Virginia criminal records: start with the right official system
Virginia criminal information is spread across several systems. Court cases are handled through the Virginia Judicial System and local clerks, statewide criminal-history reports come from the Virginia State Police, recent arrest and booking information originates with law-enforcement agencies and jails, and prison or supervision information is maintained by the Virginia Department of Corrections.
The fastest search depends on whether you need a court case, a formal State Police criminal-history report, a recent arrest, a jail record, an inmate record, an appellate case or a sealed-record explanation.
First, identify the Virginia record you actually need
Searching the wrong government system is one of the easiest ways to conclude incorrectly that a record does not exist.
Criminal court case
Charges filed in court, hearings, case status, disposition, sentence information and available public case records.
Criminal-history report
A formal Virginia criminal-history record search maintained through the Central Criminal Records Exchange.
Arrest information
Recent adult arrest identity, charge status, booking photographs and other law-enforcement information governed by Virginia disclosure laws.
Booking / custody
Current or recent local jail custody can be maintained by a city, county or regional jail.
Prison / supervision
People in Virginia state correctional facilities and certain people under community supervision.
Appeal record
Cases reaching the Court of Appeals of Virginia or Supreme Court of Virginia use separate appellate case-information systems.
How Virginia’s criminal court system is divided
Virginia criminal cases can move through more than one court. Knowing the court level helps you understand why the same defendant may appear in several records.
Search Virginia criminal court cases with OCIS 2.0
The Virginia Judicial System’s Case Status and Information page is the safest starting point for public criminal court research.
Virginia’s Online Case Information System – Statewide Search (OCIS 2.0) provides statewide access to:
- criminal and traffic cases in General District Courts
- adult criminal cases in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts
- criminal and traffic information from participating Circuit Courts
- searches by available identifiers such as defendant or case information
Choose the criminal / traffic division
Make sure the search is aimed at the correct case division instead of civil records.
Start statewide if you are unsure of the locality
OCIS 2.0 is useful when you know the defendant’s name but do not know which Virginia court initially handled the case.
Open the individual case
Review the case number, court, charge, hearing information, status and disposition rather than relying only on the search-result summary.
Search the next court level when necessary
A felony can move from district court to circuit court. An appeal can create a separate appellate case. Follow the case rather than stopping at the first result.
Contact the clerk if the online record is incomplete
The Virginia court system instructs users to contact the court where a case is filed for more information about a particular criminal case.
Important: Virginia Circuit Court coverage is not completely uniform online
Circuit Court is especially important because Virginia felony trials are handled there. However, online Circuit Court access remains more complicated than General District Court access.
Virginia’s statewide OCIS 2.0 search includes select Circuit Courts. The Judicial System’s self-help guidance also warns that some Circuit Courts either do not use the statewide online case-information system or use another system.
Use the official Virginia court contact directory to identify the correct Circuit Court clerk.
A Virginia-specific search trick: city and county names matter more than you may expect
Virginia’s independent-city system can cause record-search mistakes. Virginia cities are governmental entities separate from surrounding counties, while towns remain within counties.
If you are unsure which court serves the location, use the official Virginia Find Your Court guide.
Adult criminal records in Virginia J&DR District Courts
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts are not only for juvenile defendants. They also hear certain adult criminal cases, particularly matters involving children, family members or household members.
Virginia’s current statewide case-information system can include adult criminal case information from J&DR District Courts. Juvenile delinquency information itself is subject to much stronger confidentiality protections and should not be treated like an ordinary adult criminal case search.
Search Virginia criminal appeals
If a criminal case was appealed, the trial-court result is only part of the story. Virginia provides separate case-information access for its appellate courts.
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Most eligible appeals from Virginia Circuit Courts proceed through the Court of Appeals. Public case information can be searched by name or case number.
Find Court of Appeals case informationSupreme Court of Virginia
The Supreme Court’s case-management system also supports searches by name or case number.
Find Supreme Court case informationSupreme Court of Virginia
100 North Ninth Street, 5th FloorRichmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-786-2251
Public office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
Court of Appeals of Virginia
109 North Eighth StreetRichmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-786-5651
Public office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
Virginia State Police criminal-history record checks
The Virginia State Police Civil & Applicant Records Exchange operates the Commonwealth’s formal criminal-history record-check process.
For a general public request, the key form is the SP-167 Virginia Criminal History Record Name Search Request.
The SP-167 is available to individuals, the general public, private companies and out-of-state agencies, but the consent/notarization requirement remains important.
| Feature | Virginia SP-167 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Virginia State Police – Civil & Applicant Records Exchange |
| Coverage | Virginia criminal history maintained by the Central Criminal Records Exchange |
| Subject consent | Required; searched person signs a notarized affidavit |
| Basic criminal-history fee | $15 per search under the current VSP fee structure |
| Criminal history + sex-offender search | $20 under the current combined-search fee structure |
| Same-day service | No |
| Published processing estimate | About 15 business days after VSP receives the mailed request; VSP FAQ notes roughly 15–20 business days in normal processing |
Fees and processing procedures can change. Confirm the current amount on the Virginia State Police Criminal History Record Check page before mailing a request.
