16-5-1 Definitions
16-5-2 Establishment of section of vital statistics in Bureau for Public Health
16-5-3 Department of Health and Human Resources to propose legislative rules
16-5-4 Appointment of State Registrar of Vital Statistics
16-5-5 Powers and duties of State Registrar
16-5-6 Registration districts
16-5-7 Appointment and removal of local registrars and deputy local registrars
16-5-8 Duties of local registrars and deputy local registrars
16-5-9 Content of certificates and reports
16-5-9a Legal residences to be included on certificates of death
16-5-10 Birth registration acknowledgment and rescission of paternity
16-5-11 Registration of infants and minors born with specified birth defects
16-5-12 Notation on birth records of missing children
16-5-13 Registration of infants of unknown parentage
16-5-14 Delayed registration of births
16-5-15 Judicial procedure to establish facts of birth
16-5-16 Certificate of adoption
16-5-17 Court reports of determination of paternity
16-5-18 Certificates of birth following adoption, legitimation, paternity acknowledgment and court determination of paternity
16-5-19 Death registration.(a) A certificate of death for each death which occurs in this state shall be filed with the section of vital statistics, or as otherwise directed by the State Registrar, within five days after death, and prior to final disposition, an
16-5-20 Delayed registration of death
16-5-21 Reports of fetal death
16-5-21a Noah’s Law; certificate of birth for a stillbirth; and contents of certificate
16-5-22 Reports of abortions
16-5-23 Authorization for disposition and disinterment and reinterment permits
16-5-24 Extension of time for filing certificates, reports and authorizations
16-5-25 Correction and amendment of vital records
16-5-26 Reproduction and preservation of records
16-5-27 Disclosure of information from vital records or vital reports
16-5-28 Copies from the system of vital statistics
16-5-29 Fees for copies and searches
16-5-30 Persons required to keep records
16-5-31 Duty to furnish information relative to vital events
16-5-32 Matching of birth and death certificates
16-5-33 Limitation on use of social security numbers
16-5-34 Uniform system of registration of marriage, divorce and annulment of marriage
16-5-35 Registration of marriages
16-5-36 Registration of divorces and annulments of marriages
16-5-37 Applicability to previously received certificates and reports
16-5-38 Penalties
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Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 16 > Article 5 - Vital Statistics

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Bureau: means the Bureau for Public Health within the Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health within the Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Date of filing: means the date a vital record is accepted for registration by the section of vital statistics of the state Bureau for Public Health. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Dead body: means a human body or parts of a human body or bones from the condition of which it reasonably may be concluded that death occurred. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Department: means the Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Deputy local registrar: means a person appointed by and working under the supervision of a local registrar in the discharge of the vital statistics functions specified to be performed in and for the county or other district of the local registrar. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fetal death: means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy, such death being indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Filing: means the presentation and acceptance of a vital record or report provided in this article for registration by the section of vital statistics of the state Bureau for Public Health. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Final disposition: means the burial, interment, cremation, removal from the state, or other authorized disposition of a dead body or fetus. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • Induced termination of pregnancy: means the purposeful interruption of an intrauterine pregnancy with the intention other than to produce a live-born infant, and which does not result in live birth. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Institution: means any establishment, public or private, which provides inpatient or outpatient medical, surgical, or diagnostic care or treatment, or nursing, custodial or domiciliary care to two or more unrelated individuals or to which persons are committed by law. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Licensed health professional: means an individual who is licensed by the State of West Virginia to practice a health profession. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Live birth: means the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Local health officer: has the meaning ascribed in §. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
  • Local registrar: means the person appointed by the state Registrar of Vital Statistics for a county or other district to perform the vital statistics functions specified to be performed in and for the county or other district. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Physician: means a person licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy pursuant to the laws of this state. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Registration: means the process by which vital records are completed, filed and incorporated into the official records of the section of vital statistics. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Research: means a systematic investigation designed primarily to develop or contribute to general knowledge. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Secretary: means the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources: Provided, That beginning January 1, 2024, as used in this chapter, "secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Health. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • System of vital statistics: means the registration, collection, preservation, amendment, certification of vital records, the collection of other reports required by this article, and related activities, including, but not limited to, the tabulation, analysis, publication and dissemination of vital statistics. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Vital records: means certificates or reports and data related to birth, death, and marriage, including divorce, dissolution of marriage, and annulment. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • Vital statistics: means the data derived from certificates and reports of birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, annulment and related records and reports. See West Virginia Code 16-5-1
  • whoever: includes corporations, societies, associations and partnerships, and other similar legal business organizations. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10