Wood County Court Records Search

Wood County is located along the Ohio River in northwestern West Virginia, with its county seat in Parkersburg. The county’s trial courts — encompassing the Circuit Court, Family Court, and Magistrate Court — handle criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits, domestic relations matters, probate administration, and a wide range of other proceedings. Court records generated by these tribunals include judgments, motions, pleas, rulings, docket entries, and supporting exhibits. The Circuit Clerk’s Office and the County Clerk’s Office serve as the primary custodians, depending on the record type. Several municipal courts also operate within the county for local ordinance violations and traffic matters.

Individuals looking for West Virginia court records can begin their search through multiple channels — official clerk offices, courthouse public-access terminals, statewide online portals, and county-level databases. The West Virginia Judiciary maintains search tools for both circuit and magistrate records, and WestVirginiaCourts.us may assist users in identifying publicly available case information across the state, including Wood County filings. The remainder of this guide details specific offices, procedures, fees, and online tools for each record category.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Wood County?

Wood County court cases can be located through online portals, in-person visits, or written requests directed to the appropriate clerk’s office.

Online Search Options

The West Virginia Judiciary provides two statewide search tools:

WVPASS (West Virginia Public Access Search System) — covers circuit court records from all 55 counties. Public cases filed from July 1, 1999, onward are searchable by party name, case number, or other filters. Browsing case details is free; viewing or downloading documents costs $0.25 per page. Downloaded documents are not certified copies.
Magistrate Court Record Search — allows searching magistrate court civil and criminal case information statewide by name or case number, returning up to 30 results per query.

At the county level, the Wood County Online Document Imaging system provides index and image searches for recorded documents such as deeds, liens, and marriage records. The Card File Lookup tool allows property ownership searches by name, map/parcel, book/page, or address.

In-Person Access

All court offices are in downtown Parkersburg. The primary locations are:

Court / Office	Address	Phone
Circuit Court & Circuit Clerk	2 Government Square, Room 131, Parkersburg, WV 26101	(304) 424-1700
Family Court (Judge Tallman)	315 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101	(304) 420-4876
Family Court (Judge Steed)	313 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101	(304) 420-4880
Magistrate Court	401 Second Street, Suite 12, Parkersburg, WV 26101	(304) 422-3444
County Clerk	1 Court Square, Room 201, Parkersburg, WV 26101	(304) 424-1850

Office hours for both the Circuit Clerk and County Clerk are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

Requesting Copies

Copies of circuit court documents cost $1.00 per page. The Circuit Clerk’s Office accepts credit cards, cash, money orders, and business checks. For mail requests, send a written letter with the case number, party names, and the specific documents needed to:

Wood County Judicial Office
2 Government Square, Room 133
Parkersburg, WV 26102

Email inquiries can be directed to circuitclerk@woodcountywv.com. For certified copies, contact the Circuit Clerk directly, as documents downloaded through WVPASS are not certified.

Are Court Records Public in Wood County?

Court records in Wood County are presumed public under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (WV Code §29B-1-3). Any person may inspect or copy public records held by a government body by submitting a request to the custodian of those records.

However, certain categories of information are exempt from disclosure under WV Code §29B-1-4. Records that are typically restricted from public access in Wood County courts include:

Personal information whose release would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy
Records explicitly restricted by state or federal statute
Personal information of law-enforcement officers maintained as part of the employer-employee relationship
Records sealed or expunged by court order
Adoption case files
Mental hygiene proceedings
Juvenile case records
Guardianship files (certain portions)
Domestic relations cases (restricted in some respects)

When requesting records that may contain exempt material, the clerk’s office will redact protected information before providing copies. If a request is denied, the custodian must state the statutory basis for the denial. Requesters who believe records have been improperly withheld can pursue relief through the circuit court.

Wood County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in Wood County are processed through the Circuit Court (felonies and misdemeanor appeals) and the Magistrate Court (misdemeanors and preliminary hearings). Several municipal courts also handle local ordinance violations.

Circuit Court Criminal Filings

The Wood County Circuit Court sits in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Three judges preside over criminal matters:

Hon. John D. Beane — Room 421, (304) 424-1756
Hon. Robert A. Waters — Room 321, (304) 424-1746
Hon. Jason Wharton — Room 221, (304) 424-1721

All are located in the Wood County Judicial Building at 2 Government Square, Parkersburg, WV 26101. Grand jury sessions convene on the second Monday in January, May, and September.