SP-167 vs SP-230
The SP-167 is the form commonly used by individuals and the general public. SP-230 is for eligible Virginia employers and other statutorily authorized entities. It is not simply an alternative form for any member of the public.
How to request a Virginia criminal-history report with SP-167
Open the Virginia State Police background-check page
Start from the official VSP page so you use the current form generator and instructions.
Generate the SP-167
Enter the required identifying and request information through the VSP form generator, then generate the form for printing.
Get the required signature notarized
The person whose record will be searched must sign the affidavit for release of information before a notary. Follow the form instructions carefully when another recipient will receive the result.
Include the correct payment
Select the requested search type and use the current VSP payment instructions.
Mail or deliver the completed request
VSP accepts properly completed requests by mail. Richmond-area users may also drop off a completed form at State Police headquarters, but VSP specifically states that drop-off does not create same-day service.
Use the arresting agency when an entry needs investigation
VSP’s FAQ directs people who believe something on their record is incorrect to contact the arresting agency.
Virginia State Police background-check office and map
Virginia State Police
7700 Midlothian TurnpikeNorth Chesterfield, VA 23235
Background-check inquiries:
804-674-3720
Email:
Background_Checks@vsp.virginia.gov
VSP states that an SP-167 may be dropped off here, but it is not processed while you wait.
Civil & Applicant Records Exchange
Virginia State PoliceCivil & Applicant Records Exchange
7700 Midlothian Turnpike
North Chesterfield, VA 23235
Always use the mailing instructions printed on the current generated form because form-specific routing information can change.
Virginia arrest records and booking information
Arrest information is different from a criminal-history report. Under Virginia Code § 2.2-3706, law-enforcement public bodies must release specified adult arrest information when requested in accordance with Virginia FOIA.
Required-release information includes:
- the identity of an adult who was arrested and charged
- the status of the charge or arrest
- adult booking photographs created during routine intake, subject to specified investigative exceptions
Virginia’s 2026 law-enforcement records guidance also explains that chronological listings of adult arrests are public records.
VSP’s criminal-history FAQ likewise states that State Police cannot provide a report explaining a charge appearing on a criminal history and directs users to the arresting agency.
How to request Virginia police and law-enforcement records
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act is found at Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. For qualifying requesters, Virginia FOIA permits inspection or copies of public records, subject to specific statutory exclusions.
Virginia FOIA request basics
- identify the records with reasonable specificity
- you do not have to use the words “Freedom of Information Act”
- requests may often be made in writing or through the agency’s normal records process
- the agency can charge reasonable actual costs for search, access, duplication and supply
- you may request an advance estimate of charges
- the public body generally must provide a qualifying response within five working days
Virginia law provides several possible responses: production, partial production with cited exemptions, withholding with cited statutory authority, a statement that records do not exist, or notice that additional response time is required under the statute.
Virginia State Police FOIA information: VSP FOIA Rights and Responsibilities.
What Virginia law says about criminal investigative files
Public arrest information should not be confused with a complete criminal investigative file.
Under Va. Code § 2.2-3706.1, certain basic criminal incident information for felony offenses must be provided when requested under the statute. This can include:
- a general description of reported criminal activity
- the date and time of the alleged crime
- the general location
- the investigating officer or other contact
- described injuries or damaged / stolen property
Full investigative files are treated differently. Files relating to an ongoing investigation or prosecution can be excluded from mandatory public disclosure, and even completed investigative files can remain subject to statutory limitations and discretionary-release rules.
Virginia warrant searches: what is publicly available?
Virginia does not provide a single unrestricted official public webpage containing every active arrest warrant issued by every city, county and court.
The Virginia State Police publishes a Wanted Persons page, but it should not be treated as a complete statewide warrant index.
Check the case record
Review the relevant court case and contact that court’s clerk if the online information does not answer the warrant question.
Check sheriff / police
Some Virginia sheriffs and local agencies publish warrant information or provide instructions for warrant inquiries.
Use the responsible agency
If you are asking about a warrant for yourself, use the court or law-enforcement agency rather than relying solely on a third-party website.
Search warrants are a separate category from arrest warrants and are governed by Virginia criminal-procedure law and the court file associated with the warrant. Availability can depend on the status of the investigation and any sealing order.
Virginia inmate and supervisee search
The Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate & Supervisee Locator provides free public access to information about people under VADOC custody or supervision.
