Kanawha County Criminal Records

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Use the official court, custody, police-record, and statewide paths for Kanawha County, West Virginia; jurisdiction limits are explained.

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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 Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions.

Court casesCircuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions
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.

Kanawha County official record-source actions
Record type	Agency or source	Scope	Action	Last checked
Court cases	Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions	County or local	Open source	August 24, 2026
Police and incident records	Sheriff incident-record and FOIA/public-records requests	County or local	Open source	August 18, 2026
Official records	County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory	County or local	Open source	August 20, 2026
Court cases	Kanawha County official source (kanawha.us)	County or local	Open source	August 19, 2026
Court cases	Kanawha County official source (courtswv.gov)	County or local	Open source	August 24, 2026

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 August 24, 2026. 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.

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?

The reviewed Kanawha County source provides a direct court access path for this search. Open Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions for the court's current case-search and document-access instructions.

How can I obtain a certified Kanawha County court record, judgment, divorce record, or custody filing?

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. Open Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions for the court's current case-search and document-access instructions.

How do I request a Kanawha County Sheriff's police report, crash report, body-camera video, or audio statement?

No reviewed official source for Kanawha County establishes record-type-specific police request instructions. Use Sheriff incident-record and FOIA/public-records requests to request the report from the agency that created or maintains it.

How do I submit a Kanawha County Sheriff's FOIA or public-records request?

The reviewed Kanawha County law-enforcement source provides a direct records-request path. Use Sheriff incident-record and FOIA/public-records requests to request the report from the agency that created or maintains it.

How can I find out whether someone is in custody or under Kanawha County home confinement or day reporting?

The approved official source set for Kanawha County does not document a dedicated live inmate locator. Contact the county detention agency directly because local custody can change throughout the day.

Which clerk handles Kanawha County deeds, liens, wills, births, marriages, deaths, and voter records?

The approved official source set for Kanawha County does not document a dedicated land-record or recorder portal. County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory is the closest reviewed official contact, but it is not a verified land-record portal; confirm the recorder or land-record custodian before searching.

Which police agency handles an incident in Charleston, Dunbar, South Charleston, St. Albans, Belle, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, or Handley?

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. Use County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory to confirm the responsible law-enforcement agency before requesting a record.

What court circuit and courthouse serve a Kanawha County criminal, civil, family, juvenile, or magistrate matter?

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. Check Circuit Clerk court records, fees, dockets, jury administration, and case divisions to confirm the filing court, venue, and case type before relying on a search.

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 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.

Official Kanawha County and West Virginia record sources

For an official starting point, use County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory. 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.

Prefer an official source? For an official starting point, use County and municipal law-enforcement agency directory. Confirm current access rules, fees, contacts, and jurisdiction with the responsible agency.

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