Filing Fees (Criminal)

Case Type	Fee
Felony	$105.00
Misdemeanor	$85.00
Processing Criminal Bonds	$25.00
Bail Piece	$10.00

Searching Criminal Records

Criminal case dockets can be searched through WVPASS for circuit court matters or the Magistrate Court Record Search for magistrate-level cases. In-person docket reviews are available at both the Circuit Clerk’s Office and the Magistrate Court during regular business hours.

Statewide Criminal Background Checks

The Criminal Investigation Bureau of the West Virginia State Police serves as the statewide repository for criminal history records. To request a background check, applicants must schedule a fingerprinting appointment through IdentoGO online or by calling (855) 766-7746. Third-party background checks require written authorization from the record subject.

Municipal Courts

Wood County also has four municipal courts handling traffic and ordinance matters:

Parkersburg Municipal Court — 1 Government Square, P.O. Box 1627, Parkersburg, WV 26102; (304) 424-8430
Vienna Municipal Court — 609 29th Street, Vienna, WV 26105; (304) 295-8563
North Hills Municipal Court — 176 North Hills Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26101; (304) 428-9555
Williamstown Municipal Court — 100 West 5th Street, Williamstown, WV 26187; (304) 375-7761

Wood County Civil Court Records

Civil lawsuits, contract disputes, personal injury claims, property actions, and appeals from magistrate court are heard in the Wood County Circuit Court. The Magistrate Court handles small claims and lower-value civil disputes.

How to Obtain Civil Case Records

Civil case information is available through WVPASS for circuit-level matters. Magistrate civil records can be searched using the Magistrate Court Record Search. In-person requests may be made at either court’s clerk office, and written requests can be mailed to the Circuit Clerk or the Magistrate Court with party names, case numbers, and relevant dates.

Circuit Court Civil Filing Fees

Action	Fee
Civil Complaint	$200.00
Petition (foreign judgment, expungement, name change, etc.)	$200.00
Medical Malpractice	$280.00
Modification	$85.00
Expedited Modification	$35.00
Copies	$1.00 per page

Service fees vary by method: personal service through the sheriff costs $25.00, certified mail is $20.00, first-class mail is $5.00, and service through the Secretary of State is $25.00 (split between clerk and SOS fees). The full circuit court fee schedule is published online by the Circuit Clerk.

Wood County is an e-filing county. Attorneys and parties may file civil pleadings electronically through the West Virginia Judiciary’s e-filing system. The Circuit Clerk accepts credit cards, cash, money orders, and business checks for in-person payments. Personal checks are not accepted at the County Clerk’s Office for vital-record transactions.

Property Records

Property records such as deeds, liens, mortgages, plats, and surveys are maintained by the County Clerk’s Record Room on the first floor of the courthouse (Room 103). Deed and lien records date back to 1799. Copies cost $1.50 for the first two pages and $1.00 for each additional page. The Record Room phone number is (304) 424-1870.

Online property searches are available through multiple tools on the Online Services and Research page:

Document Inquiry — index and image searches for recorded documents
Assessment Inquiry — appraised and assessed property values via the Assessor’s property search
Tax Maps — interactive GIS mapping with parcel boundaries, lot dimensions, and flood zones
Card File Lookup — quick ownership searches by name, parcel, book/page, or address

The Wood County Assessor’s Office is at 1 Court Square, Suite 302, Parkersburg, WV 26101; Phone: (304) 424-1875

Wood County Family Court Records

Family law matters in Wood County — including divorce, child custody and support, domestic violence protective orders, and infant guardianship — are adjudicated in the Wood County Family Court, which is part of the Third Family Court Circuit (covering Wood and Pleasants counties). The Circuit Clerk’s Office records and maintains all family court filings.

Family Court Judges

Hon. C. Darren Tallman — 315 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101; (304) 420-4876
Hon. Debra Steed — 313 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101; (304) 420-4880

Divorce Records

Divorce decrees — the detailed court orders finalizing a divorce — are obtained from the Circuit Clerk. Requests can be made in person or by mail to the Circuit Clerk’s address (2 Government Square, Room 133, Parkersburg, WV 26102). Include the names of both parties, the case number if known, and the approximate date of the divorce. The filing fee for a divorce case is $135.00.