The locator can include:
- people incarcerated in VADOC institutions
- probationers and parolees supervised by district offices
- people assigned to institutional hospitals
- certain people housed in local or regional jails under VADOC authority
- Community Corrections Alternative Program participants
You can search by a person’s name or seven-digit DOC ID and use additional filters when available.
Virginia county, city and regional jail records
Do not assume the VADOC locator contains every person currently held in a Virginia jail. Virginia uses local and regional jails as well as state correctional facilities.
For a recent arrest, search the official sheriff, police department, city jail, county jail or regional jail serving the locality where the arrest occurred.
If you are unsure whether the person is in local custody or VADOC custody, check both the local jail and the VADOC locator.
Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry
The Virginia State Police maintains the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. VSP states that qualifying public registry information is available online without charge through its Public Notification Database.
Start from the official Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange page and follow the Sex Offender Registry link.
How to inspect or get copies of Virginia criminal court records
Online case information is convenient, but it is not always a substitute for the actual court file. Public nonconfidential records maintained by Circuit Court clerks are generally open to inspection in the clerk’s office, subject to applicable restrictions.
Virginia Code § 17.1-275 currently provides a statutory Circuit Court copying fee of $0.50 per page or electronic image for copies not otherwise specifically priced. The statute also provides a $2 fee for attaching the court seal and clerk’s certificate, with certain additional certification charges possible depending on what is requested.
| Need | Best starting point | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Basic case status | OCIS / online case-information system | Usually fastest for a current public case. |
| Actual Circuit Court file | Clerk of the Circuit Court | Public nonconfidential files can generally be inspected at the clerk’s office. |
| Regular copy | Local clerk | Circuit clerk statutory copying fee is generally $0.50 per page/image unless another fee applies. |
| Certified / sealed copy | Local clerk | Additional certification or seal fees can apply. |
| Older file | Local clerk / archives | Ask whether the record is onsite, archived, microfilmed or transferred. |
For a specific criminal case, the Virginia Judicial System recommends contacting the clerk’s office for the court where the case is filed.
How to find older Virginia criminal records
Older Virginia cases may not be fully represented in the current online systems. Historical court records can remain with local clerks or exist on microfilm or in archival collections.
Identify the historical locality
Determine the city or county in which the case would have been filed.
Check the current court search
A later case may still be indexed even when the original document image is not available online.
Contact the clerk
Ask whether older criminal files remain onsite or have been transferred or archived.
Use the Library of Virginia when appropriate
The Library of Virginia maintains guides to historical county and independent-city records, including microfilm and certain original holdings.
Historical locality guide: Library of Virginia local records resources.
Virginia criminal record sealing rules changed substantially
Virginia now has a dedicated statutory chapter governing sealing of criminal-history and court records. As of September 2026, Chapter 23.2 of Title 19.2 includes automatic-sealing procedures for certain eligible records as well as petition-based sealing pathways.
Under Virginia law, “sealing” generally means prohibiting ordinary public access to qualifying records relating to an arrest, charge or conviction that are held by specified agencies, including courts, the Central Criminal Records Exchange, police departments, sheriff’s offices and DMV, while preserving access for purposes specifically allowed by statute.
Examples of current automatic-sealing provisions
Eligible misdemeanor convictions
Virginia law identifies specific misdemeanor convictions that can qualify for automatic sealing when statutory conditions are met, including the required conviction-free period.
Some non-conviction records
Certain misdemeanor charges ending in acquittal or dismissal with prejudice can be automatically sealed, subject to the statutory rules.
Additional eligible records
Virginia also provides court-petition procedures for particular charges, deferred dispositions and convictions.
Official forms: Virginia Judicial System Criminal Sealing Forms.
Current law: Virginia Code Chapter 23.2 – Sealing of Criminal History Record Information and Court Records.
What to do when a Virginia criminal record is wrong
The correction path depends on which system contains the mistake.
Contact the court clerk
Use the court case number and identify the specific docket entry, disposition or document you believe is inaccurate.
Contact the arresting agency
VSP’s background-check FAQ directs people who identify incorrect criminal-history information to the arresting agency.
Use stronger identifiers
A matching name is not enough. Case number, date of birth, locality and other lawful identifying information can help distinguish people with similar names.
Federal criminal records in Virginia
Virginia state court systems do not contain federal prosecutions. Federal criminal cases are filed in the federal judiciary and should be searched through PACER.
Virginia is served by two federal district courts:
U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
Covers federal cases filed in the eastern portion of the Commonwealth, including major Northern Virginia, Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News divisions.
U.S. District Court – Western District of Virginia
Covers federal cases filed in the western portion of Virginia through its federal divisions.
PACER can require electronic-access fees. If you do not know which federal court handled the case, use the PACER Case Locator.
Your own FBI criminal-history record
For a fingerprint-based FBI Identity History Summary, use the official FBI Identity History Summary Check.
