This collection includes death certificates and registers of deaths, in some cases both are available for the same person. In general the certificates have a smaller file size than the registers, but it is always a good idea to check both.
When searching these records you may use wildcards which is very helpful with names that are commonly misspelled.
For example if you enter the search: John Wilson Kessinger you will find the entry for his death in the register of deaths. This includes the date of his death, the cause of his death, the age at which he died, the names of his parents and the place he was buried.
But if you enter the search term: John Wilson K*singer you will find the death register entry but also the death certificate (indexed as John Wilson Kissinger), that includes all of the information in the register, but also includes his date of birth, the name of his widow, the name of the person giving the information and the name of the undertaker.
Go to West Virginia Death Records
Original Death records are available online for the following counties and years:
Barbour: 1853 – 1859, 1861 – 1963
Berkeley: 1871, 1875 – 1906, 1917 – 1963
Boone: 1865 – 1873, 1877 – 1883, 1885 – 1963
Braxton: 1853 – 1861, 1865, 1867 – 1963
Brooke: 1853 – 1860, 1862, 1865, 1867 – 1868, 1874 – 1880, 1885 – 1963
Cabell: 1853 – 1854, 1865 – 1866, 1868, 1871 – 1963
Calhoun: 1855 – 1859, 1864 – 1867, 1891 – 1963
Clay: 1858 – 1861, 1866, 1868 – 1873, 1875 – 1878, 1880 – 1896, 1899 – 1963
Doddridge: 1853 – 1855, 1858 – 1859, 1865 – 1963
Fayette: 1866 – 1874, 1876 – 1963
Gilmer: 1853 – 1854, 1856, 1858 – 1859, 1861 – 1863, 1865 – 1873, 1875 – 1876, 1878 – 1893, 1895 – 1899, 1901 – 1963
Grant: 1865 – 1963
Greenbrier: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1963
Hampshire: 1866, 1868 – 1963
Hancock: 1883 – 1884, 1886 – 1963
Hardy: 1853 – 1860, 1866 – 1869, 1871, 1873 – 1875, 1877 – 1963
Harrison: 1853 – 1963
Jackson: 1753, 1853 – 1862, 1864 – 1963
Jefferson: 1853 – 1860, 1866 – 1963
Kanawha: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1963
Lewis: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1963
Lincoln: 1909 – 1963
Logan: 1853 – 1860, 1872 – 1877, 1885 – 1886, 1888 – 1963
Marion: 1860 – 1863, 1865, 1867 – 1963
Marshall: 1853 – 1963
Mason: 1853 – 1862, 1864 – 1963
McDowell: 1882, 1894 – 1963
Mercer: 1853 – 1860, 1865 – 1867, 1869, 1872 – 1963
Mineral: 1865 – 1963
Mingo: 1894 – 1895, 1897 – 1898, 1900, 1902, 1904 – 1908, 1910 – 1963
Monongalia: 1853 – 1863, 1865 – 1963
Monroe: 1853 – 1860, 1865 – 1963
Morgan: 1865 – 1963
Nicholas: 1853 – 1855, 1859, 1864 – 1870, 1872 – 1874, 1876 – 1887, 1889, 1891 – 1893, 1899, 1902, 1904 – 1963
Ohio: 1853 – 1963
Pendleton: 1853 – 1854, 1856 – 1860, 1866 – 1869, 1872 – 1879, 1881 – 1903, 1905 – 1963
Pleasants: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1868, 1871 – 1963
Pocahontas: 1854 – 1860, 1864 – 1878, 1880, 1882 – 1885, 1887 – 1900, 1904 – 1963
Preston: 1868 – 1963
Putnam: 1853 – 1861, 1863 – 1963
Raleigh: 1853 – 1860, 1865 – 1963
Randolph: 1853 – 1859, 1861, 1864 – 1876, 1878 – 1892, 1896 – 1963
Ritchie: 1889 – 1963
Roane: 1856 – 1860, 1865 – 1869, 1871 – 1873, 1875, 1877 – 1878, 1880 – 1963
Summers: 1871 – 1872, 1874 – 1905, 1908, 1917 – 1963
Taylor: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1963
Tucker: 1856 – 1866, 1868 – 1871, 1873 – 1874, 1877 – 1878, 1880 – 1882, 1884 – 1963
Tyler: 1853 – 1862, 1865 – 1963
Upshur: 1845, 1853 – 1963
Wayne: 1853 – 1857, 1859 – 1860, 1863, 1866 – 1867, 1871 – 1963
Webster: 1888 – 1889, 1892 – 1963
Wetzel: 1854 – 1861, 1863, 1865 – 1867, 1869 – 1871, 1874 – 1875, 1877 – 1963
Wirt: 1870 – 1873, 1879 – 1881, 1883 – 1963
Wood: 1853 – 1861, 1863 – 1874, 1876 – 1963
Wyoming: 1853 – 1859, 1865 – 1867, 1875 – 1963
Unavailable / Out of State: 1917 – 1923, 1927, 1936, 1950, 1958, 1963