Divorce certificates — shorter documents confirming a divorce — are available from the West Virginia Vital Registration Office. Access to divorce certificates may be restricted, and requesters typically must demonstrate eligibility and provide valid identification.

Forms and Self-Help Resources

The West Virginia Judiciary publishes standardized family court forms covering divorce, custody modification, child support, domestic violence, parenting plans, guardianship, and contempt proceedings. Key form packets include:

Petitioner’s Divorce Packet Instructions (SCA-FC-100)
Petition for Divorce (SCA-FC-101)
Modification of Child Support and Custodial Responsibility (SCA-FC-200)
Petition for Support and Allocation of Custodial Responsibility (SCA-FC-261)
Domestic Violence protective order forms (multiple)
Infant Guardianship petition and instructions (IG-Form00 and IG-Form01)

Parties unable to afford filing fees may apply for a waiver using the forms available through the West Virginia Judiciary’s fee waiver page.

Marriage Records

Marriage licenses are issued and marriage records are maintained by the Wood County Clerk’s Office. Records date back to 1801 in the courthouse books; records from 1899 onward are available through the Online Document Imaging system.

To obtain a certified copy of a marriage record, provide the names of the bride and groom, the date of marriage, and a copy of your government-issued ID. The fee is $5.00 per certified copy. Mail requests should include a money order or certified check (personal checks are not accepted) and a self-addressed stamped envelope, sent to:

Wood County Clerk
P.O. Box 1474
Parkersburg, WV 26102

Marriage license fees are $57.00 without a pre-marital counseling certificate or $37.00 with one. A 2.4% service fee (minimum $2.00) applies to credit and debit card payments through Certified Payments.

Birth and Death Records

Birth records in West Virginia are confidential and do not become public for 100 years. Only the record subject (if 18 or older), immediate family members, or authorized legal representatives may request certified copies. Death records are restricted for 50 years, accessible only to the spouse, immediate family, legal representatives, or authorized agents.

To request a birth or death certificate from Wood County, complete the Application for a Certified Copy of a Vital Record and submit it with a copy of your government-issued ID and $5.00 per copy to the County Clerk’s Office in person (Room 201, 1 Court Square) or by mail (P.O. Box 1474, Parkersburg, WV 26102). Mailed requests require a money order or certified check and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

State-level certificates are available from the Vital Registration Office at 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301. The state fee is $12.00 per copy. Walk-in service accepts cash, check, money order, or debit/credit card (4% surcharge); mail requests accept check or money order only. The state does not offer direct online ordering.

Wood County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Wood County — including estate administration, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts — are handled through the probate functions of both the Circuit Court and the County Clerk’s Office.

County Clerk Probate Division

The County Clerk records wills, appoints fiduciaries (executors and administrators), and processes estate inventories and final settlements. The probate division is located on the third floor of the Wood County Courthouse in Room 306. To schedule an appointment, call (304) 424-1898.

When a person dies, the estate should be administered in the county where the decedent lived. After a fiduciary is appointed, an Appraisement and Inventory Form must be filed within 90 days of qualification. The County Clerk provides several downloadable probate forms:

Estates that qualify as small may be resolved through the small-estate affidavit process rather than full administration. An explanation of the small-estate affidavit is available on the County Clerk’s website.

Copies and Fees

Copies of probate records obtained from the County Clerk cost $1.50 for the first two pages and $1.00 for each additional page. Probate records can also be reviewed at the Records Room on the second floor (Room 201). For questions about the copying process or fees, call the County Clerk’s Office at (304) 424-1850.

Circuit Court Probate Jurisdiction

The Circuit Court retains jurisdiction over contested probate matters, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and related litigation. The filing fee for a guardianship or conservatorship petition is $110.00. Adoption filings, which are processed through the Circuit Court and are confidential, carry a $200.00 filing fee. Contact the Circuit Clerk at (304) 424-1700 or circuitclerk@woodcountywv.com for details on filing requirements and fees for contested estate matters.

Probate case information from the circuit court can be searched through WVPASS, which includes case types filed from 1999 onward. For older records or records not yet digitized, contact the Circuit Clerk or visit the County Clerk’s probate office in person.