Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or case number entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. McDowell County Court Docket does not retain or log those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained as needed to prepare a response. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our servers automatically receive basic technical details when a page loads:
- The IP address assigned to your device
- Which browser you are using and its version
- Your device type and operating system
- The pages you visited and how long you stayed on each
- The site that sent you here, if any
- Timestamps for each page view
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They help show, in aggregate, which pages receive visits and how people move through the website. Analytics vendors assist with that measurement. A browser can block cookies, although doing so may change how some features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Operating the website and improving its speed
- Routing a submitted query to the applicable search provider
- Measuring which material is useful and where revisions are needed
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Displaying advertising that may reflect user interests
No Court-Record Data on File
McDowell County Court Docket does not host, compile, maintain, or sell a database of dockets or personal case information. It publishes general directions to WVPASS, MCR, Circuit Court, and the county's split clerk offices. It is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or files about other people.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted there is governed by the selected provider's privacy policy, retention rules, and sharing practices rather than this policy. Review those terms before running a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to West Virginia court portals, clerk resources, legal-aid services, or commercial search tools. Once a visitor leaves this website, the destination's privacy rules apply. Review them before providing personal details.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and tailor advertisements.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited data may be available to:
- Search partners that handle queries you run on our site
- Analytics services we use to track traffic and performance
- Ad networks that place ads on our pages
- Law enforcement or government bodies when a valid legal order requires it
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for collected data. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, so the possibility of unauthorized access cannot be eliminated.
Users Under 18
This service is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. A verified report that a minor supplied data will be addressed through deletion.
Your Data Rights
Rights can vary with a user's place of residence and applicable privacy or consumer-protection law. The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act governs requests to public bodies, while court-record access is separately addressed by West Virginia Code ยงยง51-4-2 and 51-4-3 and court rules. Those public-record laws do not govern data held by this private website. Subject to applicable law, a user may:
- Ask for a copy of what we have on file about you
- Have us fix information that is wrong
- Request that we erase your data
- Opt out of certain kinds of data processing
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. Any new version will appear here with its updated effective date.
Effective date: September 7, 2026