West Virginia Vital Records: Difference between revisions

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''See also:''<br>
''See also:''<br>
*[[West Virginia Guided Research|West Virginia Guided Research]]
*[[United States Vital Records|United States Vital Records]]
*[[United States Vital Records|United States Vital Records]]
*[[Locating United States Vital Records|Locating United States Vital Records]]  
*[[Locating United States Vital Records|Locating United States Vital Records]]  

Revision as of 14:21, 25 April 2025

West Virginia Wiki Topics
West Virginia flag.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
West Virginia Background
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources

West Virginia Vital Records Dates[edit | edit source]

Government Registration Births Marriages Deaths
County/Town 1853 County Formation 1853
Statewide Registration 1917 1964 1917
General Compliance 1925 County Formation 1925

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

Births[edit | edit source]

Marriages[edit | edit source]

Deaths[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Get Copies[edit | edit source]

Restrictions:

  • Birth records are restricted for 100 years[4]
  • Death records are restricted for 50 years[5]
  • Marriage records are restricted for 50 years[6]


West Virginia Vital Registration Office
350 Capitol Street, Room 165
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Phone: (304) 558-2931
Email: dhhrvitalreg@wv.gov
Website

  • The Vital Registration Office retains births and deaths from 1917-present; delayed birth records; marriage indexes 1924-present; marriage records 1967-present.
  • Order forms: Birth, Marriage, Death


West Virginia Division of Culture and History
Archives and History Library
The Culture Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone: (304) 558-0230
Website

  • Search Vital Records (Interactive) for online birth, marriage, and death records from Archives and History Library
  • Holdings: County birth and death records; military and many other records for Family History[7]
  • Although there were fires in Vital Registration office, 1921 and 1927, "records (or the raw data to compile reports) were not destroyed in either fire...." and available from Archives. [8]


County Courthouses
West Virginia marriages were recorded by the existing counties as early as 1780. For later counties, marriage records began when each county was organized. If you know where the person was born, married, or died, you may contact the county clerk.

  • Links to county clerks. [9]
  • When West Virginia was created from the State of Virginia (June 20, 1863), no counties were divided between the two states, no counties changed names, and each county kept the originals of its own records, even if copies were sent to Richmond.[10]

Coverage and Compliance[edit | edit source]

Births

  • General compliance for registering births was highest when midwives or doctors were used.
  • Birth certificates are now completed by hospitals, midwives, birthing centers, parents, etc., and collected by county clerks, who transfer them to the West Virginia Health Statistics Center.[11]
  • Compliance was high almost immediately, because county officials continued the practice as when they were part of Virginia.

Marriages:

  • County marriage records are generally the earliest and most complete vital records, due to the high interest among the community and civil/church authorities.
  • County clerks created marriage licenses, and the persons performing the marriages (usually ministers or justices of the peace) sent the "returns" to the clerks.
  • Couples may have married in the county or city where bride lived or they may have eloped

Deaths:

  • Death certificates are completed by funeral home directors, medical examiners, physicians, hospitals, relatives, etc., (and collected by county clerks), who transfer them to West Virginia Health Statistics Center.[12]
  • Compliance was high from the formation of the state, since officials were accustomed to reporting info while still a part of Virginia.

Information in the Records[edit | edit source]

Birth Records[edit | edit source]

West Virginia Birth Records May Include*
Name of Child x
Birth Date/Place x
Sex/Race x
Parents' Names x
Parents' Birthplace x
# of Children Born/Living x
Residence/Occupation x
Midwife/Doctor x
* Early records may have less information

Information in birth records can vary, depending upon the person making the report (midwife, doctor, parent, etc.). County clerks collected and maintained the records.


Delayed Birth Records
Delayed birth records were created in the 1940s for adults without birth certificates in order to be eligible for Social Security benefits or for passports.


See also:

Marriage Records[edit | edit source]

West Virginia Marriage Records May Include:*
Names of Bride/Groom** x
Date/Place of Marriage x
Presiding Official x
# of Times Married x
Dates/Places of Birth x
Residences/Race x
Parents' Names x
* Early records may have less information
** May be previous married name of bride

Information in marriage records varies, depending on the purpose of each document, such as Bonds, licenses, registers, returns, certificates. See United States Marriage Records for more information about information found in these records.

