How to Find a Cause of Death in West Virginia (2026)

West Virginia records the cause of death on the medical certification of the death certificate, and for violent or unexplained deaths in an Office of the Chief Medical Examiner autopsy report. Because West Virginia is a closed-record state, that cause of death is confidential and restricted to eligible requesters until the record is 50 years old.

How Do You Find Someone's Cause of Death in West Virginia?

The most direct way to find a cause of death in West Virginia is to obtain a certified copy of the death certificate, which lists the cause on its medical certification section. Because West Virginia restricts that record, you generally must qualify as an eligible requester to receive it.

If the death was violent, accidental, sudden, or unexplained, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner may have investigated and prepared an autopsy report. That report contains a detailed cause and manner of death.

For many people, the practical starting points are free and public. An obituary, a funeral home notice, or a newspaper account often states or hints at the cause, even though it is not an official record.

Is the Cause of Death Public in West Virginia?

No. The cause of death is not public in West Virginia for recent deaths. It is part of the death certificate, and under W. Va. Code 16-5-27 a death record is confidential and may not be disclosed or copied unless the request is authorized by statute, by legislative rule, or by a court order.

This is the same access rule covered on the parent West Virginia Death Records page. West Virginia is a closed-record state, so the cause of death is restricted along with the rest of the certificate.

That confidentiality is not permanent. Once 50 years have passed after the date of death, the record becomes public and anyone may request it, including the cause of death. You can read more about how states handle this in Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded

The cause of death is recorded in two main places in West Virginia: the death certificate and, in certain cases, an autopsy report.

The Death Certificate

Every death certificate has a medical certification section. A physician, medical examiner, or other certifier completes this part, listing the immediate cause, any underlying conditions, and the manner of death.

In 2025, West Virginia changed its process so the Health Statistics Center now fulfills certified death certificate orders even when the cause and manner are still listed as pending. A certificate stays valid while a final cause is determined.

The Autopsy Report

When the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigates a death, it prepares an autopsy report when an autopsy is performed. Under Chapter 61 of the West Virginia Code, this office is mandated to investigate and certify deaths that are violent, suspected to be violent, accidental, that occur during incarceration, or that are sudden, unattended, or unexplained.

The autopsy report is more detailed than the certificate. However, W. Va. Code 61-12-10 restricts these records to defined parties, such as prosecutors, law enforcement, and courts or parties to a case in which the cause of death is a material issue.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

To request a West Virginia death certificate that shows the cause of death, apply through the Vital Registration Office at the Department of Health in Charleston, located at 350 Capitol Street. Same-day walk-in service is available, and certified copies cost $12 each.

You must establish that you are an eligible requester. W. Va. Code 16-5-28 directs the State Registrar to issue certified copies to the registrant, his or her parents, spouse, adult children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, legal guardian, or their respective authorized representative. The state death certificate application also lists adult siblings, and the statute lets other people qualify when they show the record is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right.

For an autopsy report, contact the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner directly. Access is narrower than the certificate, so most members of the public will not qualify unless they fall within the categories named in the statute.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For deaths that are at least 50 years old, the cause of death becomes part of a public record that anyone may request. A death from 1974 or earlier, for example, is open under the same 50-year rule that governs the full certificate.

These older records are useful for genealogy and family history. State archives and historical vital records collections can be a good route once a record has passed into the public domain.

For deaths within the 50-year window, the Social Security Death Index can confirm that a person died and provide a date, but it does not list the cause of death. It is a tool for confirming the fact of death rather than the medical cause.

West Virginia Cause of Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Access rules and fees can change, so verify the current requirements with the West Virginia Vital Registration Office or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner before you rely on them.

Sources

Authoritative sources for this page include the West Virginia Code and the West Virginia Department of Health.

Back to West Virginia Death Records and the Death Records by State hub.