How to Search the Tucker County Court Docket
Court level comes first in Tucker County. The West Virginia Judiciary record-access page routes circuit searches to WVPASS. It sends magistrate searches to Magistrate Case Record Search. Felonies, major civil cases, equity matters, and appeals from lower courts sit in Circuit Court. Misdemeanors and traffic cases go to Magistrate Court. Preliminary felony proceedings and civil claims within its jurisdiction belong there too. Family, juvenile, municipal, and federal matters run under separate access rules.
A full name plus an approximate filing year will narrow any Tucker County court docket search. Add the court type for better luck. A case number works even better. Treat online results as finding aids only. When a date, status, or document must be exact, the clerk's record controls.
- Choose WVPASS for circuit records or Magistrate Case Record Search for magistrate information.
- Select Tucker County and enter the party name or exact case number requested by the portal.
- Compare the court, filing date, case type, and status before treating a result as the right matter.
- Read entries and settings in date order, and note whether a document image is offered.
- Ask the proper Tucker County clerk for a current setting or certified copy when needed.
Two Tucker County Search Systems
WVPASS handles the circuit court side. Registration is free, and so is searching. Viewing or downloading a public document costs 25 cents per page, plus a small processing charge. Coverage runs back to July 1, 1999, though sealed, juvenile, and other restricted files stay out, and nothing from the service is certified.
The Magistrate Case Record Search takes a different approach. No registration is needed, and there is no fee. Search by first name, last name, or case number, and the system returns up to 30 results. You can see basic case information, charges, filing dates, dispositions, and a list of documents, but the actual papers are not online. For those, contact the Tucker County Magistrate Court Clerk.
| Channel | Best Use | Key Limit |
|---|---|---|
| WVPASS | Circuit case records and available public documents | Account and document charges apply |
| Magistrate Search | Traffic, misdemeanor, and magistrate civil information | No online document copies |
| Clerk office | Current settings, missing files, and certified copies | Request terms and fees must be confirmed |
What a Court Docket Shows
A Tucker County court docket works like a running timeline of a case. Expect the case type, each filing, and every hearing or ruling in order. The papers behind those events sit in the case file. That file may be a separate thing. Labels change from one West Virginia system to the next. You may see “case information,” “docket information,” “register of actions,” “filings,” or “case documents.”
| Case number | The court's unique reference, often encoding year, case type, sequence, or county. |
|---|---|
| Parties | Public names associated with the case, subject to privacy rules and redaction. |
| Filings | Dated complaints, motions, notices, orders, and other entries received or entered. |
| Settings | Scheduled dates, times, hearing types, and available judicial assignment details. |
| Status | Whether the matter is open, closed, transferred, appealed, or otherwise classified. |
| Disposition | The recorded outcome, which may require the signed order for full meaning. |
An empty document link does not mean nothing was filed. In Tucker County, magistrate papers stay under the clerk's control, some older circuit material never made it into the portal, and access rules can shield protected content from view.
Tucker County Docket Terms
Short docket labels can mean very different things in Tucker County court records. So read the date and the entry type side by side. That habit keeps a routine docket event from being mistaken for the outcome of the case.
- Setting
- A scheduled court event. It may be a conference, motion hearing, arraignment, or trial.
- Continuance
- An order moving an event to a later date. The prior setting may remain in the history.
- Disposition
- The recorded result of a charge, claim, or case. The underlying order supplies context.
- Register of actions
- A chronological list of activity in the court file.
- Certified copy
- A clerk-issued copy authenticated as an official reproduction of the court record.