Process

  • Before 1853 — (while part of Virginia) A couple could receive approval to marry by posting a bond. The county clerk then gave the couple a license to be given to the civil authority or the minister who would perform the ceremony. Churches may have announced banns instead. Marriage banns were announcements or publications of the intended marriage presented at three church meetings. This avoided the need to post a bond or obtain a license. The banns were recorded in the church records and the minister then performed the ceremony. A law passed in Virginia in 1780 required ministers to report all marriages to the county clerk.
  • 1853 to present The clerk of the court in the county or independent city issued marriage licenses. Couples or their parents applying for a license provided the following information for the bride and groom: (Beginning in 1858, a standard form was used).
  • Full names
  • Ages
  • Places of birth and residence
  • Proposed marriage date and place
  • Whether single or widowed
  • Parents' names
  • Groom's occupation
  • Minister's name


Gretna Greens. When eloping, couples would get married in alternate places instead of the county where they lived.
For those from West Virginia, these locations include:[13]


See also:

Death Records[edit | edit source]

West Virginia Death Records May Include:*
Name of Decedent x
Date/Place of Death x
Sex/Race x
Occupation x
Age/Date of Birth x
State/Country of Birth x
Length of Residence x
Name of Spouse x
Parents' Names x
Birth Places of Parents x
Physician x
Cause of Death x
Informant x
Cemetery x
* Early records may have less information

Death information can vary, depending on who reported to the county clerks. (Funeral home directors, medical examiners, physicians, hospitals, and relatives)

See also:


Cause of Death

  • Causes of Death - use this resource when trying to interpret a disease or medical condition listed on a death record or certificate.

Additional Information[edit | edit source]

See also:

Strategies[edit | edit source]

Tips for Using Vital Records

  • Certificate or record is not found:
  1. Couples often married in the county where bride lived or they may have eloped
  2. Search the towns and cities where the event took place. Also search surrounding counties to locate the document.
  3. The record may not exist because of record loss at the the county courthouse. See Burned, Lost, or Missing Records.
  4. The event may not have been recorded by the government at that time. Substitute Records.
  • Examine the record to determine accuracy:
  1. Person providing information may not remember events accurately
  2. Informant may not have been present at the time of the event
  3. Informant may give false information to hide age, race, religion, or illegitimacy
  4. Grieving relatives may not have remembered correctly
  • Review the informant on the document:
  1. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record
  2. See if records about the informant may have clues about the family
  3. Verify vital information with other sources


See also:


Burned, Lost, or Missing Records[edit | edit source]

  • Some 1920 state copies of death #4501 through #5000, are not available. The relevant county courthouses should be able to provide county death records for them.[14]

The following counties had record loss. Click on the county for more information.


See also:


Substitute Records[edit | edit source]

For other records that may give birth, marriage, or death information, see:

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Vital Record Availability at West Virginia Division of Culture and History, county by county
  2. ↑ Vital Record Availability at West Virginia Division of Culture and History, county by county
  3. ↑ Vital Record Availability at West Virginia Division of Culture and History, county by county
  4. ↑ Birth Certificate Order Form from WV Department of Health states "Birth records are confidential and not open to the general public, except for those that are at least 100 years old." accessed Jan 2025
  5. ↑ Death Certificate Order form from WV Department of Health states "Deathth records are confidential and not open to the general public, except for those that are at least 500 years old." accessed Jan 2025
  6. ↑ "Marriage records are confidential and not open to the general public, except for those that are at least 50 years old." accessed Jan 2025
  7. ↑ per VR office
  8. ↑ West Virginia Archives History and News Vol VIII, no. 3, May 2006. "the Library’s collections of annual reports for the various state agencies are complete for the most part, indicating either that records (or the raw data to compile reports) were not destroyed in either fire...."
  9. ↑ WVACO link from West Virginia Association of Counties
  10. ↑ West Virginia Archives and History News, VOL. VIII, No. 7 SEPTEMBER 2007
  11. ↑ Vital Statistics Overview at West Virginia Health Statistics Center
  12. ↑ Vital Statistics Overview West Virginia Health Statistics Center
  13. ↑ Arlene H. Eakle,"Have you searched and searched for a marriage without finding it?" in Genealogy Blog at http://www.arleneeakle.com/wordpress/2007/02/19/have-you-searched-and-searched-for-the-marriage-without-finding-it/ (accessed 11 January 2025).
  14. ↑ From West Virginia Vital Research Records Project, a .pdf describing the project to digitize vital records; paragraph 5 (on page 2, starting with "Regarding West Virginia state death certificates").

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