Harrison County Court Records

Harrison County court records are official records about court proceedings (e.g., a civil or criminal case) maintained by local courthouses. These records contain pertinent information about what transpired during court proceedings.

Generally, court records allow for transparency and accountability of the judicial system, ensuring that court proceedings are conducted fairly and without prejudice. Court records include transcripts of proceedings, dockets, orders, judgments, petitions, other pleadings, and electronic recordings.

Are Court Records Public in Harrison County?

Yes. With few exceptions, court records in Harrison County are available to the public. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (WV Code §29B-1-1 to §29B-1-7), everyone has the right to access records concerning government affairs and acts of public officials and employees unless otherwise prohibited by law. As a result, anyone can access most court records in Harrison County.

However, several federal laws and state laws prohibit public access to certain types of court records and specific information they contain. For instance, WV Code §5A-8-22 exempts personal information, specifically social security numbers, from being public. WV Code §49-5-103 also restricts public access to juvenile court records. Other records that are exempt from public disclosure include and are not limited to:

• Records sealed or expunged by court order
• Adoption records
• Medical records

Harrison County Court Records Search

Interested persons can search for Harrison County court records through the following place.

• The clerk's office of the local courthouses
• West Virginia Judiciary's Magistrate Case Record Search portal (for magistrate cases only)
• Trusted third-party aggregate websites that offer court record search services.

Harrison County Courts

Harrison County court system comprises a circuit, magistrate, family, and ten (10) municipal courts. These courts have varying jurisdictions over different types of cases that may arise in Harrison County. The physical address and contact information of the courthouses of these courts are detailed below:

Harrison County Circuit Court
Harrison County Courthouse
301 West Main Street,
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-8640
Fax: (304) 624-8710

Harrison County Magistrate Court
306 Washington Avenue,
Room 222,
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-8648
Fax: (304) 624-8740

Harrison County Family Court
Harrison County Courthouse
301 West Main Street,
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-8640
Fax: (304) 624-8710

Harrison County Municipal Courts
Anmoore Municipal Court
P.O. Box 178, Anmoore, WV 26323
Phone: (304) 622-7431
Fax: (304) 622-5245 5

Bridgeport Municipal Court
515 West Main Street,
Bridgeport, WV 26330
Phone: (304) 842-8200 6

Clarksburg Municipal Court
222 West Main Street,
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-1600 7

Lost Creek Municipal Court
P.O. Box 216,
Lost Creek, WV 26385
Phone: (304) 745-3466
Fax: (304) 745-5664 8

Lumberport Municipal Court
119 George Street,
P.O. Box 519,
Lumberport, WV 26386
Phone: (304) 584-4370
Fax: (304) 584-4666 9

Nutter Fort Municipal Court
1415 Buckhannon Pike,
Nutter Fort, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 622-7713
Fax: (304) 623-0288 10

Salem Municipal Court
P.O. Box 352,
Salem, WV 26426
Phone: (304) 782-1313 11

Shinnston Municipal Court
43 Bridge Street,
Shinnston, WV 26431
Phone: (304) 592-2121
Fax: (304) 592-0808 12

Stonewood Municipal Court
112 Southern Avenue,
Stonewood, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 623-2919
Fax: (304) 624-0125 13

West Milford Municipal Court
P.O. Box 120,
West Milford, WV 26451
Phone: (304) 745-3131
Fax: (304) 745-4625

Harrison County Criminal Records

Harrison County criminal records are official documents regarding criminal activities a person has been connected to within the county. Different types of records generated by local criminal justice agencies (i.e., local courthouses and law enforcement agencies) make up criminal records. Most notably, preconviction criminal records, such as Harrison County arrest records, are generated by local law enforcement agencies (i.e., Harrison County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments). Meanwhile, local courts maintain other criminal records, including convictions, sentencing, and other criminal case records. Hence, record seekers can query local criminal justice agencies in Harrison County to request or access specific criminal records.

Interested persons can access Harrison County criminal records by conducting state-level criminal record checks through the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) Criminal Identification Bureau. Note that third-party requesters must provide a written authorization signed and acknowledged by the individual whose criminal record they wish to request from the WVSP. Interested persons request state-level criminal record checks by visiting the WVSP criminal records page and following the instructions. Questions and inquiries about the process can be directed to the WVSP by phone at (304) 746-2450 or by fax at (304) 746-2294.

Get Harrison County Civil Court Records

In Harrison County, civil cases are handled by either the Magistrate or Circuit Court. The Magistrate Court can hear civil cases with $10,000 or less claims. Meanwhile, the Circuit Court has jurisdiction over all civil cases with more than $300 in claims. Therefore, depending on which court handles a civil case, an interested person can obtain the civil case's court records through the Circuit Court or Magistrate Court in Harrison County.

When requesting civil court records, record seekers—regardless of the court—should provide specific information identifying the record they desire. This information may include the name of a litigant in the case, the case number, or the case's filing date.

For civil cases handled by Harrison County Circuit Court, interested persons can query the County Circuit Clerk to access or request copies of the case's court record. The Circuit Clerk serves as the clerk of Harrison County's Circuit and Family Court. Interested persons can make queries at the County Circuit Clerk's office in the County Courthouse. The Circuit Clerk is usually open on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

On the other hand, interested persons can use the West Virginia Judiciary's Magistrate Case Record Search portal to search for court records for civil cases handled by the Harrison Magistrate Court. Record seekers can also search for civil court records in person through the Magistrate Clerk's Office in the Magistrate Courthouse.

