Virginia criminal court records are split across several court levels and government systems. General District Courts hear misdemeanors and conduct preliminary hearings in felony cases, while Circuit Courts try felony cases and hear appeals from the district courts. Virginia’s OCIS 2.0 system provides statewide adult criminal searching across General District Courts and participating Circuit Courts, while some Circuit Court records still require the locality’s own case system or direct contact with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Which Virginia criminal-record system should you use?
A court docket, State Police criminal-history report, police incident record, jail booking and DOC offender record answer different questions.
Court case
Use OCIS or the individual court’s online case system to review public criminal case information, charges, hearings and dispositions.
Official felony record
Circuit clerks are the official custodians of Circuit Court records and provide copies and certified documents.
State criminal history
The Central Criminal Records Exchange maintains Virginia criminal-history information and processes SP-167 record checks.
Arrest and incident record
Local law-enforcement agencies maintain booking photographs, incident information and investigative records subject to Virginia law.
Current local custody
County, city and regional jails maintain local custody information separately from the state DOC locator.
State custody / supervision
VADOC provides public information about people in state institutions and qualifying community-supervision statuses.
Virginia criminal court structure: where the case goes
Misdemeanors
General District Courts hear most misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic offenses.
Felony preliminary hearings
Felony charges commonly begin in General District Court for preliminary proceedings before moving to Circuit Court.
Felony trials
Circuit Courts have authority to try serious criminal cases—felonies—and also hear appeals from General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts.
Virginia OCIS 2.0 statewide criminal case search
The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System 2.0 is the broadest current public statewide search tool for Virginia adult criminal case information.
OCIS currently provides statewide searching of:
- criminal and traffic cases in General District Courts;
- criminal and traffic information from participating Circuit Courts;
- adult criminal case information associated with Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts;
- cases by defendant name;
- cases by case number;
- multiple court levels from one search interface.
How to search Virginia criminal cases in OCIS
Open OCIS and accept the terms
The Virginia Judiciary requires users to acknowledge the system’s terms and limitations before searching.
Search by defendant name
Enter the person’s name as it appears on a summons, warrant, citation or court document whenever possible.
Use partial names carefully
OCIS search help currently allows partial name entries when each entered name portion contains at least two characters.
Filter the court level when needed
If you know whether the matter is General District or Circuit Court, narrowing the court level can remove unrelated results.
Open the case number
OCIS search results provide limited summary information. Open the case number for more detail.
Verify the final disposition
Review the case events through the final outcome rather than relying only on the original charge.
OCIS search results can include:
- court;
- case number;
- defendant;
- offense date;
- hearing date;
- charge;
- Virginia Code section;
- additional case-detail information.
How to read a Virginia criminal court result
| Case item | What it generally means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | The criminal allegation filed or processed in court. | Do not treat it as a conviction by itself. |
| Code section | The Virginia statute associated with the charge. | Open the current Virginia Code if you need to understand the offense. |
| Hearing date | A scheduled or completed court proceeding. | A hearing date is not necessarily the trial or final disposition date. |
| Disposition | How the court resolved the charge or case. | Look for guilty, dismissed, acquitted, nolle prosequi, deferred or other result. |
| Appeal | The case may move from District Court to Circuit Court or into appellate review. | Search the higher court when the record shows an appeal. |
| Costs / fines | Financial obligations associated with the case. | Financial information does not itself explain the criminal disposition. |
General District Court criminal records
Virginia has a General District Court serving every city and county. These courts handle misdemeanors, traffic matters and preliminary proceedings in felony cases.
In addition to OCIS 2.0, Virginia maintains a General District Court Online Case Information System.
This locality-based system supports searches by:
- defendant or plaintiff name;
- case number;
- hearing date;
- individual General District Court locality;
- current, archived or all records in applicable name searches.
Older General District Court cases
The General District Court help system currently defines:
January 2007 forward
“Current” generally refers to General District Court cases entered or heard after January 2007.
Before January 2007
“Archived” generally refers to General District Court cases entered or heard before January 2007.
Virginia Circuit Court criminal records
Circuit Court is Virginia’s trial court with the broadest jurisdiction and handles felony trials.
Virginia provides a separate Circuit Court Case Information system for participating courts.
Participating Circuit Court cases can generally be searched by:
- name;
- case number;
- hearing date;
- specific participating locality.
