How to Get a Death Certificate in West Virginia

West Virginia death records are confidential for 50 years after the death. The state application lists these people as eligible:

• The informant listed on the death certificate
• The spouse
• Parents or grandparents
• Adult children or grandchildren
• Adult siblings
• Legal representatives, who must also send proof of legal representation

State law also allows a copy when someone shows it is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right. Once a death is at least 50 years old, the record is open to the public.

The application says to send proof of relationship if you are ordering a certificate other than your own. The state does not list which documents it accepts. An executor or administrator applies as a legal representative; call Vital Registration at (304) 558-2931 to confirm what papers to include. County clerks may use their own eligibility rules, so check with the clerk if you order there.

West Virginia has two places that issue certified death certificates.

County clerks. The state sends copies of death records to county clerks to be placed on record. A county clerk can issue copies only for deaths recorded in that county, and each county sets its own fees, hours and ordering options. Not every county's service has been confirmed, so call the clerk before you go. Find contact details in the West Virginia County Clerk Directory. If you do not know the county, or the clerk cannot find the record, order from the state.

State Vital Registration Office. It holds death records for deaths in West Virginia from 1917 to the present. Order online, by mail, or in person.

• In person (fastest): 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701. The walk-up counter is on the right side of the first-floor lobby. Open Monday to Friday, 8:30AM to 5:00PM, closed state holidays. Copies are made the same day. Allow at least a 15-minute wait, though most requests are done sooner. 11:30AM to 1:00PM is the busiest time.
• By mail: send the application form, a copy of your ID, and payment to Vital Registration Office, 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701. The state does not publish mail processing times.
• Online: through VitalChek, the vendor linked from the state's Certificate Requests page. VitalChek charges its own fees on top of the $12 state fee. Check the timing shown at checkout.

Questions: call (304) 558-2931 or email dhhrvitalreg@wv.gov.

• A completed Application for Copy of West Virginia Death Certificate
• A valid ID. By mail, send a color copy, never the original
• Proof of relationship or proof of legal representation, if you are ordering someone else's certificate
• Payment of $12 per copy

ID. The application form asks for one primary document, such as a driver's license or U.S. passport (unexpired or expired not more than five years), a DMV photo ID card (expired not more than one year), an unexpired U.S. military ID, or a current school or employment photo ID. Or send two secondary documents, such as a Social Security card, utility bill, vehicle registration, auto insurance card, bank statement, pay stub or W-2, DD-214, or health insurance card. The state's web page gives a slightly different, shorter list. If you are unsure whether your ID will be accepted, contact Vital Registration. The state says exceptions can be made case by case.

Payment.

• By mail: check or money order only, payable to Vital Registration. Cards are not accepted by mail. Do not send cash.
• In person: cash, check, money order, or debit/credit card (cards add a 4% surcharge).

The $12 fee includes a non-refundable search fee, so it is kept even if no record is found. If the first search does not find the record, additional searches cost $12 for each three-year period.

The state issues certified copies. Under West Virginia law, a certified copy is treated for all purposes the same as the original record. Banks, insurers, courts and agencies handling the estate usually ask for a certified copy.

The state's pages do not describe an informational copy or a version without the cause of death. Contact Vital Registration at (304) 558-2931 to confirm what versions are available.

By law, the death certificate must be filed within five days after death and before burial or cremation. Since March 1, 2022, deaths are registered electronically through the state's WV DAVE system.

The funeral director starts and files the death record. For deaths outside a medical facility, and medical examiner cases, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner starts the record. The state fills requests from funeral homes for certified copies of new death certificates, so ask your funeral director about ordering copies.

The state does not publish how many days after a death you can order a copy yourself. If you need more copies later, order them from the state or the county clerk.

Many banks, insurers and agencies want their own certified copy, and some keep it. West Virginia charges the same $12 for every state copy, so there is no discount for extras, but ordering several at once saves trips. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your number.

To correct a mistake, such as a misspelled name, use the state's Affidavit to Correct West Virginia Death Certificate. The informant, spouse, funeral director or physician signs it in front of a notary. Mail it to:

ATTN: Corrections Unit, Vital Registration Office, PO Box 11012, Charleston, WV 25339-1012

• Corrections must be supported by documentary evidence. The state's page asks amendment packages to include at least two original documents supporting the correct information. Ask the Corrections Unit what a simple correction needs.
• If you cannot get supporting documents, the change can only be made by court order.
• Changes are free within the first year after the death and $10 after that, plus $12 for each new certified copy.
• Deaths more than 50 years old cannot be amended.
• Since July 1, 2023, the state no longer replaces copies you already have for free after a correction, unless the error was the state's.

Details are on the state's Correct or Amend a Certificate page.

The official ways to order are:

• The state Vital Registration Office, in person or by mail
• VitalChek, the online vendor linked from the state's ordering page
• Your county clerk, for deaths recorded in that county (some clerks use their own online vendor)

Other websites that are not linked from official pages may charge extra fees on top of the official price. The state receives $12 per copy no matter what a vendor charges. Start from the state's Certificate Requests page or your county clerk's own website.