Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Clay County Office of Emergency Services (911 Center) – Director J.D. Johnson | Main line: (304) 587-4259
Notes: IMPORTANT, genuinely significant recent history – Clay County was directly hit by the catastrophic June 23-24, 2016 West Virginia flood, one of the deadliest floods in state history (23 deaths statewide, over 5,000 homes destroyed/damaged, deemed a “1,000-year flood” by meteorologists). The Elk River rose to an all-time record high of 33.37 feet. The county’s original 911 center building was wiped out in that flood and the department has operated ever since out of a small, cramped shared space (“a little kitchen, a hallway, and the dispatch room”). GENUINELY CURRENT DEVELOPMENT: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito recently secured $4.6 million in congressionally directed federal funding specifically to relocate the Clay County 911 center to a new ridgetop location away from downtown and the river, with improved radio connectivity to neighboring counties – confirm current construction/relocation status directly, as this is an active infrastructure project.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-16 runs along the Elk River through the town of Clay
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Clay County Clerk’s Office – 956 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043 | (304) 587-4539
Services: Issues county building, land use, access, utility, and special event permits
Notes: Permits become NULL AND VOID if work is not commenced within 180 days, or if suspended/abandoned for 180 days at any point after starting. A Notice of Commencement must be recorded and posted at the job site before the first inspection – failure to do so can create financial risk (potential to pay twice for property improvements) if seeking outside financing; consult a lender or attorney before recording. Confirm whether your property falls under county or Town of Clay jurisdiction, as in-town construction routes through the Town of Clay Building Department, (304) 587-4259.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – veterans.wv.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veteran Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with veterans.wv.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Clay County Public Library – 614 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043 | (304) 587-4254 | Fax: (304) 587-7668 | Hours: Tue/Wed/Thu 10 AM–6 PM, Fri 10 AM–5 PM, Sat 8 AM–12 PM, closed Sun/Mon
Services: Opened January 1962 in downtown Clay; the current building replaced the original facility in 1982; provides WVInfodepot electronic database access (job searching, medical research, school research), plus WVReads eBook/eAudiobook/eMagazine access via library card
Notes: The library actively posts weather-related closures (e.g., recent closures due to winter weather) – confirm current status directly during severe weather given the county’s flood/storm history.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Clay County, founded March 29, 1858 and named for statesman Henry Clay, is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area; the county’s defining recent historical event is the devastating June 2016 flood along the Elk River, which caused deaths and widespread destruction across the region and continues to shape county infrastructure planning nearly a decade later; the Old Clay County Courthouse in the town of Clay remains a local landmark
Notes: The 2016 flood is genuinely significant, well-documented regional history directly relevant to current county infrastructure planning (see Emergency Management section) – presented factually here as established public record, not as private or sensitive information.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Clay County GIS – accessible via claycountywv.us
Parcel Search: Clay County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Clay County Office of Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: Confirm current county-level animal control and shelter arrangements directly – no clearly confirmed dedicated Clay County, WV animal shelter facility was identified in available sources (search results for “Clay County Animal Shelter” returned facilities in other states, including Clay County, FL, IN, AL, and MS – always confirm jurisdiction when searching for this county’s animal services)
Notes: Contact the Clay County Commission or Sheriff’s Office directly for current animal control procedures.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Clay County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Clay County’s recent history is defined by the catastrophic June 2016 West Virginia flood, which destroyed the county’s original 911 center and continues to directly shape current infrastructure investment – a genuinely current $4.6 million federal relocation project is now underway. Animal control services for this specific West Virginia county were not clearly confirmed in available sources – worth flagging honestly rather than guessing, given how many same-named “Clay County” animal shelters exist in other states. All contact information above was sourced from official county and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Clay County County
Clay County is one of central West Virginia’s most isolated rural counties – an Elk River community of forested ridges and tight-knit hollow communities where Clay’s courthouse has served a persistently rural Appalachian population through generations of economic change, and where community bonds have proven more durable than the economic development that bypassed much of the county.
Clay (the county seat, population ~450) is Clay County’s governmental hub, one of West Virginia’s smallest county seats – a compact Elk River community serving the county’s dispersed rural population through the courthouse and basic governmental services.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Clay County Assessor at 246 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043, phone 304-587-4258. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Clay County Circuit Court at 246 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043, phone 304-587-4259, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 Main St, Clay, WV 25043
(304) 587-4259
CIRCUIT CLERK
100 Main St, Clay, WV 25043
(304) 587-4213
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Clay County Clerk’s Office, Clay (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Clay County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Clay County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) PO Box 190, 246 Main Street, Clay, WV 25043 (304) 587-4259
Clay County is in Central West Virginia, county seat Clay. West Virginia has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate is handled administratively through the COUNTY COMMISSION, via the elected COUNTY CLERK (clerk of the county commission) and that office’s FIDUCIARY SUPERVISOR – not through the Circuit Court, which handles only contested or referred matters. Clay is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit, seated in neighboring Braxton County.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
West Virginia’s probate framework runs under Chapter 44 of the West Virginia Code, administered locally at the county commission level rather than in a court of record.
West Virginia Small Estate Act (W. Va. Code §44-1A) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE personal probate estate does not exceed $50,000 in “small assets,” AND the decedent owned no interest in real property at all. As of a July 9, 2025 change in the law, real estate provisions were removed from the Small Estate Act entirely – any estate involving real property, of any value, can no longer use this affidavit process. If the affiant is the nominated personal representative under a will, the affidavit can be filed 30 days after death; otherwise, 60 days must pass. No personal representative may be pending or appointed in any jurisdiction.
Full/Standard Administration – required whenever real property is involved, or the estate exceeds $50,000 in personal property. The executor (with a will) or administrator (without one) qualifies before the County Clerk, receives Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, files an appraisement within 90 days of qualification, and settles the estate through the Fiduciary Supervisor or, for complex or contested matters, a court-appointed Fiduciary Commissioner.
Only if a genuine dispute arises – a will contest, or disagreement over appointment – does the matter go before the County Commission for a hearing, or in some cases the Circuit Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Clay County Clerk’s Office to qualify.
The Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; a corporate surety bond is typically required unless waived by the will or by agreement of all beneficiaries (with no debts).
The personal representative files an appraisement of the estate’s assets, generally within 90 days of qualification.
Notice to creditors must be published; once an appraisement is filed, the County Clerk must publish notice within 30 days (or within 120 days of qualification if no appraisement is filed).
The estate is settled through the Fiduciary Supervisor’s review, or referred to a Fiduciary Commissioner if complex or contested, culminating in a final settlement and accounting.
What it costs
Court filing fees to qualify as executor or administrator generally range from about $44 to $56, depending on whether there is a will.
West Virginia sets statutory executor commissions based on estate value: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $300,000, 3% on the next $400,000, and 2% on amounts above that.
Attorney fees for straightforward estates commonly range from $2,500-$5,000, and $5,000-$10,000+ for complex or contested cases; add bond premiums, newspaper publication fees, and appraisal/recording fees.
West Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to estates above the federal exemption (roughly $15 million for a 2026 death).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Main St, Clay, WV 25043
(304) 587-4266
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 587-4259
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Clay County Health Department, 393 Main St, Clay, WV 25043
(304) 587-4327
DHHR Office
Clay County DHHR Office, 213 Main St, Clay, WV 25043
(304) 587-4260
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Clay County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Clay County Ambulance Service, (304) 587-2554, provides EMS coverage.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Clay
Population: 8,300
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Clay County County residents.