What to do when an older Virginia criminal case is missing online
Remote case systems are useful indexes, but they are not a substitute for courthouse records—especially for older cases.
Virginia law also establishes different retention periods for District Court criminal records. For example, many misdemeanor and traffic records are retained for 10 years, while certain categories have longer retention periods.
How to get a Virginia criminal complaint, order or certified court copy
When you need an actual document rather than online case information, contact the clerk of the court maintaining the official file.
Locate the case online first
Record the court, case number, defendant name and disposition date.
Identify the correct clerk
A misdemeanor may remain in General District Court while a felony record may be maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk.
Identify the document
Ask for the complaint, warrant return, sentencing order, conviction order, dismissal order or another specific item rather than “everything.”
State whether certification is required
Certification matters when a government agency, employer, foreign authority or court requires an official clerk-certified copy.
Virginia Circuit Court criminal-record copy fees
For Circuit Court Clerk records, Virginia Code currently provides several commonly relevant fees:
| Service | Current statutory amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Copy of paper or electronic court record | $0.50 per page/image | Applies when not otherwise specifically provided by law. |
| Clerk seal and accompanying certificate | $2.00 | Certification-related charge under Va. Code § 17.1-275. |
| Judge certificate when additionally requested | $0.50 additional | Added when the judge’s certificate is requested with the clerk’s certification. |
Other costs can apply depending on the record and court. Confirm the final amount with the local clerk before mailing payment.
Virginia State Police criminal-history record checks
The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange is the Commonwealth’s central repository for Virginia criminal-history information.
For ordinary individual/public requests, the main process is the SP-167 Virginia Criminal History Record Check.
| Search | Current fee | Important requirement |
|---|---|---|
| SP-167 criminal-history record search | $15 | Form must be generated, signed and notarized as required. |
| SP-167 criminal history + sex offender registry | $20 | Combination search. |
| Sex offender search | $15 | Separate registry search request where applicable. |
How the Virginia SP-167 background check works
Generate the SP-167
Use the Virginia State Police form-generation system and enter the information for the person being searched.
Print the generated form
SP-167 is not simply an instant public online search. The generated document must be completed according to State Police instructions.
Have required signatures notarized
Virginia State Police requires notarization for the SP-167 release. Additional recipient signatures can also require notarization depending on who receives the results.
Include payment
Include the current fee for the record-check type selected.
Mail or deliver the request
Virginia State Police accepts mailed requests and allows form drop-off at headquarters, but drop-off does not create same-day service.
Civil & Applicant Records Exchange
7700 Midlothian TurnpikeNorth Chesterfield, VA 23235
Background-check inquiries:
804-674-3720
background_checks@vsp.virginia.gov
No same-day or expedited service
Virginia State Police currently describes normal processing as approximately 15 business days after receipt, with its FAQ noting that ordinary turnaround can run about 15–20 business days.
Virginia arrest records, booking photographs and police reports
A Virginia court docket and a police arrest record are different records. If you need an arrest photo, incident information or police report, contact the law-enforcement agency that created the record.
Virginia FOIA law currently requires release of certain law-enforcement information, including qualifying adult booking photographs and specified felony criminal-incident information.
Generally subject to release
Virginia law requires disclosure of adult arrestee photographs taken during routine booking, subject to specified exceptions.
Basic information must be provided
Required criminal-incident information includes a general description, date/time, general location, investigating officer/contact and described injuries or property loss.
Different access rules
Witness statements, investigative notes, evidence, correspondence and other criminal-investigation material can be subject to statutory restrictions.
Virginia FOIA and law-enforcement record requests
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act is found in Title 2.2, Chapter 37 of the Code of Virginia.
When requesting a local criminal record, identify the agency that actually maintains it:
- city police department;
- county sheriff’s office;
- Virginia State Police;
- regional jail;
- another investigating public body.
Virginia warrant records: what can you search?
Virginia does not operate one public statewide website that should be treated as definitive clearance for all active arrest warrants.
Criminal process can be issued by judges, Circuit Court clerks, District Court clerks and magistrates under Virginia law.
If you are researching a warrant connected to a known case:
- search OCIS using the person’s name or known case information;
- identify the locality and court;
- review the case events;
- contact that court clerk when confirmation is needed;
- for your own active legal status, contact the appropriate court, law-enforcement agency or attorney rather than relying on a web search alone.
Virginia local and regional jail records
Local jails and regional detention facilities are separate from Virginia Department of Corrections institutions.