Using Virginia criminal records for employment or housing
A public court search is not automatically the same as a legally compliant employment or tenant background report.
If an employer, landlord or another decision-maker obtains a consumer report from a background-screening company, federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements can apply. Other Virginia and local rules may also affect when and how criminal-history information may be considered.
Virginia also now requires certain businesses that collect or disseminate Virginia criminal and traffic history for screening purposes to comply with Virginia’s Business Screening Services sealing-notification framework so sealed records are suppressed from dissemination.
Virginia criminal-record search tips that save time
Search OCIS before buying a report
Public court information may already answer your basic case-status question.
Follow felonies into Circuit Court
A district-court preliminary hearing is not necessarily the final case record.
Check the exact locality
Virginia’s independent cities can have courts separate from similarly named or surrounding counties.
Do not rely on statewide Circuit coverage alone
Some Circuit Court records require a local clerk search or another local system.
Recent arrest? Start locally
The arresting police department, sheriff or jail may have useful public information before the case reaches a later court stage.
SP-167 requires consent
Do not spend time treating the State Police process like a free unrestricted name-search website.
Use the final disposition
The original charge is not the same thing as the final result.
Search appeals when the case continued
Court of Appeals or Supreme Court records can change how a trial-court outcome should be understood.
Expect sealed records to disappear publicly
Virginia’s current sealing framework can remove qualifying records from ordinary public access.
Virginia criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Can I search Virginia criminal court records online for free?
Yes. Virginia’s Judicial System provides public online case-information services, including OCIS 2.0, which searches criminal and traffic cases in General District Courts, adult criminal cases in J&DR District Courts and criminal or traffic information from participating Circuit Courts.
2. Does Virginia have a statewide criminal court search?
OCIS 2.0 provides statewide searching across General District criminal and traffic cases, adult J&DR criminal matters and participating Circuit Courts. Circuit Court coverage is not completely uniform, so a local Circuit Court clerk search may still be necessary.
3. Where are felony cases heard in Virginia?
Felony trials are handled in Virginia Circuit Courts. General District Courts commonly conduct preliminary hearings for felony charges before a case proceeds to Circuit Court.
4. Can anyone order a Virginia State Police background check on someone?
The general public may use form SP-167, but the person whose record will be searched must authorize the search and sign the required notarized affidavit. Additional notarization is required when another individual or agency will receive the result.
5. How much does a Virginia State Police criminal-history check cost?
VSP’s current published fee structure lists a $15 fee for a standard criminal-history search and $20 for a combined criminal-history and sex-offender search. Confirm the current amount before submitting the request because fees can change.
6. How long does a Virginia SP-167 background check take?
Virginia State Police says there is no same-day or expedited service. It publishes an approximate processing period of about 15 business days after receipt and notes that normal mail-in processing can take about 15 to 20 business days.
7. Are Virginia arrest records public?
Virginia law requires release of specified adult arrest information, including the identity of an adult arrested and charged, the status of the arrest or charge and routine adult booking photographs, subject to statutory exceptions. Full investigative files have different disclosure rules.
8. How do I find a Virginia inmate?
Use the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate & Supervisee Locator for people under VADOC custody or supervision. For a person in ordinary local jail custody, check the relevant city, county or regional jail as well.
9. Can Virginia criminal records be sealed?
Yes. Virginia now has automatic and petition-based sealing procedures for certain qualifying arrests, charges, deferred dispositions and convictions. Eligibility is specific to the offense, disposition, dates and criminal history.
10. Do Virginia court searches include federal criminal cases?
No. Federal criminal prosecutions are separate from Virginia state court records. Use PACER for federal district and appellate court case information.
Official Virginia sources used for this guide
Court systems, fees, disclosure rules and sealing procedures change. For an important decision, verify the current rule with the government agency that maintains the original record.
- Virginia Judicial System — Case Status and Information
- Virginia Online Case Information System – Statewide Search (OCIS 2.0)
- Virginia General District Courts
- Virginia Circuit Courts
- Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts
- Virginia State Police — Criminal History Record Check
- Virginia State Police — Central Criminal Records Exchange
- Virginia State Police — FOIA Rights and Responsibilities
- Code of Virginia § 2.2-3704 — Public Records Requests
- Code of Virginia § 2.2-3706 — Law-Enforcement and Criminal Records
- Code of Virginia § 2.2-3706.1 — Criminal Incident and Investigative Files
- Virginia Department of Corrections — Inmate & Supervisee Locator
- Virginia Judicial System — Criminal Sealing Forms
- Code of Virginia — Chapter 23.2 Criminal Record Sealing
- Code of Virginia § 17.1-275 — Circuit Court Clerk Fees
- Library of Virginia — Historical County and City Records
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search