Harrison County Marriage Records

Harrison County marriage records provide information about marriages recorded in the county. The Harrison County Clerk's Office is the official custodian of marriage records. Certified copies of these records are considered confidential and are only available to specific eligible persons. These include spouses named on the record and their immediate family members (i.e., mother, father, child, sibling, grandparent, legal guardian, step-parent, stepchild, or in-law) or an authorized attorney. Hence, requesters must provide proper means of identification, such as a state-issued driver's license, when requesting marriage records.

Record seekers can request copies of a Harrison County marriage certificate utilizing the Application For Certified Copies Of Vital Records form. The application should be appropriately completed and submitted along with other required items to the Harrison County Clerk's office. These required items include a photocopy of the requester's state-issued driver's license and payment of required fees. Harrison County Marriage certificates cost $5 per copy, and this fee is payable by credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Exp, and Discover) or by check or money order payable to Harrison County Clerk. The completed application and other required items should be mailed to the Harrison County Clerk's Office at:

229 South 3rd St.,
Clarksburg, WV 26301

It is worth noting that eligible persons can also obtain state-certified copies of Harrison County marriage records through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). This can be done by completing an Application for a Certified Marriage Certificate and submitting it along with other required items (e.g., the $12 per copy fee and requester's valid ID) to the DHHR at:

Vital Registration Office
Room 165
350 Capitol Street
Charleston WV, 25301-3701
Phone: (304) 558-2931

Harrison County Divorce Records

In Harrison County, divorce and most family law cases fall under the jurisdiction of the County Family Court. Hence, Harrison County divorce records are accessible through the Circuit Clerk's office. As previously stated, the Circuit Clerk handles the clerical duties of the County Circuit Court and Family Court.

Note that divorce records are considered highly confidential. As a result, certified copies of a divorce record are only made available to specific eligible persons. These include the divorcees named on the record and their close relatives. Eligible persons can request divorce records by making an in-person request at the Harrison County Circuit Clerk's Office. The Circuit Clerk's office is located in the Harrison County Courthouse at:

Harrison County Courthouse
306 Washington Avenue
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 627-2100
Fax: (304) 627-2149

Harrison County Birth and Death Records

Harrison County vital records, which include birth, death, and marriage records, are maintained by the County Clerk's Office. These records are considered to be privileged records. As a result, certified copies of these records are only available to eligible persons. For Harrison County birth certificates, these eligible persons include the subject of the record and their immediate family members (i.e., mother, father, child, current spouse, and others) and attorney. Similarly, only the decedent's immediate family members and other eligible persons can obtain Harrison County death records.

Eligible persons can request Harrison County birth records or death records from the County Clerk's Office using the Application for Certified Copies of Vital Records form the office provides. It is worth noting that requesters are charged $5 per copy of a birth or death record they request. These fees are payable by check, money order, or credit card. Furthermore, requesters must attach a copy of their state-issued driver's license to their completed application. The completed application, along with a copy of the requester's state-issued driver's license and the payment for required fees, should be submitted by mail to Harrison County Clerk's Office at:

229 South 3rd St.,
Clarksburg, WV 26301

Harrison County birth and death records are also obtained through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). Certain items are required to facilitate requests for these records from the DHHR. These include a $12 fee per copy of either a birth or death record being requested. Additionally, requesters must provide a valid ID. Eligible persons can request these records from the DHHR using the certificate request forms for birth certificates and death certificates the DHHR provides. The completed request form and other required items should be mailed to the DHHR to make a request.

Harrison County Probate Court Records

The Probate Division of the county courthouse handles probate cases in Harrison County. Probate cases are proceedings concerning the administration of an estate, guardianship, and other related matters. Interested persons can obtain information or records of probate cases through the Probate Office, which is situated within Harrison County's Courthouse and is open on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Note that interested persons may need to schedule an appointment to visit the probate office in person. The probate office can be contacted by phone at (304) 624-8607 or (304) 624-8611 to schedule an appointment or ask questions about probate cases.

Harrison County Property Records

Harrison County property records contain pertinent information about real property in the county. These include a property's ownership information, assessed value, tax records, and encumbrances. The County Clerk's Office records and maintains most property records in Harrison County. Meanwhile, the County Assessor's office maintains local property assessment records.

Interested persons can query relevant public offices to obtain Harrison County property records. Most of these public offices provide online resources record seekers can use to access public property records and information they maintain. For instance, the County Clerk's office has an inquiry site, and the County Assessor's office provides a record search portal. Alternatively, record seekers can also visit or contact relevant public offices to access property records they maintain. The County Clerk's and Assessor's office can be reached at:

Harrison County Assessor's Office
229 South 3rd Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-8510
Fax: (304) 626-1066

Harrison County Clerk's Office
301 W Main St,
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Phone: (304) 624-8674

Harrison County Court Records Online

One of the most convenient and time-efficient ways of accessing Harrison County Court records is through third-party online resources like WestVirginiacourtrecords.us. Interested persons can search for court records using basic parameters like case number or party name on this website. However, as their name implies, third-party websites operate independently from government agencies. As a result, the completeness and accuracy of the records they provide are not guaranteed.