For a person arrested recently:
- identify the city or county of arrest;
- check the sheriff, city jail or regional-jail website;
- look for inmate, booking or custody search tools;
- call the detention facility if no public online roster is offered;
- search OCIS separately for the criminal case.
Virginia DOC Inmate & Supervisee Locator
The Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate & Supervisee Locator provides public information about individuals under VADOC custody or supervision.
The locator includes qualifying individuals such as:
- people incarcerated in VADOC institutions;
- probationers and parolees supervised by district offices;
- individuals assigned to institutional hospitals;
- people in local or regional jails under VADOC authority;
- Community Corrections Alternative Program participants.
The search supports:
- first and last name;
- seven-digit DOC ID;
- location filtering;
- age range;
- gender;
- additional supported criteria.
Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry
Virginia State Police maintains the Commonwealth’s public Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry.
The public site supports searches including:
- offender name;
- registration number;
- street address;
- city;
- county / independent city;
- ZIP code;
- neighborhood radius;
- school-related searches and maps.
Virginia criminal appeals and appellate dockets
Virginia provides separate online case-management systems for the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Both appellate systems can be searched by name or case number through the Virginia Judicial System’s Case Status and Information page.
Court of Appeals of Virginia
109 North Eighth StreetRichmond, VA 23219-2321
Phone:
804-786-5651
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:15 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
Supreme Court of Virginia
100 North Ninth Street, 5th FloorRichmond, VA 23219
Phone:
804-786-2251
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:15 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
Virginia juvenile records have different confidentiality rules
Juvenile delinquency matters should not be treated as ordinary adult criminal cases.
Virginia’s public systems protect juvenile confidentiality, while OCIS can include certain adult criminal case information associated with Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts.
Virginia criminal-record sealing and expungement in 2026
Virginia’s record-clearing system changed substantially and now includes automatic sealing, petition-based sealing and the older expungement framework.
Some qualifying records
Virginia law now provides automatic sealing for certain qualifying dismissed, acquitted and conviction records when statutory conditions are met.
Additional eligible cases
Virginia Code §§ 19.2-392.12 and 19.2-392.12:1 provide petition procedures for qualifying charges and convictions.
Police and court records
Virginia also retains an expungement process for qualifying nonconvictions, mistaken identity and other circumstances defined by statute.
Automatic sealing of certain convictions
Virginia Code § 19.2-392.6 currently provides automatic sealing for certain listed misdemeanor convictions when statutory conditions are met, including a seven-year conviction-free period for qualifying offenses.
Automatic sealing after acquittal or dismissal
Virginia law also provides automatic sealing pathways for qualifying misdemeanor charges resulting in acquittal or dismissal with prejudice, with a separate procedure for qualifying felony acquittals or dismissals.
Petition forms
The Virginia Judicial System currently provides Circuit Court sealing forms including:
- CC-1201 — Petition for Sealing under § 19.2-392.12;
- CC-1201(A) — addendum;
- CC-1203 — Petition for Sealing under § 19.2-392.12:1;
- CC-1203(A)/(B) — supporting addenda;
- CC-1206 — Motion to Access a Sealed Court Record.
What if your Virginia criminal-history record is wrong?
Virginia State Police advises a person who sees incorrect information on a Virginia criminal-history record to contact the arresting agency.
Get the Virginia record
Obtain your SP-167 result so you know exactly which entry is being reported.
Find the underlying court case
Use OCIS or the local clerk to confirm the official court disposition.
Obtain supporting documents
A certified dismissal, acquittal, sentencing order, amended disposition or sealing order can help establish the correct record.
Contact the originating agency
Virginia State Police directs record-error questions to the arresting agency when that agency supplied the underlying information.
Federal criminal court records in Virginia
Federal criminal cases are not part of Virginia OCIS, General District Court, Circuit Court or State Police case-search systems.
Virginia has two federal judicial districts:
Eastern District of Virginia
Covers federal court divisions including Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News.
Eastern District of VirginiaWestern District of Virginia
Handles federal prosecutions in western portions of the Commonwealth.
Western District of VirginiaFederal electronic case dockets and documents are generally searched through PACER.
Search federal records with PACERSupreme Court of Virginia and statewide court administration
The Office of the Executive Secretary administers Virginia’s statewide court system and technology from the Supreme Court of Virginia complex in Richmond. This is useful for understanding statewide administration and appellate access, but trial-court records should still be requested from the court that actually maintains the case.
