West Virginia Marriage Records

The government department in charge of vital public records in West Virginia is the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Under its Public Health Bureau is the Health Statistics Center (HSC) which also functions as the state repository of vital records of which West Virginia Marriage Records is part. The Vital Registration Office is one of the 2 divisions within the HSC, the other being the Statistics Services and Chronic Disease Epidemiology Unit. Along with Birth, Death and Divorce documents, Marriage information of West Virginia since 1921 are maintained there.

In terms of obtaining Marriage Records, West Virginia is not an “open record” state. This information is restricted only to authorized government departments and certain eligible individuals such as the bride and groom of the records and their children and grandchildren. Certified copies of Marriage Certificates from only 1964 onwards are available. Requests for them made in person or through the mail cost $12.00. This is a non-refundable search fee whether or not a result is yielded, payable in cash, check or money order. Debit/Credit card payment are accepted for phone, fax or internet requests at $30.50 + shipping and $35.50 + shipping for Non-Rush and Rush processing respectively. The Clerk of County Court in the district where the wedding was held can also provide West Virginia Marriage Records but procedures, processing time and fees vary among the various counties. West Virginia Marriage Records are also archived at the Division of Culture and History in Charleston, WV.

West Virginia Vital Registration Office contact info:
Address: Vital Registration Office
Division of Health State
350 Capitol Street, Rm. 165
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Telephone: (304) 558-2931

West Virginia Marriage License Public Records

At the HSC, the fastest way to obtain Marriage Records information is to order in person, taking only 15 minutes. Mail requests are the slowest, taking up to 19 days or longer. Phone, Internet and Fax orders are relatively more convenient but expensive. A much better and trouble-free method of gathering the information is readily available on the World Wide Web nowadays through online private data providers. It offers great value-for-money in terms of speed, quality and pricing, typically coming with free trial and money-back guarantee too. Try one here today!