Death Records and Death Certificates in West Virginia
West Virginia Death Records
The population of West Virginia was recorded 1,792,147 on July 1, 2018, a 3.28% decrease since the 2010 United States Census. The racial composition of the state’s population as of 2010 was 93.2% non-Hispanic White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian American, 0.1% from some other race, and 1.3% multiracial American.
This page is created to provide genealogists and researchers an ultimate guide to the state of West Virginia death records. Use the links and the tips below for West Virginia death records, certificates, online tools and databases. Additional information on how to obtain West Virginia death certificates is available below.
How to Find a Death Record in West Virginia
West Virginia death records search
This webpage gives you access to all of the online databases containing West Virginia death records, West Virginia death certificates, West Virginia death notices, West Virginia death indexes, and other related West Virginia genealogy records.
West Virginia death records free
Below are some of the most comprehensive resource for death records in West Virginia.
West Virginia Death Index
West Virginia death records database
Links to West Virginia death and burial indexes and databases are as below:
- West Virginia Deaths Index, 1853-1973
- West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999
- West Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1854-1932
West Virginia social security death index
The Social Security Death Index contains information on millions of deceased individuals in West Virginia with social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Try the links below to search the index:
Public Death Record West Virginia
In addition to the indexes and databases above, there are some other resources that gives to almost the same or might even more information about a deceased individual. Here are some to check out:
West Virginia Death Certificates
How to get a death certificate in West Virginia
Since all but five of West Virginia’s counties were formed before 20 June 1863, when Congress officially admitted it as a sovereign state, counties in existence prior to statehood were governed by the same laws as other Virginia counties, including the requirement to register births and marriages beginning in 1853. State registration began 1 January 1917, although fire destroyed many 1917-21 records. For birth records from 1 January 1920, write:
West Virginia Department of Health
Division of Vital Statistics
Capitol Complex
Charleston, WV 25305
West Virginia death certificates online
Use the links below to get death certificates and vital records in West Virginia.
West Virginia Death Notices
Check local newspapers and local online news websites which frequently publish notices. Use the link below for more information on West Virginia news agencies.
West Virginia counties for death record research
- Barbour County
- Berkeley County
- Boone County
- Braxton County
- Brooke County
- Cabell County
- Calhoun County
- Clay County
- Doddridge County
- Fayette County
- Gilmer County
- Grant County
- Greenbrier County
- Hampshire County
- Hancock County
- Hardy County
- Harrison County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Kanawha County
- Lewis County
- Lincoln County
- Logan County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Mason County
- McDowell County
- Mercer County
- Mineral County
- Mingo County
- Monongalia County
- Monroe County
- Morgan County
- Nicholas County
- Ohio County
- Pendleton County
- Pleasants County
- Pocahontas County
- Preston County
- Putnam County
- Raleigh County
- Randolph County
- Ritchie County
- Roane County
- Summers County
- Taylor County
- Tucker County
- Tyler County
- Upshur County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Wetzel County
- Wirt County
- Wood County
- Wyoming County