Clerk’s Office
100 North Ninth Street, 5th FloorRichmond, VA 23219
Phone:
804-786-2251
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:15 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
Do not send local case requests here automatically
General District and Circuit Court files are maintained by the appropriate locality’s court clerk. Use the statewide court directory to find the correct office.
Find the correct Virginia courtVirginia criminal court search tips
Start with OCIS
It is currently the broadest Virginia statewide adult criminal case-search starting point.
Felony? Search two court levels
Check General District Court for the preliminary stage and Circuit Court for the felony prosecution.
Use “All” for older District Court cases
The locality system separates current and archived General District Court data around January 2007.
Partial name search can help
OCIS currently permits partial name entries when each entered part contains at least two characters.
Online record is not certified
For official use, obtain the record from the court clerk rather than printing an OCIS page.
Check the locality for Circuit Court
Not every Circuit Court uses the same public remote-access setup.
Recent arrest? Go to police or jail first
A local booking may be visible before the corresponding court record is easy to locate.
Use State Police for criminal history
Court-case research is not the same thing as an SP-167 Virginia criminal-history report.
Check sealing before assuming deletion
A missing public record can reflect sealing or restricted access rather than physical destruction of all government information.
Virginia criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. Can I search Virginia criminal court cases online for free?
Yes. Virginia’s OCIS 2.0 system provides public statewide searching of adult criminal case information from General District Courts and participating Circuit Courts. Some Circuit Court records still require a locality-specific court system or direct clerk contact.
2. Which Virginia court handles felony cases?
Felony cases are tried in Virginia Circuit Courts. Felony charges commonly begin in General District Court for preliminary proceedings before moving to Circuit Court.
3. Which court handles Virginia misdemeanors?
General District Courts generally hear misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic offenses.
4. Can I search every Virginia Circuit Court statewide?
OCIS provides statewide searching across participating/select Circuit Courts, but Virginia does not have perfectly uniform remote Circuit Court coverage. Some localities require a separate Circuit Court case system or direct clerk contact.
5. How much is a Virginia State Police criminal-history check?
Virginia State Police currently lists $15 for a standard SP-167 Virginia criminal-history record check and $20 for a combined criminal-history and sex-offender-registry search.
6. Can I get a Virginia State Police background check instantly?
No. Virginia State Police states that there is no same-day or expedited SP-167 service. Normal processing is approximately 15 business days after receipt, with ordinary processing sometimes described as about 15–20 business days.
7. Are Virginia booking photographs public?
Virginia law generally requires law-enforcement agencies to release adult arrestee photographs taken during routine booking, although a qualifying felony investigation exception can temporarily limit release when disclosure would jeopardize the investigation.
8. Does the Virginia DOC locator include probationers and parolees?
Yes. The VADOC Inmate & Supervisee Locator includes qualifying people in state institutions and people supervised in the community, including probationers and parolees.
9. Can Virginia criminal records be sealed or expunged?
Yes, in qualifying circumstances. Virginia now has automatic sealing and petition-based sealing provisions in addition to expungement procedures. Eligibility depends on the offense, disposition, criminal history and applicable statute.
10. Does a Virginia state court search include federal criminal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases are separate from Virginia state court records and are generally searched through PACER for the Eastern or Western District of Virginia.
Primary official sources used for this guide
- Virginia Judicial System — Case Status and Information
- Virginia Judiciary — Online Case Information System 2.0
- General District Court Online Case Information System
- Virginia Circuit Court Case Information
- Virginia Judicial System — General District Courts
- Virginia Judicial System — Circuit Courts
- Virginia Courts — Court and Clerk Directory
- Virginia State Police — Criminal History Record Check
- Virginia State Police — Civil & Applicant Records Exchange
- Virginia Department of Corrections — Inmate & Supervisee Locator
- Virginia State Police — Sex Offender Registry
- Code of Virginia § 2.2-3706.1 — Law-Enforcement Records
- Code of Virginia § 17.1-208 — Circuit Court Record Inspection
- Code of Virginia § 17.1-275 — Circuit Court Clerk Fees
- Virginia Judicial System — Criminal Sealing Forms
- Code of Virginia § 19.2-392.6 — Automatic Sealing
- Court of Appeals of Virginia
- Supreme Court of Virginia
- PACER — Federal Court Records