West Virginia Police Reports: State Police, Cities and Crash Rules
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in West Virginia.
Who Has Your West Virginia Crash Report
West Virginia law sends crash notice by location. Under W. Va. Code 17C-4-6, a crash inside a city or town goes to its police department, and a crash anywhere else goes to the county sheriff or the nearest West Virginia State Police office. Each agency keeps its own reports. The Kanawha County Sheriff, for one, releases only reports from crashes its deputies worked and sends people with Charleston police, South Charleston police or State Police crashes to those agencies.
West Virginia State Police (WVSP) crash reports come through the State Police Traffic Safety Section. Call (304) 746-2128 to request a copy of the Vehicle Crash Report, and ask about the fee, how to send the request and how long it will take before you mail or pay anything. The section’s web page also links a Crash Report Request Form.
Whoever investigates, the officer files the report with the West Virginia Division of Highways on a form approved by the Division, the State Police and the DMV. You don’t have to wait for that report to learn who you crashed with. Within 24 hours of the crash, the investigating officer must give the owner, driver and insurance details to the other people involved and their insurance agents, on request and at no cost, even if the report is not finished (17C-4-7).
Don’t want to chase down the right office, or not sure which agency took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From West Virginia Cities and Counties
City departments and sheriff’s offices release their own crash reports, each with its own steps and fees. Start with the department that responded to your crash:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Huntington Police | Online through ReportBeam (search by crash date and the last name of someone involved), in person at police headquarters, 675 10th Street, Huntington, WV 25701, or by mail through the Records Bureau; usually ready in 3 to 5 working days; 304-696-4470; no faxed requests | $20 in person or by mail; $25 online |
| Charleston Police | Online through the city’s CWV311 service, by phone at 304-348-6400, or at the Records Division in City Hall, 501 Virginia St. East (Court Street side); photo ID required, and the person picking up must be named in the report; allow up to 10 days | $20, cash or check |
| Wheeling Police | Online through the “Get a Police or Crash Report” link on the department’s city page (CopLogic); headquarters at 2115 Chapline Street, Wheeling; (304) 234-3664 | Not posted |
| Kanawha County Sheriff | People involved in the crash, or their attorneys, request online through the sheriff’s records page; anyone else files a FOIA request online | Not posted |
| Berkeley County Sheriff | Report Dissemination Form, downloaded from the county site or picked up at 510 South Raleigh Street, Martinsburg; pay by card (2.2% plus $1 through WVIPay), check, cash or money order | $20 per report; $15 more for a disc of photos or video |
Charleston’s posted steps were last updated in 2020, so call Records before you go.
What West Virginia Drivers Must Report
Under W. Va. Code 17C-4-6, a driver in a crash that injures or kills someone, or causes apparent property damage of $1,000 or more, must report it right away by the quickest means available. Inside a city or town, that call goes to the local police department. Outside one, it goes to the county sheriff or the nearest State Police office.
The written report is the investigating officer’s job. Under 17C-4-7, the officer files it with the Division of Highways within 24 hours after finishing the investigation. If the investigation is still open after 10 days, the officer sends a preliminary report on day 10.
West Virginia Insurance and Fault Rules
Since January 1, 2016, every West Virginia policy must carry at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage (W. Va. Code 17D-4-2). The old minimums were 20/40/10.
Uninsured motorist coverage is required in every policy, at no less than those minimums, and you can choose limits up to 100/300/50. The insurer may exclude the first $300 of uninsured motorist property damage. Underinsured motorist coverage must be offered to you as an option, up to your own liability limits (W. Va. Code 33-6-31).
Injury claims go against the driver who caused the crash, usually through that driver’s liability insurance. Under W. Va. Code 55-7-13a and 55-7-13c, fault is split by percentage. An injured person can still recover as long as their share is not greater than the combined fault of everyone else, and the award shrinks by their own percentage. If their share is greater, they recover nothing.
Each person found at fault normally pays only their own share. That changes when a defendant’s conduct involved impaired driving or a crime, which can make that defendant answerable for the whole award (55-7-13c).
West Virginia Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 229 (preliminary) | 2025 | West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 256 | 2024 | Governor’s Highway Safety Program, from NHTSA FARS |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver (.08 or higher) | 78, up from 59 in 2023 | 2024 | Governor’s Highway Safety Program, from NHTSA FARS |
| Motorcyclists killed | 38 | 2024 | Governor’s Highway Safety Program, from NHTSA FARS |
| Pedestrians killed | 25 | 2024 | Governor’s Highway Safety Program, from NHTSA FARS |
Traffic deaths fell every year from 282 in 2021 to 256 in 2024, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s Highway Safety Plan for fiscal 2027 to 2029. The 2025 count stays preliminary until it clears audit and final federal reporting.
West Virginia Crash Guides by City and County
Local guides and day-to-day crash coverage for West Virginia, grouped by city and county:
County accident news: Kanawha County · Jefferson County · Berkeley County · Wood County · Monongalia County · Harrison County · Cabell County · Marion County
Compare nearby states: Southeast crash reports and car accident laws by state · No-fault states and insurance minimums in all 50 states
Road locations across the state are ranked on our West Virginia intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. After a crash, we can put you in touch with local help, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
- West Virginia Crime Victims Compensation Fund. Run through the Legislative Claims Commission, it covers victims of driving under the influence, reckless driving and vehicle homicide, paying up to $35,000 for an injury or $50,000 for a death. The crime must be reported to police within 96 hours under W. Va. Code 14-2A-14, and adults have two years to file. 1-877-562-6878 in West Virginia. Eligibility rules
- MADD. Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and their families. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 988. Call or text 988 any time for crisis support.
- Trauma centers. The state Office of Emergency Medical Services designates trauma centers from Level I to Level IV and posts its list of designated hospitals on its trauma designation page.
West Virginia Crash Questions
How do I get a West Virginia State Police crash report?
Call the West Virginia State Police Traffic Safety Section at (304) 746-2128 and ask for a copy of the Vehicle Crash Report. Ask about the fee, how to send the request and the wait before you pay. If a city police department or a county sheriff worked your crash, request the report from that agency.
Do West Virginia drivers have to file their own crash report?
Drivers give notice, and the investigating officer writes the report and files it with the Division of Highways. A driver in a crash that injures or kills someone, or causes $1,000 or more in apparent damage, must notify police right away: the town’s police department inside a town, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest State Police office.
Is West Virginia a no-fault state?
West Virginia’s coverage rules center on liability insurance. Policies must carry at least 25/50/25 to pay for harm the driver causes others, plus uninsured motorist coverage, and injury claims go against the driver who caused the crash. A person partly to blame recovers a reduced amount as long as their share is not greater than everyone else’s combined.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in West Virginia?
Two years for injury and property damage claims (W. Va. Code 55-2-12) and two years after the death for wrongful death (55-7-6). A lawsuit against a city or county must be filed within two years under 29-12A-6, which sets no separate notice of claim. Claims against the state go to the Legislative Claims Commission within the same period that would apply to a private party.
Recent West Virginia Crash Coverage
Two Pedestrians Hurt, Child Flown to Hospital in Rte 93 Crash in Wellston, OH
Police Officer Hospitalized in Cruiser Crash on US-20 in Nutter Fort, WV
Woman Killed, 4 Hurt in Two-Vehicle Crash on US 33 in Buckhannon, WV
Man Dies in Dirt Bike Crash on Rte 41 in Prince, WV
Crash With Injuries on I-64 EB in Cross Lanes, WV
Earlier stories are in the West Virginia accident news archive, and recent accident alerts track new crashes across the country as they come in.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.