How to Look Up Eviction Records in West Virginia 2026

Where to Search West Virginia Eviction Records

In West Virginia, an eviction case lives in the county Magistrate Court where the rental property sits, filed as a wrongful-occupation or summary-eviction action and kept in that court's own docket. There is no statewide online portal that pulls every county together, so the record is only as reachable as the individual courthouse: you search it one county at a time through the local county Magistrate Court clerk, in person, by phone, or by written request. That fragmentation is the single most important thing to understand here. A landlord or tenant who only checks one county can easily miss a filing in another.

It also shapes the privacy picture. West Virginia has no statutory right to expunge or seal an eviction record, which means a case that reaches a magistrate's docket generally stays there and stays public. Below, the Eviction Risk Map research team walks through how to actually pull a record, how to read what you find, and what the absence of a sealing law means for screening.

How to find a West Virginia eviction record

Because access is county-by-county, start by identifying every county where the person rented. Each county has a Magistrate Court clerk who maintains the civil docket that includes eviction (wrongful-occupation) filings. Contact that clerk's office directly and ask them to search by party name; some offices let you walk in and review the index at a public terminal, others take a phoned or written request.

Ask for the full case file, not just the index entry, so you can see the complaint, any answer, and the final order. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page, which matters if you need an official copy for screening or a court of your own. If your subject may have rented in several counties, you must repeat this search in each one; there is no single search that covers the whole state.

Reading the result: a filing is not a judgment

The most common mistake is treating any hit as a loss. A filing is not a judgment. When a landlord files a wrongful-occupation action, the case opens immediately, but it may be dismissed, settled, or decided for the tenant. The fact that a case exists tells you almost nothing on its own.

Look at the disposition, the final line of the case. A judgment for the plaintiff (landlord) and a possession order mean the tenant lost; a dismissal, a settlement, or a defendant verdict mean they did not. Note the date, too, because an old, resolved matter reads very differently from a recent one. In a county-only system, the file itself is your only authority, so read the order, not the headline. If the magistrate's notes are unclear, ask the clerk to confirm how the case closed before you rely on it.

Expungement and what the no-sealing rule means for screening

West Virginia provides no statutory eviction-record expungement or sealing. Unlike states with a dedicated sealing process, there is no standard motion a tenant files to make a magistrate eviction disappear; the record persists in the county docket and in the tenant-screening reports built from court data.

For landlords, that permanence raises the federal stakes. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs the screening reports you buy: you must use accurate, current information, follow adverse-action notice rules, and not rely on a record the report has flagged as disputed or outdated. Do not act on a record you cannot verify as a final judgment against this applicant. Pull the underlying Magistrate Court file when a report is thin, match identity carefully, and document your decision. The absence of a state sealing law does not relax your FCRA duties.

The tenant's side: limited options without a sealing statute

If you are a tenant, the hard truth is that West Virginia gives you no expungement statute to erase an eviction filing. Your leverage is mostly at the front end and the accuracy end. Before a case is decided, a settlement, a dismissal, or a defense win keeps a damaging judgment off the record, so engaging with the case matters.

After the fact, focus on accuracy. You have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to dispute a tenant-screening report that reports your case wrongly, for example showing a dismissed case as a judgment or mismatching you to someone else's record. Pull your own file from the county Magistrate Court clerk (certified copies are $0.50 per page) so you have the official disposition in hand when you correct a screening company. Given West Virginia's average rent of $796, a single misreported case can still cost you a competitive unit, so it is worth fixing.

Step-by-Step: How to Search West Virginia Eviction Records

1. Identify the county court. Find the Magistrate Court website for the county where the property is located.
2. Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
3. Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
4. Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
5. Check the filing date. Consider how old the record is, most tenant-screening best practices recommend discounting records older than 5-7 years.
6. Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the Magistrate Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $0.50/page.

This guide was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public information from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals administrative office, which oversees the state's Magistrate Courts, and reflects that West Virginia has no eviction-record expungement statute as of this review. Last reviewed June 2026. It is general information, not legal advice; for guidance on a specific case, consult a licensed West Virginia attorney or your local Magistrate Court clerk.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I look up an eviction record in West Virginia?

Search county-by-county. Identify each county where the person rented, then contact that county's Magistrate Court clerk and ask them to search the civil docket by party name. There is no statewide portal, so you must repeat the search in every county that applies. Request the full case file and confirm the final disposition rather than relying on the index entry alone.

Are West Virginia eviction records public?

Yes. Eviction cases are civil actions in Magistrate Court and are generally public records, accessible through the county Magistrate Court clerk. Access is local rather than statewide, so you reach them one county at a time instead of through a single online system.

Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in West Virginia?

No. West Virginia has no statutory eviction-record expungement or sealing process, so a filed case generally stays on the county docket and in screening reports. A tenant's best options are to resolve the case favorably before judgment and to dispute any inaccurate reporting under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

How much does a certified copy of an eviction record cost in West Virginia?

Certified copies from the Magistrate Court clerk cost $0.50 per page. Multi-page case files therefore cost more, so ask the clerk for the page count before requesting a certified copy of the full record.

Related West Virginia Landlord Guides

Court portal information sourced from the West Virginia court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published West Virginia statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.