This is a private reference site, not a government office. It cannot confirm whether someone is in custody, release a detainee, post bond, schedule a visit, remove a record, or pull an official booking file. Use the contacts below for the agency or court that actually holds the record.
Where to Start for Mercer County Custody Questions
Mercer County arrestees may be in local short-term holding briefly, but longer jail custody normally moves to Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility in Beaver. For written public-record requests, West Virginia FOIA generally requires a request to the custodian that holds the record.
- Mercer County Sheriff's Department and Records Division: 1501 West Main Street, Princeton, WV 24740. County office phone (304) 487-8306; sheriff non-emergency (304) 487-8364; Mercer E-911 non-emergency (304) 425-8911. County office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
- Mercer Sheriff temporary holding: use the sheriff contacts above for very recent sheriff arrests, short-term holding questions, property-release requirements, and sheriff incident or closed-case report routing.
- Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility: 1200 Airport Road, Beaver, WV 25813. Main phone (304) 256-6726; visitation scheduling (304) 256-6738; fax (304) 256-6739. This WVDCR regional jail serves Mercer County and six other counties.
- Mercer County FOIA: submit a written request to the agency that keeps the record. Be specific about the person, date, agency, incident number if known, and record type. WV Code 29B-1-3 gives custodians up to five business days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to provide copies, arrange inspection, or deny with reasons.
Record Type Routing
- For a current regional-jail inmate, start with jail inmate records, the WV Regional Jail Authority search, or Southern Regional Jail.
- For booking photos, see jail roster mugshots and request records from WVDCR or the arresting agency when the photo is not public online.
- For charges filed after booking, use court records after a jail arrest, MCRSearch, WVPASS, and the Mercer court clerks.
- For a facility-specific question, use the Southern Regional Jail, Mercer sheriff temporary holding, Princeton Police, and Bluefield Police pages linked in the footer.
- For a sentenced West Virginia prisoner, use the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation offender search. WVDCR headquarters is 1409 Greenbrier Street, Charleston, WV 25311, phone (304) 558-2036.
- For federal custody, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for sentenced federal inmates. Southern Regional Jail may also house U.S. Marshals detainees under contract before sentencing.
- For suspected immigration detention, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. It searches by A-number or by name, country of birth, and date of birth.
- For victim notification, use West Virginia VINE. The research identifies VINE as available in West Virginia, including app-based notifications.
Courts, Prosecutor, and Municipal Police
- Mercer Circuit Clerk: Mercer County Courthouse, 1501 Main Street, Princeton, WV 24740. Phone (304) 487-8323; fax (304) 425-1598.
- Mercer Magistrate Clerk: 120 Scott Street, Suite 103, Princeton, WV 24740. Phone (304) 431-7115; fax (304) 425-6106. Magistrate records are commonly the first court records after an arrest.
- Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney: 120 Scott Street, Princeton, WV 24740. Phone (304) 487-8340. West Virginia uses prosecuting attorneys rather than district attorneys.
- Princeton Police Department: 100 Courthouse Road, Princeton, WV. Police phone (304) 487-5000; non-emergency (304) 425-8911; fax (304) 487-5002. Use for very recent Princeton arrests before regional-jail transfer.
- Bluefield Police Department and Municipal Court: 200 South Mercer Street, Bluefield, WV 24701. Phone (304) 327-6101; option 2 for municipal court clerk; police or emergency option 1 after hours; fax (304) 325-3311. Clerk hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, except holidays.