West Virginia

West Virginia's 55 sheriffs are constitutional officers. Each county has a Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission under W. Va. Code Art. 7-14, but this is an employment board for deputy hiring and discipline — not a civilian oversight body. No West Virginia county has a civilian body with authority to review the sheriff's conduct toward the public.
Sheriff oversight
0/55 counties with a dedicated body 0 reports from those bodies
Other oversight
0 Civil Grand Jury reports 0 statewide oversight reports
Compare costs Compare West Virginia sheriff departments side by side
55 sheriffs named · of 55 counties
Population, budget, $ per resident, staffing, and jail capacity across all 55 counties.

Data from CA State Controller's Office and CA State Sheriffs' Association.

State context

West Virginia's 55 sheriffs are constitutional officers. Each county has a Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission under W. Va. Code Art. 7-14, but this is an employment board for deputy hiring and discipline, not a civilian oversight body. No West Virginia county has a civilian body with authority to review the sheriff's conduct toward the public.

West Virginia Constitution Article IX establishes the sheriff as one of five elected county officers, alongside the prosecuting attorney, county clerk, assessor, and surveyor, each serving a four-year term; the state constitution limits a sheriff to two consecutive terms. West Virginia has no county-operated jails: since a 1980s consolidation, the state's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates 10 regional jails in their place. As of July 2026, Lincoln County's sheriff holds the seat by appointment rather than election, following the prior elected sheriff's death.

Counties

0 of 55 counties have a dedicated civilian sheriff oversight body. Highlighted rows have an established body. See methodology for scoring.

# County Status (date) Started (date) LE capability Independence

No record found · 55 counties

  • Barbour
  • Berkeley
  • Boone
  • Braxton
  • Brooke
  • Cabell
  • Calhoun
  • Clay
  • Doddridge
  • Fayette
  • Gilmer
  • Grant
  • Greenbrier
  • Hampshire
  • Hancock
  • Hardy
  • Harrison
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Kanawha
  • Lewis
  • Lincoln
  • Logan
  • Marion
  • Marshall
  • Mason
  • McDowell
  • Mercer
  • Mineral
  • Mingo
  • Monongalia
  • Monroe
  • Morgan
  • Nicholas
  • Ohio
  • Pendleton
  • Pleasants
  • Pocahontas
  • Preston
  • Putnam
  • Raleigh
  • Randolph
  • Ritchie
  • Roane
  • Summers
  • Taylor
  • Tucker
  • Tyler
  • Upshur
  • Wayne
  • Webster
  • Wetzel
  • Wirt
  • Wood
  • Wyoming