How to Search Cases by Name
Circuit cases live in the West Virginia Judiciary Court Record Access hub. That hub leads to WVPASS. Registration is free, and a sign-in is required. The official material describes the search concepts. These include party name, case number, county, case type, status, and filing dates. The live system decides which fields show up and whether any field is mandatory. Guessing at hidden settings will not help.
Magistrate dockets run through Magistrate Case Record Search, known as MCRSearch. No account is needed, and it costs nothing. A CAPTCHA and a disclaimer come first. You can search by first or last name, or by case number. The index caps results at 30 and sends users to the magistrate clerk for copies.
- Use the notice, citation, or filing to identify the court.
- Open WVPASS for circuit records or MCRSearch for magistrate cases.
- Enter the name as printed and select Kanawha County when offered.
- Compare the number, date, case type, and court.
- Ask the right clerk to verify the match or supply a copy.
| Field | System | Required | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party name | WVPASS | Interface dependent | Reported circuit search anchor |
| First or last name | MCRSearch | One anchor | Use known spelling |
| County | Both | When shown | Select Kanawha |
| Filing dates | WVPASS | Optional | Narrow similar names |
Kanawha County Portal Choice
The portal you pick is itself part of the search. WVPASS holds public circuit documents. MCRSearch holds the magistrate index. A citation from Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, or Nitro may sit only with that city's own court. The official city sources list no countywide municipal index. The MCRSearch entry shows the gate that appears before any query runs.
A saved link will not slip past that gate. Enter through the public page and accept its current terms.
How to Search by Case Number
A case number is often the cleanest anchor, because it points to one court file. Type it exactly as printed. A magistrate number, a later circuit number, and a municipal citation are three different things. A felony can start in magistrate court. It can pick up a circuit action number after indictment.
Kanawha County Business Court material shows why cross-references matter. One official sample lists BCD number 25-C-143-KAN alongside circuit civil action number CC-20-2025-C-143. Business Court is a specialized circuit division, not a separate county court. Two valid identifiers can describe linked parts of the same matter. This sample is not a universal format, though.
Kanawha County MCRSearch Limits
MCRSearch went live in January 2024 as a statewide magistrate index. Its official description covers name and case-number searches. It also lists fields like filing date, charge, disposition, and document list. The service is not a document store, though. Copies come from the clerk. The Judiciary explains that copy route in its official instructions.
A list capped at 30 does not mean only 30 records exist. Narrow the name or use the exact case number. You can also call Magistrate Clerk Allison E. Brown at 304-357-0422.
Note: A result cap calls for a narrower query. It does not call for assumptions about which record belongs to a case.
What a Case Search Shows
Think of a Kanawha County case lookup as an index to events and files, where every field needs context. A filing date is not a hearing date. A status is not a certified judgment. Read any disposition alongside the order that records it.
| Case number | The court identifier and public cross-reference. |
|---|---|
| Case type | A portal category such as civil, felony, misdemeanor, or small claims. |
| Filing date | The date a case or document entered the record. |
| Setting | A hearing, motion, trial, review, or continuance. |
| Status | The exact current portal label. |
| Document list | The public index of pleadings and orders. |
Downloads from WVPASS are not certified. When a Kanawha County record needs clerk authentication, request a certified copy from the Circuit Clerk.
WVPASS Sessions in Kanawha County
The WVPASS FAQ sets firm session rules. One account allows one active session. Inactivity expires after 60 minutes, and a verification code lasts five minutes. The FAQ also describes search history, 30-day access to purchase-history documents, and no bulk multi-document download. On a long docket, those limits matter.
CourtPLUS E-File is not a public lookup substitute. It serves registered filing participants.
That distinction keeps a public access issue from turning into a filing-system issue. Technical support handles access, while the clerk handles records.
County vs Statewide Case Search
Kanawha County has no local portal that merges all its courts. State products split access by court level, and municipal offices keep city records. For copies and known state cases, the county clerks remain the place to go.
| Route | Coverage | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| WVPASS | Public circuit documents | Known circuit matter |
| MCRSearch | Magistrate index | Magistrate case or disposition |
| Municipal court | One city's files | City citation |
| Clerk | Maintained record | Copies and certification |
Federal cases run through PACER and CM/ECF, not these state systems. Probate forms start with Kanawha County Fiduciary and Probate, while a linked guardianship file may sit with the Circuit Clerk.
Blank Kanawha County Results
A blank result can mean several things. The wrong court, a changed number, a spelling mismatch, or restricted access are all possible. WVPASS excludes sealed filings and juvenile cases. No result does not prove dismissal, sealing, or expungement.
Check the source paper first. Circuit or family questions go to Circuit Clerk Cathy S. Gatson at 304-357-0440. Magistrate copies go to 304-357-0422. Both offices sit at 111 Court Street, Charleston. Municipal matters belong to the city court named on the citation.
Cases also move between levels. A magistrate preliminary felony record and a later circuit case may carry different numbers, and an appeal adds another procedural layer. Search each documented number in the system for its court, then ask the clerk to explain public cross-references. With a common name, compare only the public case facts needed to identify your own matter, and never preserve birth dates or other sensitive values from a result. If a portal throws a technical error, refresh, sign out, and return through the official access page before concluding the record is absent.
Kanawha County Clerk Fallback
Don't stop at the screen. The Circuit Clerk still answers questions and takes record requests at the counter, over the phone, and through the mail. Bring the full case number if you have it. With only a name to go on, add the court level, the likely filing window, and the case type so staff can tell a circuit search apart from a magistrate or municipal one. Trial Court Rule 10.04 lets anyone inspect and copy public court writings during business hours, and you may ask for an electronic format. You pay the actual reproduction cost. Say up front if you need the complete filing history, a document that is missing, or a certified copy. The Kanawha County court record search lays out the copy routes.
WVPASS sends no alerts when a case changes. If you are tracking a Kanawha County hearing or waiting on a fresh filing, check the docket again and confirm the date with the clerk. Your search history can bring back an old query, but an old result is not a current one. Save the source and note the check date alongside your case notes.
Restricted Cases and Access Rules
Court records here are open by default. West Virginia Trial Court Rule 10.04 treats court writings as public. A law or a Rule 10.03 order can still limit access. Rule 15A.26 covers the electronic side. It requires the circuit clerk to supply public electronic docket material that is not sealed or confidential. The formal name for that material is the "electronic register of actions."
Sealing still counts. Juvenile matters and certain domestic-violence records involving a minor get special protection. Filers must also redact sensitive numbers. Full Social Security, taxpayer, account, card, and similar numbers come out before anything hits the Kanawha County docket.
Access point: Ask whether public metadata or a redacted copy can be released, and request the rule, law, or order that controls a denial.
A public Kanawha County lookup is fine for tracking a case. It never replaces the certified record held by the clerk who filed it.