Hot Springs, Virginia Public Records

Public safety in Hot Springs is the responsibility of the Hot Springs Police Department, which works closely with the Bath County Sheriff's Office to maintain order and respond to emergencies. The Hot Springs Police Department, headquartered on Walnut Street, is the primary point of contact for residents seeking to obtain arrest records, mugshots, booking information, or other criminal history data related to the 24445 zip code area. The Bath County Sheriff's Office supplements local law enforcement efforts, providing additional patrols and investigative resources throughout the county as needed.

Hot Springs voters are served by the Bath County Registrar's Office (Office of Voter Registration and Elections), located at 93 Courthouse Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484, phone (540) 839-7226. The Registrar is responsible for maintaining voter rolls, processing registrations, managing absentee voting, and conducting elections in Bath County. Hot Springs residents can register to vote online through the Virginia Department of Elections website at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/Registration/Eligibility, or by submitting a paper application to the Bath County Registrar. Virginia's voter registration deadline is 22 days before any election. Voters must provide their Social Security number, date of birth, and address; Virginia does not require photo ID submission with registration, but voters must show acceptable ID when voting in person (Virginia driver's license, passport, employer ID, student ID, voter photo ID card, or sign an ID Confirmation Statement). As an unincorporated community, Hot Springs has no municipal government and therefore no city council or mayoral elections; residents vote in county, state, and federal elections only. Bath County holds elections for the three-member Board of Supervisors (four-year staggered terms), Constitutional Officers including Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, Commonwealth's Attorney, and Clerk of Circuit Court (all four-year terms), and School Board members. Hot Springs voters cast ballots at polling places assigned by residential address, which can be found using the Virginia Department of Elections polling place lookup tool at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation. In the November 2024 presidential election, Bath County reported approximately 64% voter turnout, with about 2,800 of 4,400 registered voters casting ballots; the county favored Republican candidates by approximately 70-30 margins, consistent with its conservative rural character. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Hot Springs and Bath County voters will decide races including Virginia's U.S. Senate seat (Class II, currently held by Mark Warner, term expires 2027—note: if this is not up in 2026, voters will participate in U.S. House elections for Virginia's 6th Congressional District), Virginia House of Delegates (all 100 seats, two-year terms), and Bath County constitutional officers whose terms expire. Virginia does not hold gubernatorial elections in 2026 (next in 2025). Absentee voting in Virginia is available to any registered voter without excuse required since 2020 law changes; voters can request absentee ballots online at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation, by mail, or in person at the Bath County Registrar's office. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the Registrar by 5:00 PM on the Friday before Election Day for mail ballots, or voters can vote absentee in-person at the Registrar's office beginning 45 days before the election through the Saturday before Election Day. Public election records in Virginia include voter registration lists (available with restrictions under Va. Code §24.2-405), campaign finance reports (searchable at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/candidatepac-info/), candidate filings, and precinct-level election results. Bath County posts unofficial election results on election night and official canvassed results are certified by the Electoral Board and available through the Registrar's office.