Free West Virginia Warrant Search (Look Up Anyone)

Run a free West Virginia warrant search in no time. Such a search allows any person to check if there are active or outstanding warrants against them or another individual; thanks to state and local agencies, this information costs nothing to access.

Courts issue various types of warrants that grant the police permission to either search for or apprehend a person. The details on these warrants usually include personal information such as the wanted person’s name and physical description.

This resource will cover the steps required to perform warrant searches at the city, county, and federal levels and explain which agencies to contact. This article also outlines what can be expected when conducting a search in West Virginia.

Are Warrants Available for WV Citizens To View?

The state of West Virginia allows its citizens to inspect or copy warrant details held by any local police agency under the Freedom of Information Act.¹ There are different kinds of warrants, like arrest, search and bench, each having specific guidelines for public access.

Therefore, as a citizen, anyone may request such public data either online or directly from the record keeper’s office. However, few things should be kept in perspective while making a request, for instance juvenile-related warrant information is barred for viewing, following Rule 48 of Rules of Juvenile Procedure.²

Additionally, search warrants can be viewed only if they don’t disrupt any police actions or have been carried out already. This means that each paper linked with these processes falls under the confidential sphere abiding by West Virginia Code § 49-5-103 without revealing them to the public.

An Overview of Conducting a West Virginia Warrant Search

Recognizing the importance of a warrant search and acquiring information about individuals and agencies at different levels is crucial, as it enables citizens to locate the data efficiently.

For this purpose, a person’s full name and the state they live in will be required. The place where their warrant was out is important, too. Extra details like when the individual was born and where exactly they live can make it faster to find them.

Many offices have these records. These places can often be looked up on the internet without any cost at all. The office citizens need to check depends on what kind of crime was committed and also where it occurred. It’s good to begin by checking larger areas first and then getting more specific.

To aid their warrant search, West Virginians could get help from many levels of government operating at state, county, town level or even higher at the federal level depending on the authority and the nature of crimes the agencies individually handle.

Finding different types of warrants might feel difficult, but generally the same methods apply for each one. This basic summary should guide anyone wanting to see if they or someone else has a warrant in West Virginia.

With the foundation now established, the process along with understanding various kinds of warrants is described further below.

Look Up Warrants in West Virginia via County Court Clerks & Sheriff’s Offices

There are various ways to conduct a warrant search in West Virginia, but options provided by the state are mainly limited to absconder searches. To unearth more comprehensive results, it is advisable to turn attention towards county searches. An absconder here refers to an individual who does not appear before the law, often with the motive of escaping it.

Kanawha County: The Sheriff’s Office of Kanawha County keeps an updated list of all warrants issued.⁴ When citizens conduct a search on their website, they must note that the results will only display those warrants that are with the county sheriff’s office.

Many individuals residing within city limits have their warrants handled by local city police units rather than the county sheriff’s office. This means some warrant records will not appear when citizens do a county-level check.

The sheriff’s office divides the county into five geographical patrol areas and maintains a list of active warrants for each. These include Elkview, Cross Lanes, Sissonville, Quincy, Charleston/Other, and St Albans.

The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office constantly updates its online warrant database to keep it fresh and accurate. So, every time new data is received or information changes, it reflects on their site after due verification against available databases and records. Individuals can also contact the sheriff’s office at the following address and inquire about the warrants:

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office
301 Virginia St. East, 
Charleston, WV, 25301

Berkeley County: For searching arrest warrants in Berkeley County, West Virginia, several methods exist that will help in the search. The Sheriff’s Office in Berkeley County offers a most wanted list to keep inquirers informed about those individuals sought by the law.⁶ To request warrants, interested individuals can get in contact with the county sheriff’s office at the following address:

Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department
510 S. Raleigh St.
Martinsburg, WV, 25401

The Berkeley County Clerk’s office is significant, too.⁷ It keeps all court records and acts as the judiciary’s official record bearer. When it comes to warrants, the office can be contacted at the following and requested to provide access to the active warrants:

Office of the County Clerk
100 West King Street
Martinsburg, WV, 25401

Phone: (304) 264-1927
Office Hours: Monday — Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Another office that can provide access to active warrant search is the Magistrate’s Court Office.⁸ The office holds power when issuing arrest warrants in Berkeley County since no legal order can pass without their approval seal. The office can be contacted at the following:

Berkeley County Magistrate Court
Berkeley County Judicial Center
380 W. South St.
Martinsburg, West Virginia, 25401

Boone County: Arrest warrants for the residents of Boone County, West Virginia, can be accessed through their county sheriff’s office.

The office provides avenues both online and offline for accessing warrant data at no cost. Individuals can navigate through the sheriff’s office website, where they can click on the option of Warrants displayed on the top bar. For those who prefer in-person interaction, they only need to visit the sheriff’s office in person at the following location:

Boone County Sheriff’s Office
206 Court Street, Ste. 200
Madison, West Virginia, 25130

Phone: 304-369-7340
Office Hours: Monday — Friday, 8 am to 4 pm

Accessing warrant records without gaining copies costs nothing in Boone County. Individuals can make the search easier if they know the first and last name of the fugitive; sometimes, the birth year is also required.

Check With Municipal Courts & Law Enforcement Agencies in West Virginia for Warrant Information

At city level, search warrants are kept by either the police or the sheriff’s department. Some even provide online search methods, for those that don’t, citizens will need to get in touch with the relevant law enforcement agency.

