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What are West Virginia Vital Records?
Vital records in West Virginia include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce records. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) is the government agency in charge of all vital records.
How Can I Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in West Virginia?
West Virginia birth records are not public, and only the following people can get copies:
- Yourself.
- A parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent of the persona named on the certificate.
- A grandchild of the person named on the birth record.
- The legal guardian or legal representative or if you have a court order.
To get a copy of a birth certificate in West Virginia, you must complete the application and send it to your birth state's vital records office. You must prove your identity when applying.
You will need to provide one of the following forms of identification:
- West Virginia driver's license.
- West Virginia ID card.
- Other state driver's license.
- Photo ID.
- U.S. passport.
- Military ID card.
To order a certified copy of a West Virginia birth record online, you may contact VitalChek. The fees for online orders are $58.50 for the two-week processing option or $78.25 for the one-three business days expedited service. VitalChek accepts all primary credit cards and debit cards, including Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover.
You may also request a copy of a West Virginia birth record via VitalChek by calling 877-448-3953. The fees for phone orders are the same as those for online orders.
For in-person orders, you will need to schedule an appointment available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics is located at 350 Capitol St., Room 165 Charleston, WV 25301. You may also contact this office at 877-448-3953.
To order a West Virginia birth certificate by mail, you will need to send the completed application form, along with a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to "The State of West Virginia" in the proper amount to:
Vital Request Requests
PO Box 1213
Sterling, VA 20166-1213
Tel: (202) 485-8300
The fees for mail-in orders are $34 for the first certified copy (the cost for a person older than 65 is $14 if they are requesting their birth certificate), plus $16 for each additional copy. If expedited service is desired, there will be an additional $12.
How Can I Obtain a Copy of a Death Certificate in West Virginia?
West Virginia death records are not public, and only someone with a tangible interest will be allowed a copy.
A certified copy costs $12.00 for a three-year search. If the office finds no matching record, you will receive a letter informing you that they could not locate it.
Each additional copy of the certificate costs $12.00. To request copies of death certificates, print out the form and send it along with the appropriate fee to:
Vital Registration
Room 165
350, Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Different turnaround times can be expected once the death certificate has been filled in by a physician or other authorized individuals and then submitted and processed by the Vital Registrations Office.
You can usually obtain a death record within five days. Typically, you will have to wait two or three days for mail delivery, three to four days for processing the request, and two to three days for return mailing. In some cases, the wait may be as long as two weeks.
You can order expedited service through VitalChek at an additional charge. VitalChek accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.
Before calling, print out a copy of the application form and be prepared to hand over all the information, including your credit card information, to the customer service representative.
How Can I Get a Copy of a West Virginia Marriage Certificate?
The law states that individuals may obtain copies of West Virginia marriage records from the county clerk in which either party lives. If both parties happen to be out of state, people may obtain a copy of the marriage license in West Virginia from any state office. People can also obtain copies during regular business hours of the West Virginia County court.
To order a certified copy of a West Virginia marriage record online, you may contact VitalChek. The fees for online orders are $58.50 for the two-week processing option or $78.25 for the one-three business days expedited service. VitalChek accepts all primary credit cards and debit cards, including Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover.
You can also request a copy of a West Virginia marriage certificate via VitalChek by calling 877-448-3953. The fees for phone orders are the same as those for online orders.
For in-person orders, you will need to schedule an appointment available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics is located at 350 Capitol St., Room 165 Charleston, WV 25301. For further assistance, you can contact this office at 877-448-3953.
Certified copies may only be issued to:
- Family members, including the husband or the wife.
- The adult children of the husband or wife.
- The adult grandchildren of the husband or wife.
- Those who can prove a tangible interest.
- A legal representative to act on behalf of one of the above mentioned.
How Can I Get a Copy of a Divorce Record in West Virginia?
West Virginia divorce records are filed with the West Virginia County clerk's office. This applies to each county in which the divorce was finalized. People can find this information by contacting the Clerk of Circuit Court via phone, in person, or written request.
It helps if you're aware of how the court system of West Virginia works. The Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over all sorts of cases, but they generally handle cases beyond the courts' jurisdiction. Family, Magistrate, and Municipal Courts have minimal authority over specific claims.
For an efficient and quick search for records, you can search county courts and request divorce records from the county where the divorce proceedings previously took place.
The Health Statistics Center in West Virginia is responsible for issuing and filing essential documents for the state. Searches by mail and in-person cost around $12 and come with a certified copy.
If there are no results, additional searches cost $12 each for three years. Fax, internet, and phone orders are run through the online government approved VitalChek system.
Requesting vital records online costs a minimum of $30. If you want a "rush order" that costs extra. You can contact (304) 558-9100, fax at (304) 558-1787, or you can visit the Health Statistics Center for a walk-in request at:
West Virginia Health Statistics Center
Room 165, 350 Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301-3701