State Resources — West Virginia

Updated: August 2002 • Data on CD-ROM • County Offices • Vital Records • State Archives and Libraries • Local Genealogical Societies • Helpful Web Sites • GenForum Message Boards • Kentucky • Maryland • Ohio • Pennsylvania • Virginia

 Vital Records

State office has birth and death records since January 1917. For earlier records, write to Clerk of County Court in county where event occurred. It also has marriage records since 1921, with certified copies available from 1964. For divorce records, it has an index since 1968. Some items may be verified, but certified copies are not available from State office (see notes below).

Birth, Marriage, Divorce, and Death Records

	Call (304) 558-2931 for information on record lookup fees.
	Write to: Vital Registration Office Division of Health State 350 Capitol St, Rm 165 Charleston, WV 25301-3701
	Notes: • For local marriage records, contact the County Clerk in county where the license was issued. Cost will vary. • For local divorce records, contact the Clerk of Circuit Court, Chancery Side, in county where the divorce was granted. Cost will vary.

 State Archives and Libraries

They currently have federal census records from 1810-1910, vital statistics from 1917-1955, immigration records, wills, deeds, printed family histories, a genealogy exchange file, a photo collection, map collection, manuscript collection, DAR lineage books, cemetery readings, land records, will books, tax records, and newspapers. Records are organized by county.

Write to: Division of Archives and History West Virginia Library Commission Department of Culture and History Science and Culture Center, Capitol Complex 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E. Charleston, WV 25305-0300 Telephone: (304) 558-0220 Web site: http://www.wvculture.org/history/ Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00, Saturday 1:00-5:00, closed Sunday and all state holidays.

 Local Genealogical Societies

	Write to: West Virginia Area Genealogy Society, Inc. P.O. Box 6450 Wheeling, WV 26003-6450 Open during study session or meetings, second Thursday at Herbert Hoover High School, Clendenin, WV
	Publication: LOG (Ledger of Genealogy)