Records West Virginia Kanawha County
Kanawha County Criminal Records
Criminal · Arrest · Court · Sex offender
Use the official court, custody, police-record, and statewide paths for Kanawha County, West Virginia; jurisdiction limits are explained.
Searches are compiled from court, county, and statewide public-record sources.
Kanawha County public records: common questions
Where to search Kanawha County records
Kanawha County, West Virginia court, custody, police, and statewide records are kept in separate systems. Start court research with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records.
- Court casesCounty Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records
- Current custodyConfirm the current jail or detention source with the local agency.
- Statewide recordsUse the West Virginia state-level source described below when available.
- Federal recordsFederal court and custody records are outside county systems and require a separate federal search.
Verified local details
These details were drawn from the official sources linked in this guide. Reconfirm addresses, contacts, schedules, fees, and other time-sensitive details with the responsible agency.
- Kanawha County is the only county in West Virginia's Eighth Judicial Circuit, and it is the only county in the Eleventh Family Court Circuit; the county seat is Charleston.
- The Kanawha County Clerk records deeds, liens, births, marriages, deaths, wills, and judgments, and also manages voter registration and election administration.
- The Kanawha County Circuit Clerk is the official recordkeeper and fee officer for the circuit court, family court, and mental hygiene office, including civil, criminal, divorce, custody, guardianship, juvenile, and appeal records.
- The County Commission lists its mailing address as 407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, with office hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- The county law-enforcement directory separately lists the Kanawha County Sheriff and municipal agencies including Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, and Handley.
| Record type | Agency or source | Scope | Action | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court cases | County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records | County or local | Open source | |
| Police and incident records | Sheriff incident-record and FOIA/public-records requests | County or local | Open source | |
| Court cases | Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions | County or local | Open source | |
| Court cases | County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory | County or local | Open source | |
| Court cases | Kanawha County official source (courtswv.gov) | County or local | Open source |
How this guide is maintained: This matrix only republishes government and agency destinations supported by the researched guide or its reviewed county source registry. Page updated . Agency sites and coverage can change, so confirm current rules with the source. Read our county source-review and correction policy.
If you are checking a Kanawha County record, start by identifying which agency created it. Court dockets, municipal cases, jail information, police reports, and state records are separate sources. This page brings those paths together for Kanawha County. Kanawha County is centered on Charleston and has 172,381 residents (2025 estimate). Offices and online systems change, so confirm details with the agency before relying on a record.
Quick facts
- County seat or principal locality
- Charleston
- County-equivalent identity
- 54-039
- Population
- 172,381 residents (2025 estimate)
- Local detail
- Kanawha County is the only county in West Virginia's Eighth Judicial Circuit, and it is the only county in the Eleventh Family Court Circuit; the county seat is Charleston.
- Local detail
- The Kanawha County Clerk records deeds, liens, births, marriages, deaths, wills, and judgments, and also manages voter registration and election administration.
- Local detail
- The Kanawha County Circuit Clerk is the official recordkeeper and fee officer for the circuit court, family court, and mental hygiene office, including civil, criminal, divorce, custody, guardianship, juvenile, and appeal records.
- Local detail
- The County Commission lists its mailing address as 407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, with office hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Local detail
- The county law-enforcement directory separately lists the Kanawha County Sheriff and municipal agencies including Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, and Handley.
What is specific about this local guide
- Local detail: Kanawha County is the only county in West Virginia's Eighth Judicial Circuit, and it is the only county in the Eleventh Family Court Circuit; the county seat is Charleston.
- Local detail: The Kanawha County Clerk records deeds, liens, births, marriages, deaths, wills, and judgments, and also manages voter registration and election administration.
- Local detail: The Kanawha County Circuit Clerk is the official recordkeeper and fee officer for the circuit court, family court, and mental hygiene office, including civil, criminal, divorce, custody, guardianship, juvenile, and appeal records.
How do I search Kanawha County circuit, family, magistrate, or mental-hygiene court records?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. How do I search Kanawha County circuit, family, magistrate, or mental-hygiene court records depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
How can I obtain a certified Kanawha County court record, judgment, divorce record, or custody filing?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. How can I obtain a certified Kanawha County court record, judgment, divorce record, or custody filing depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
How do I request a Kanawha County Sheriff's police report, crash report, body-camera video, or audio statement?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. How do I request a Kanawha County Sheriff's police report, crash report, body-camera video, or audio statement depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
How do I submit a Kanawha County Sheriff's FOIA or public-records request?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. How do I submit a Kanawha County Sheriff's FOIA or public-records request depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
How can I find out whether someone is in custody or under Kanawha County home confinement or day reporting?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. How can I find out whether someone is in custody or under Kanawha County home confinement or day reporting depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
Which clerk handles Kanawha County deeds, liens, wills, births, marriages, deaths, and voter records?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. Which clerk handles Kanawha County deeds, liens, wills, births, marriages, deaths, and voter records depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
Which police agency handles an incident in Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, or Handley?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. Which police agency handles an incident in Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, or Handley depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
What court circuit and courthouse serve a Kanawha County criminal, civil, family, juvenile, or magistrate matter?
For Kanawha County, start with County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records and Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions, then confirm the filing court or creating agency. What court circuit and courthouse serve a Kanawha County criminal, civil, family, juvenile, or magistrate matter depends on the record type and jurisdiction. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
Jail, booking, and custody records
The current county jail or detention path still requires local confirmation. The reviewed official sources did not provide a unified Kanawha County inmate-search or jail-roster page; custody status may require contacting the Sheriff or the applicable regional detention authority.
Finding Kanawha County criminal court records
Start with Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions for the official Kanawha County court path. County: Kanawha County government is administered through the County Commission and county constitutional offices based in Charleston. The official law-enforcement directory distinguishes the county Sheriff from separately listed municipal police agencies. Court: Kanawha County is the sole county in the Eighth Judicial Circuit and the Eleventh Family Court Circuit. Circuit, family, magistrate, and mental-hygiene court contacts are listed by the West Virginia Judiciary and the County Circuit Clerk.
Local courts, citations, and municipal records
Use County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory for a local or municipal court path. Custody: The county directory lists the Kanawha County Sheriff's law-enforcement office, day-reporting office, and home-confinement office. The reviewed official sources did not identify a county-operated jail roster or a single county detention-facility page. Municipal: Municipal police agencies maintain separate local law-enforcement jurisdictions within the county. The official county directory identifies agencies for Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, and Handley, among others.
Local police and incident-report sources
For police or incident records, use Sheriff incident-record and FOIA/public-records requests. Court and public-record availability depends on record type, statutory restrictions, sealing, and confidential-case rules; the Circuit Clerk should confirm certified-copy and access requirements.
City pages and jurisdiction boundaries
Charleston is the principal locality identified for this guide; incorporated municipalities may use separate courts and police agencies.
Statewide West Virginia criminal-record sources
Statewide West Virginia sources are separate from Kanawha County local records. Do not treat a statewide search as a complete county docket, jail roster, or police-record database.
Related West Virginia county guides
No adjacent county guide is live yet.
Nearby county links will be added after the neighboring pages pass the same source and content review.
Official Kanawha County and West Virginia record sources
For an official starting point, use County Clerk records, elections, vital statistics, and county commission records. Confirm current access rules, fees, contacts, and jurisdiction with the responsible agency.
Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results are for personal knowledge only and may not be used for employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. An arrest or booking record is not proof of guilt. This page is general information, not legal advice; for advice about a specific situation, consult an attorney.
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