the only county in the Eighth Judicial Circuit and alone forms the Eleventh Family Court Circuit16
  • The Sheriff mails about 95,000 personal property and 100,000 real estate tax tickets each July6
  • The Sheriff serves as conservator or estate administrator of last resort6
  • Probate is handled by a County Commission Fiduciary & Probate Department, not a court10

Office addresses, phones and hours

Kanawha County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission) - Record Room

Address
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301 (County Clerk's Office mailing address)3
Mail
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 253013
Phone
(304) 357-0130 main; Record Room 304-357-024012
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm3

Kanawha County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission; elections, marriage, vital statistics, wills)

Address
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 253013
Mail
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 253013
Phone
(304) 357-0130; fax (304) 357-05853
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm3

Kanawha County Commission - Department of Fiduciary & Probate

Address
407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 2530110
Mail
Kanawha County Commission, Fiduciary & Probate Department, 407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 2530110
Phone
(304) 357-0125; fax (304) 357-042610
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; call to make an appointment10

Kanawha County Assessor

Address
Kanawha County Courthouse, 409 Virginia Street E., Charleston, West Virginia 2530118
Mail
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 2530119
Phone
304-357-0250; fax 304-357-055118

Kanawha County Sheriff - Tax Division

Address
Main office in the old Courthouse, Charleston; detachments in Cross Lanes, Sissonville, Elkview, Jefferson and Quincy6
Phone
304-357-0210 (Charleston tax office)20
Hours
Charleston: Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm6

Kanawha County Circuit Clerk (circuit court, family court and mental hygiene records)

Address
Kanawha County Judicial Building, 111 Court Street, Charleston, WV 2530116
Mail
P.O. Box 2351, Charleston, WV 2530116
Phone
(304) 357-0440; fax (304) 357-04738
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm8

Kanawha County Circuit Clerk (civil)

Address
111 Court Street, Charleston, WV 2530116
Mail
P.O. Box 2351, Charleston, WV 2530116
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm8

Kanawha County Clerk - Vital Statistics

Address
409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 253013
Phone
(304) 357-0241; fax (304) 357-012412
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm3

Kanawha County Clerk - Voter Registration Office / Election Center

Address
415 Quarrier Street, Charleston, WV 253013

Kanawha County Sheriff's Office (FOIA requests)

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
kanawhasheriff.us/foia (Sheriff); no County Commission FOIA page found7
Where to send it
County Commission, 407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301; [email protected]12

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Kanawha County?

The Kanawha County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission) - Record Room keeps deed records. To order copies: Contact or visit the County Clerk Record Room (Record Room phone 304-357-0240); County Clerk's Office, 409 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301. Plain copies: $1.50 per copy of a writing or document plus $1 for each additional page over two pages (WV Code § 59-1-10, statewide county clerk fees). Certified copies: Copy fee plus $1 for annexing the seal (WV Code § 59-1-10).3122

Where do I get a divorce decree in Kanawha County?

Divorce heard in Family Court; files kept by the Kanawha Circuit Clerk.8

How do I look up who owns a property in Kanawha County?

Use the property search of the Kanawha County Assessor: public.ias.wvtax.gov/…5

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 Kanawha County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in West Virginia with a full guide: Berkeley County, Monongalia County, Wood County. Every county in the state: West Virginia county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 22 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. W. Va. Code § 59-1-10WV Legislature
  3. County ClerkKanawha County Commission
  4. Kanawha County, West Virginia - HomeKanawha County Commission
  5. Kanawha County Assessor
  6. Tax OfficeKanawha County Sheriff's Office
  7. Pay TaxesKanawha County Sheriff's Office
  8. Circuit ClerkKanawha County Commission
  9. W. Va. Code § 59-1-11WV Legislature
  10. Fiduciary & ProbateKanawha County Commission
  11. W. Va. Code § 47-8-2WV Legislature
  12. Contact Kanawha CountyKanawha County Commission
  13. Property TaxWV State Tax Department
  14. Supreme Court Announces Launch Date of WVPASS Search SiteSupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
  15. Criminal RecordsWest Virginia State Police
  16. Kanawha County InformationWest Virginia Judiciary
  17. West Virginia County Clerk DirectoryWV Secretary of State
  18. County AssessorsWV State Tax Department
  19. Kanawha County Assessor - Contact UsKanawha County Assessor
  20. Tax Office ContactKanawha County Sheriff's Office
  21. Sheriff FOIA RequestsKanawha County Sheriff
  22. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau