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WV · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in West Virginia?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in West Virginia using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
West Virginia DCR Offender Information Search
VINELink
Covers West Virginia
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
West Virginia

Which system is holding them in West Virginia?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

West Virginia is unusual: it does NOT have county-run jails.

The state runs a REGIONAL JAIL system (the former Regional Jail Authority, now part of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation), so a person who was just arrested and not released is held in one of the state's regional jails - and those are searchable through the SAME OIS system's Regional Jail search (ois.wv.gov/RJA), a single statewide tool rather than dozens of separate county rosters.

West Virginia also participates in the national VINE system (WV DCR operates VINE / victim services), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com or use the VINELink app).

For a very recent booking or bail details, call the regional jail.

West Virginia has NO county-run jails; the state operates regional jails under DCR. Use the OIS Regional Jail search (ois.wv.gov/RJA) for a just-arrested person, or WV VINE, and call the regional jail for recent bookings and bail amounts.

Search VINELink (choose West Virginia)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) runs the official Offender Information Search (OIS).

The prison search (ois.wv.gov/doc, page title 'OIS Search') covers people in DCR state prison custody.

To search, enter at least the first four digits of the offender's OID number, or the first three letters of both the first and last name.

DCR cautions that the information can change quickly and may not reflect the current location, release date, or status, and that a listing is not an indication of guilt or innocence.

Open the West Virginia inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a West Virginia state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in West Virginia, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where the person is likely held

    If they were arrested recently and not released, they are held in one of West Virginia's state-run REGIONAL JAILS (there are no county jails). If they were already sentenced to state prison, they are in a DCR prison. If the charge is federal, they are in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    For a recent arrest, use the OIS Regional Jail search or WV VINE

    Use the West Virginia OIS Regional Jail search (ois.wv.gov/RJA) - a single statewide tool - and search by OID number or name (first three letters of first and last name), or search VINELink (WV VINE) and register for free custody-status alerts. If nothing shows yet, call the regional jail to confirm custody and bail.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    For a sentenced state-prison inmate, use the OIS prison search

    Use the West Virginia DCR OIS prison search (ois.wv.gov/doc) and enter the OID number or name to confirm the state facility, custody status, and identifying information.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number instead of the state tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name (the OIS accepts the first three letters of the first and last name).
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • An OID (offender ID) number if you already have one - the OIS accepts the first four digits (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official sources: the WV DCR OIS prison search (ois.wv.gov/doc) for state prison, the OIS Regional Jail search (ois.wv.gov/RJA) or WV VINE for a just-arrested person, or a call to the regional jail. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • DCR cautions that OIS information can change quickly and may not reflect the current location, release date, or status; a listing is not an indication of guilt or innocence.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call the regional jail's booking or records line.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in West Virginia

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in West Virginia.

Commercial bail available

In West Virginia, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

West Virginia uses money bail alongside non-monetary release, and commercial bail is common.

After arrest a person is taken before a magistrate, who sets bail or conditions under West Virginia's bail statute (W.

Va. Code ch. 62, art. 1C).

Bail may be a personal recognizance bond, a cash bond posted with the court, a property bond, or a surety bond through a commercial bail bondsman for a fee.

Commercial surety bail bondsmen legally operate statewide and are licensed and regulated by the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner; property bail bondsmen must qualify with the courts.

A surety bond carries a non-refundable premium, commonly around 10 percent of the bond amount; surety bail bondsmen are regulated by the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner. Cash bail posted directly with the court is refundable (less fees) if you make all required appearances, and a magistrate may release you on a personal recognizance bond with no money down. Ask about recognizance release and posting a cash bond with the court.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official West Virginia contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in West Virginia

How do I find someone who was just arrested in West Virginia?

West Virginia is unusual: it does NOT have county-run jails. The state runs a REGIONAL JAIL system (the former Regional Jail Authority, now part of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation), so a person who was just arrested and not released is held in one of the state's regional jails - and those are searchable through the SAME OIS system's Regional Jail search (ois.wv.gov/RJA), a single statewide tool rather than dozens of separate county rosters. West Virginia also participates in the national VINE system (WV DCR operates VINE / victim services), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com or use the VINELink app). For a very recent booking or bail details, call the regional jail.

How do I find someone in state prison in West Virginia?

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) runs the official Offender Information Search (OIS). The prison search (ois.wv.gov/doc, page title 'OIS Search') covers people in DCR state prison custody. To search, enter at least the first four digits of the offender's OID number, or the first three letters of both the first and last name. DCR cautions that the information can change quickly and may not reflect the current location, release date, or status, and that a listing is not an indication of guilt or innocence.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in West Virginia?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers West Virginia. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in West Virginia?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name (the OIS accepts the first three letters of the first and last name). Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. An OID (offender ID) number if you already have one - the OIS accepts the first four digits (helpful but not required to search).

Does West Virginia have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in West Virginia: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 16 sources