Which Courts Keep Dockets
Tucker County sits in West Virginia's 22nd Judicial Circuit, sharing it with Preston County. Its Family Court circuit is shared with Randolph County instead. Those regional ties do not shift where the records live. The Tucker County Circuit Clerk keeps the circuit, family, and juvenile files, while the Magistrate Court Clerk holds magistrate criminal, traffic, civil, and special-proceeding records.
| Court | Docket Covers | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Tucker County | Felonies, major civil matters, equity, and lower-court appeals | WVPASS or Circuit Clerk |
| Family Court | Domestic relations, with special confidentiality rules | Circuit Clerk, subject to limits |
| Tucker County Magistrate Court | Traffic, misdemeanors, preliminary felonies, and magistrate civil cases | Magistrate Search or Magistrate Clerk |
| Municipal court or recorder | Local ordinance matters | Relevant city or town office |
| Federal court | Federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy matters | PACER and the federal clerk |
Two Clerks in Tucker County
Two clerks work out of the Parsons courthouse complex. Each serves a different state court. The Circuit Clerk handles Circuit Court matters. The Magistrate Court Clerk handles magistrate matters. A third official, the Tucker County Clerk, keeps other records. Those include county commission, election, land, probate, and similar county records. For a Circuit Court docket, the County Clerk page is the wrong door.
Whatever office you contact, be specific. Give the court level and a party name. Add the case number if you know it, plus the approximate year. Say exactly what you want. That may be a full docket sheet, a single order, a transcript, or the whole paper file. Note whether you need an ordinary copy or a certified one. Those details let the clerk pull the right record the first time.
Routing rule: Circuit, family, and juvenile records go to the Circuit Clerk. Magistrate criminal, traffic, and civil papers go to the Magistrate Court Clerk.
Finding Court Dates and Settings
The clerk posts no official daily trial calendar online. Work from the newest setting entry in the case system instead. Then confirm it with the court office by phone. The Tucker County Judiciary directory lists the current judges, magistrates, clerks, locations, and telephone numbers.
Read docket entries with care. A filed motion is only a request, not a ruling or a hearing date. A continuance is not a dismissal. Put the event type, date, time, and any later order together before assuming anything about a court date. The dedicated Tucker County court calendar page walks through each confirmation channel. It also covers what to do when a setting changes.
When Tucker County Records Are Missing
Portal coverage varies by system and by era. WVPASS public circuit access starts with records from July 1, 1999. Magistrate Search returns case information but not online document copies. Older historical files, restricted cases, recent entries still being processed, and records hit by system maintenance may simply not appear.
A gap online does not mean no case exists. Try a fallback chain. Recheck the spelling and the court level. Search the case number directly. Call the right clerk, and request an in-person or mailed search where the office allows one. A public terminal is also available through magistrate clerk offices under the state rollout, so ask before you travel.
Federal matters are different. Tucker County sits in the Northern District of West Virginia's Elkins Division. Search PACER for those cases, not a West Virginia state portal. Bankruptcy runs on its own federal docket.
Public Access to Dockets
State law and court rules open Tucker County dockets to the public. The access has limits, though. The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act sets a general presumption that records are public. Ex exemptions apply. Trial Court Rules govern inspection, privacy, electronic access, and sealing of court records. Separate rules protect added content in juvenile, family, and domestic-violence matters.
Key Rules:
West Virginia Code §29B-1-4 sets public-record access and exemptions.
Trial Court Rules 10 and 15A address access requests, electronic records, privacy, and sealing.
West Virginia Code §49-5-103 restricts juvenile records and defines authorized disclosure.
Family Court Rules distinguish public orders and indices from confidential materials.
Ask for the narrow record you need. A named order or a docket sheet tied to one date is far easier for the clerk to pull than a request for everything a Tucker County case ever touched. And just because a public docket index shows a slice of protected data does not make it fair game to republish the rest.
Tucker County Filing Activity
Curious how much legal business moves through Tucker County in a year? Finalized 2024 reports give a picture without naming anyone. The Tucker Circuit Court docket took on 20 criminal filings and 69 civil filings. Juvenile work added 18 filings to that count. Family Court, meanwhile, logged 26 divorces. It added 19 domestic-violence filings and 3 other domestic-relations filings. Read these strictly as filing counts. They say nothing about convictions, outcomes, unique people, or how many cases remain pending.
The judiciary's online dashboards give preliminary numbers and refresh daily. For comparing completed years, rely on the annual statistical reports instead.
