Lancaster County, Virginia Public Records

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Lancaster County Sheriff or a city police department in Lancaster County. Ask that agency for its record. Under Va. Code 2.2-3706(A)(1) law enforcement agencies must release adult arrestee photographs taken at intake and booking when requested, except when release would jeopardize a felony investigation, and then only until it no longer would.

The Virginia criminal history record comes from the Virginia State Police, Central Criminal Records Exchange. Request a name search on form SP-167 (Criminal History Record Name Search Request) through vspapps.vsp.virginia.gov; results take about 15 business days after mail in.

Search the Virginia State Police Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Register with the general registrar (city or county registration office) or through the Virginia Department of Elections. You can also register online with the state online registration. The deadline to register is 21 days before most elections; after the deadline you can register at your local registration office and vote a provisional ballot in person (same day registration).

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Lancaster County are kept by the Lancaster County clerk of the circuit court. Property values are set by the commissioner of the revenue or local assessor, and tax bills come from the county or city treasurer. The state property tax guide explains who does what.

Certified birth and death certificates for Virginia come from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. Certified copies of Virginia birth, death, marriage and divorce records are sold at all DMV customer service centers. Online through the Office of Vital Records application, by mail with check or money order payable to the State Health Department to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1000, in person at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, or at any DMV customer service center. Fee: $15 for each certified copy (DMV charges a $17 records search fee).

Business entity filings are searched with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office. Business licenses are issued by the city or county where the business is based; contact the Commissioner of the Revenue or business license office of each city, county and town where the business has an office or location.