City of Charleston: In Charleston, individuals can request a warrant search directly from the city’s police department. They have a specific division known as the Warrants & Housing Division for this purpose. The office holds and performs these searches for anyone who asks. Individuals can contact the office using the following:

Charleston Police Department
501 Virginia St. East, 
Charleston, WV, 25301

Phone: 304-348-6402
Email: comment@charlestonwvpolice.org

City of Huntington: The Huntington Police Department provides an online case search tool that can be used to look into criminal reports and cases.¹⁰ These criminal reports and cases contain active warrants of individuals. However, to view detailed reports, individuals need to know the case number and the offense committed.

Additionally, individuals can also contact the Huntington Police Department at the following to inquire more about the warrant details:

Huntington Police Department
675 10th Street
Huntington, WV 25701

Phone: 304-696-4470

City of Parkersburg: Parkersburg warrants can be obtained from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department on weekdays from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.¹¹ Interested individuals can contact the office to inquire about the warrant details:

Wood County Sheriff’s Department
401 2nd Street Suite 11
Parkersburg, WV, 26101

Phone: (304) 424-1834

City of Wheeling: The Police Department of the City of Wheeling, West Virginia, maintains an online list of the most wanted fugitives. Individuals can view the issued warrants of these individuals on the website. The list is maintained and updated periodically.

Additionally, interested parties can also get a police report depending on what they need the report for, for this purpose they can get in contact with the Investigations Division at 304-234-3781 or the Records Clerk at 304-234-3761.

Retrieve Federal Warrant Information for WV & All Other States

The process of retrieving federal warrant information — whether in West Virginia or any other state — can be done by making a search request with any of the various agencies listed below. The following options are available to members of the public:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through their ‘Most Wanted’ list.
• The U.S. Marshals Service via their ‘Most Wanted Fugitives’ list.
• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration through their ‘Most Wanted’ list.
• The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives through the ‘Most Wanted’ list.
• The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) via the ‘Most Wanted’ page.

Yet another method involves looking up records via PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records).¹³ However, there’s a small cost attached to accessing case files – 10¢ per page and not exceeding $3 per document (equivalent to 30 pages). Hiring a criminal offense attorney can be helpful too, especially when dealing with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests via the US Marshals Service.

The Warrant Information System (WIN) can also be utilized here, although its use is restricted to only authorized personnel.¹⁴

Types of Warrants in West Virginia & Their Definitions

In West Virginia, law enforcement issues different kinds of warrants. Each one serves a unique purpose and comes with its own conditions. However, each type of warrant if live stipulates an active status, which means its outstanding, hasn’t been executed, carried out or resolved. Familiarizing with these can help citizens understand their legal rights.

Arrest Warrants: Judges issue arrest warrants when they believe someone committed a crime based on the evidence presented to them or ‘probable cause’. It permits police officers to apprehend accused individuals and present them before the court.

Bench Warrants: Bench warrants are given out when people don’t show up for their scheduled court hearings – known as ‘Failure to Appear’ or ‘FTA.’ In this case, too, law enforcement has the right to take into custody the individual in question and bring them to court.

Probation & Parole Violation Warrants: Probation and parole violation warrants are enacted when there’s reason enough to think that those serving parole or probation aren’t abiding by their release conditions. These deviations may include not meeting their parole officer, another crime possibly committed, or non-compliance with terms stated under their sentence.

Traffic Warrants: These warrants usually follow suit after serious road offenses or neglecting fines associated with such violations. Failing appearance at traffic violation courts can also be grounds for the issuance of this warrant.

Child Support Warrants: Child support warrants are issued when a parent disregards their duty to provide court-ordered support for their offspring. This warrant promotes accountability by allowing police to arrest that specific parent and bring them before the court.

Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: The capias and capias pro fine warrants are issued by a judge when individuals refuse to acknowledge summons in front of the bench or fail to make payments duly given by courts. The individuals are then arrested by the relevant authorities and presented before the courts, which may release them only after they have fully paid their dues along with fines.

Fugitive Warrants: Fugitive warrants are awarded to those suspects that cross state lines. If an individual has committed a crime but fled elsewhere, this type of warrant empowers officials anywhere to approach that escapee and return him to face prosecution in West Virginia.

Search Warrants: Search warrants are issued when there are viable grounds for suspecting criminal evidence hidden within premises or personal property. They offer law enforcement officers a legal permit to search the property without the consent of the individual.

Resolving Warrants & Reporting Wanted Individuals in West Virginia

When citizens discover that another individual has a warrant in West Virginia, there are certain steps that they can consider taking. First, they should consider informing the individual of their warrant, but only do this if deeming it safe. Alternatively, concerns about safety make reporting this to the law enforcement more prudent.

The West Virginia Police’s Tip Line is 304-746-2100, over here an individual can report such matters, plus, they can also utilize the online crime tip platform. In case inquirers come to know of a warrant in their name in West Virginia, here’s what can be done:

Resolution may be possible through paying fines and scheduling a court appearance, depending on what the warrant entails. Legal advice is recommended upon discovering an active personal warrant – this aid from experienced attorneys would ensure understanding of legal rights and can be helpful along the way.

Citizens can also decide to self-surrender, however, this step necessitates discussing the entire situation with family, securing legal assistance and liaising with a bail bondsman beforehand, and to do this, individuals can contact the law enforcement agency which issued the warrant. This is also recommended as they will furnish precise instructions on how to go about voluntary surrendering.

Using the information in this article, citizens can seamlessly access information pertaining to West Virginia warrant searches, helping them find out if they or anyone they might know are wanted in the state.

Check out more details of individuals statewide using the West Virginia arrest and crime search tutorial and the WV free public information lookup instructions (this resource provides guidance on tracking down records of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, court cases, and far more).