The Clerk and Docket Records
Sharon Moats, Tucker County Circuit Clerk, keeps the circuit, family, and juvenile records. Her local office page lists weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., plus an email address, a fax number, forms, and the February, June, and October terms of court. For magistrate records, the clerk to call is Brenda Arnold, the Magistrate Court Clerk.
Tucker County Circuit Clerk
211 First Street, Suite 403
Parsons, WV 26287
304-478-2606
Tucker County Magistrate Court Clerk
211 First Street, Suite 303
Parsons, WV 26287
304-478-2665
Before you go, call and confirm current hours, the accepted request method, and the charge. West Virginia Code §59-1-11 sets a one-dollar-per-page fee for clerk-made copies in specified circumstances. Beyond that, the clerk posts no single universal Tucker certification fee, so ask about the cost when you request the copy.
From Paper to WVPASS
Tucker's court technology has moved fast. CourtPLUS went live for Tucker circuit and family e-filing on August 29, 2022. The statewide circuit and family rollout wrapped up in July 2024, and WVPASS opened to the public in March 2025 with eligible circuit documents online. In October 2025, the Supreme Court announced CourtOne, a planned unified lower-court case-management system.
Each tool has a distinct job. CourtPLUS is an authorized filing workflow. WVPASS is a public search and document service. Keep in mind what a filing receipt does and does not show. It proves transmission and status information only. A receipt does not prove a signed order or a complete court docket. Nor does the planned CourtOne transition guarantee that every historical Tucker County record has migrated. The clerk remains the authoritative route through all these system changes.
Tucker County Copy Costs
Cost turns on the source and the document. Online access, a clerk-made copy, a certified copy, and a court reporter's transcript are four different products with four different prices. For a large request, ask the clerk for an estimate first.
| Record Product | Published Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| WVPASS public document | $0.25 per page plus nominal processing charge | WVPASS FAQ |
| Specified clerk-made circuit copy | $1 per page | West Virginia Code §59-1-11 |
| Original certified transcript | $2.85 per page | West Virginia Code §51-7-4 |
| Transcript copy | $1 per page | West Virginia Code §51-7-4 |
| Certified docket product | Confirm with Circuit Clerk | No universal Tucker fee located |
Parsons Records Landmark
The courthouse itself is part of Tucker County's record story. The county formed in 1856 with St. George as its first seat. County history records a dramatic 1893 move. Parsons supporters carried the courthouse records and the bell. It happened mid-campaign to relocate the seat. The present courthouse went up between 1898 and 1900. An official WVU Libraries catalog image shows the historic courthouse tied to today's records destination.
The building is more than local color. Certified circuit copies, magistrate papers, public-terminal help, or older files may still require a trip to the physical offices in Parsons.
Court Dockets by City in Tucker County
Tucker County's five incorporated places all use the same countywide state-court routes. None of the towns offers an official public municipal docket portal. A local ordinance question? Start with the city or town office. A state traffic or misdemeanor case? Magistrate Search handles it. A circuit matter goes to WVPASS or the Circuit Clerk.
Parsons Court Docket
2020 population 1,327. County seat and courthouse location.
Thomas Court Docket
2020 population 611. City office routes ordinance-record questions.
Davis Court Docket
2020 population 600. Town and state-court records use separate channels.
Hendricks Court Docket
2020 population 228. Town office is the local ordinance contact.
Hambleton Court Docket
2020 population 218. A phone-first municipal records route is best.
Map and Directions to the Tucker County Courthouse Annex
Circuit, family, and juvenile records are kept at the Tucker County Courthouse Annex, 211 First Street, Suite 403, in Parsons, the county seat since supporters moved the courthouse records and bell there from St. George in 1893. The Magistrate Court Clerk shares the same building at Suite 303, and the separate County Clerk's office, which handles land and probate rather than court dockets, is at Suite 205.
Tucker County Circuit Clerk
211 First Street, Suite 403
Parsons, WV 26287
304-478-2606
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tucker County Magistrate Court Clerk
211 First Street, Suite 303
Parsons, WV 26287
304-478-2665
No official Tucker source publishes a parking plan or security-screening rule, so calling ahead of a visit remains the safest way to confirm current hours and the correct suite.