Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search tool is sent to the outside company that supplies that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. Hancock County Criminal History does not retain or log those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email sent to us may be retained so that a response can be prepared. It remains within the organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Standard technical information can be collected when a page loads:
- Page-view timestamps
- The visited pages and time spent on them
- Device type and operating system
- Browser name and version
- The referring website, when supplied
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They and analytics services help show aggregate traffic patterns, including which pages are visited and where sessions end. Browser controls can block cookies, although doing so may affect how some site features work.
What We Do With This Data
Collected information supports ordinary site operation and measurement.
- Route search requests to the selected partner service
- Maintain performance and page availability
- Find and repair technical problems
- Measure which material visitors use
- Display advertising that may reflect interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Hancock County Criminal History does not compile, maintain, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general directions to Hancock County courts, the sheriff and municipal police departments, the West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau, and the West Virginia Sex Offender Registry. It is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not assembled into reports about other people.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the site's search boxes. Information submitted through a box is handled under that provider's privacy policy, including its retention and disclosure rules. We do not control those practices, so the provider's policy should be reviewed before a query is submitted.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Hancock County offices, West Virginia courts, state agencies, legal resources, or outside search tools. Once a visitor leaves this site, the destination's privacy terms apply. Personal details should not be supplied without reading those terms.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. That processing does not occur under our direct control.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to:
- Advertising networks serving material on the pages
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search partners receiving a query submitted to their tool
- Government or law-enforcement bodies responding to a valid legal demand
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used security measures are applied to information in our control. No internet-connected system is completely secure, however, and this policy cannot promise that a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The site is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect a minor's personal information. If such information is identified, a deletion request may be made.
Your Data Rights
Rights can depend on residence and the law that applies. West Virginia's Freedom of Information Act, W. Va. Code §29B-1-3, concerns requests to public custodians and does not turn this private site into a government record holder. Criminal-history release by the West Virginia State Police is separately limited by W. Va. Code §15-2-24. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may ask to:
- Receive a copy of personal information held about that visitor
- Correct inaccurate personal information
- Delete personal information where the law permits
- Opt out of eligible processing
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as practices or legal requirements change. A replacement takes effect when posted with its new date.
Effective date: August 11, 2026