Grant County Court Record Requests
Go to the right office first. Public circuit documents can be searched through WVPASS. Magistrate case information is free through MCR. For copies, call, write, or visit whichever clerk holds the file. Trial Court Rule 10.04 allows requests for inspection, copies, and available electronic formats. Those requests work during business hours. Under West Virginia Code §51-4-2, court records are open to inspection. The clerk furnishes copies except as otherwise provided.
- Use a Grant County docket search to identify the court and case number.
- Name one document or a narrow date range.
- State whether inspection, a plain copy, electronic format, or certification is needed.
- Ask the clerk for the current fee, payment method, delivery choices, and timing.
- Do not include sensitive data that is not needed to locate the file.
Grant County Has Two Court-Record Counters
Grant County runs two separate record counters. Circuit Clerk Melanie R. Redman keeps circuit and family pleadings, orders, dockets, and related files at 5 Highland Avenue, Petersburg, WV 26847. Call 304-257-4545 or fax 304-257-2593. Magistrate Court Clerk Cheryl L. Bergdoll holds the magistrate files at 4 North Main Street, Petersburg, WV 26847. Call 304-257-4637 or fax 304-257-9501. The judiciary also lists 304-257-1289 for the magistrate office, so confirm routing before you dial. Knowing which counter holds the file saves a trip. That is true whether you want to inspect a docket or pick up a copy.
Grant County Circuit Clerk
Grant County Courthouse
5 Highland Avenue
Petersburg, WV 26847
Phone: 304-257-4545
Fax: 304-257-2593
Kinds of Grant County Court Records
Not every court record product is the same. A docket printout, a complaint, a judgment, an order, a disposition, a bond record, and a transcript each answer a different question. Ask for the smallest one that solves yours. Requesting "everything" tends to slow things down and can pile up copy costs.
| Record | Purpose | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Docket sheet | Chronology of filings and events | Full date range |
| Order or judgment | Court's written ruling | Exact title and date |
| Complaint | Opening allegations or claims | Whether it is public |
| Certified copy | Clerk-authenticated copy | Current certification fee |
| Transcript | Proceeding text when prepared | Availability and process |
What the Grant County Clerk Can Confirm by Phone
A phone call works for narrow facts. Current circuit-clerk guidance lets staff give open-file details like a date or time over the phone. They will not read file contents aloud. Call to confirm the office, case number, access status, fee, and copy method. Save the document itself for inspection or a written request. Put it in writing when it matters. A clear request states the court and the case style and number. It should also list the filing date, document title, date range, copy type, delivery choice, and your contact information. You may ask for electronic format. That does not mean an old paper file gets converted into something searchable. Confirm the payment method before you mail money or drive to Petersburg.
Court Records: What They Contain
What sits inside a court record depends on the case and its access level. Some records combine a docket index with filed papers and court orders. Remember that a portal view is not the same as the clerk's certified copy.
| Case identity | Case number, style, court, type, and filing date. |
|---|---|
| Parties | Public party and role information, subject to restriction. |
| Docket entries | Dated filings, orders, notices, and event references. |
| Event schedule | Date, time, room, judge, event type, or closure reason when recorded. |
| Disposition | The outcome in the court's exact terms. |
Grant County Copy Fees Are System-Specific
Prices depend on the system, not a flat rate. WVPASS public circuit downloads cost 25 cents per page plus a nominal card fee. Under Magistrate Administrative Rule 11, photocopies run 25 cents per page. Faxed pages cost $2. West Virginia Code §59-1-11 sets $1 per page for certain circuit-clerk copies or transcripts made for use outside the office. An abstract of judgment costs $5.
| Item | Published amount | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| WVPASS document | $0.25 per page | Plus nominal card fee |
| Magistrate photocopy | $0.25 per page | Verify office practice |
| Magistrate fax | $2 per page | Rule 11 amount |
| Certain circuit copy | $1 per page | Statutory scope matters |
| Certified copy | Ask clerk | No Grant-specific schedule was verified |
County Clerk Records Are Not Grant County Case Files
County Clerk Lora A. Bennett works in the same 5 Highland Avenue building. She does not keep case files. Her office holds county commission records, land instruments, probate matters, elections, licenses, and vital records. The county homepage advertises a Document IDX Search. A deed or an estate item belongs there. A circuit complaint or order belongs with the Circuit Clerk.
A broad request can sprawl across courts, years, and protected material. Start with the docket sheet or one known judgment. Once you have read it, ask for the complaint, motion, order, bond record, or later entry. Pick the one that answers your remaining question. That keeps delay down and helps staff find the right system.
Before coming in to inspect, ask whether the file is at the active office and whether you need an appointment. Rule 10.04 recognizes access during business hours, but counter hours and archive retrieval times are not guaranteed. Verify before you travel.
An electronic request can save the trip. It does not, however, oblige the clerk to convert every old paper record into a searchable PDF. Ask what format exists. If you need certification, say so before paying. A plain scan, a portal download, and a certified copy are different products.
If something in a record looks wrong, note the case number and the exact field. Then contact the court that maintains it. Do not republish personal data. A missing document may reflect security, storage format, or MCR's design rather than an error.
Access Rules for Grant County Court Records
Access rights come with exceptions. Family Court Rule 6 makes proceedings nonpublic and keeps many pleadings, exhibits, recordings, and transcripts confidential even where orders and indices are public. Juvenile records are restricted by §49-5-103. CourtPLUS access levels run from Public through Confidential-Low, Confidential-High, Sealed, and Expunged.
A blocked file may be correctly restricted. Ask the custodian about the lawful process for your own matter; do not try to bypass a sealed, confidential, juvenile, or expunged status.
West Virginia FOIA §29B-1-3 gives a five-day framework for covered public-body requests, excluding weekends and legal holidays. A request for a court file still goes to the court custodian under Rule 10.04 and §51-4-2. Do not count on every court-copy request finishing inside five days.
The Grant County Circuit Clerk Is the Case Custodian
The official Circuit Clerk page shows the office that maintains Circuit and Family Court papers, dockets, orders, process, funds, and jury records for Grant County.
One mix-up trips up a lot of people. The County Clerk does not hold the Circuit Court case file. That office handles recording, probate, commission, election, license, and vital-record work instead. Both offices share an address. Say up front whether you need a complaint, an order, a docket, a deed, an estate, or a commission item. The clerk can then point you to the right desk.
Grant County Magistrate Access and Office Practice
The magistrate administrative rules set the office hours, access, retention, and copy framework the Grant County clerk works under.
Those rules back the published copy fees. They also let the office delay or deny a request it deems unreasonably burdensome. So start narrow: name a filing or a date range.
MCR will locate a case, but it offers no document downloads. Instead, give the clerk the case number and the filing date. Name the order you want. Include your delivery choice and the copy type. Ask whether mail, email, fax, or pickup is offered right now.
Grant County Closures and Record Appointments
Bad weather or an emergency can change your plans fast. The judiciary's court closure page is the official word on whether an office is running.
A closure notice has limits. It tells you whether an office is operating, nothing more. It does not prove a Grant County hearing was continued. Nor does it prove one was pulled from the docket.
Check that page first, then contact the clerk responsible for the file. For anything case specific, the docket entry controls. So does the order, and the clerk's own confirmation. The closure page only gives general operating context.