Virginia, county records
Find the right office in Orange County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
City records
Library of Virginia inventory of Orange County microfilm, with archival record-series and reel references for historical research.
Open official site Orange County Historic Record LibraryPolice & jail
Orange County Division of the Virginia State Police, with the incident reports, record requests and contacts the department publishes.
Open official site Orange County Division of the Virginia State PoliceVital records
Orange County Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records, the office that issues these certificates, with the application, identification and fee rules it publishes.
Open official site Orange County Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce RecordsCity records
Orange County History Information, with the newspaper pages, archive records and local history material it holds.
Open official site Orange County History InformationState records
Orange County Health Statistics: Official public health profile statistical data and reports.
Open official site Orange County Health StatisticsFederal
United States Census Bureau figures for Orange County, Virginia, with population, housing, income and business counts from the latest estimates.
Open official site Orange County Census InformationCourt records
Orange County Public Records Search: Contact clerk for court services and official information.
Open official site Orange County Public Records SearchProperty records
Orange County Tax Payment and Inquiry Service: View real estate and property taxes online.
Open official site Orange County Tax Payment and Inquiry ServicePolice & jail
Orange County Sheriff's Office, the elected county law enforcement office, with incident reports, warrants and jail information as the office publishes them.
Open official site Orange County Sheriff's OfficeVital records
Orange County Health Department, the public health office for the county, with clinic, immunization and family health program information.
Open official site Orange County Health DepartmentCity records
Orange County Business Information: Economic development investments and jobs for businesses, on the official site of the office that keeps it.
Open official site Orange County Business InformationEverything else, organized
32 more Orange County sources not listed above.
Local record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Orange County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in Orange County's unincorporated areas.
Police Departments. In addition to Orange County Sheriff's Office, Orange County is served by municipal police departments, including the Town of Orange Police Department and the Gordonsville Police Department. They coordinate with the Sheriff's Office on major crimes and regional law enforcement efforts.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Law enforcement in Orange County, Virginia is primarily provided by Orange County Sheriff's Office, led by the elected Sheriff and headquartered at 109 West Main Street, Orange, VA 22960. Inmate information and current custody status can be obtained by calling the jail directly at or by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person during business hours. The Town of Orange area maintains its own Orange area Police Department for municipal law enforcement within town limits, located at 130 East Main Street, Orange County, VA 22960 Arrest records and booking information in Orange County are considered public records under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq.), which guarantees citizens the right to access public records unless specifically exempted by law.
Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 33 mine sites inside the county: 16 past producers, now closed, 16 prospects or occurrences that were never worked, 1 site producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 11 holes drawn inside the county, 3 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Gold; Copper; crushed stone.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area.
Virginia abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Labor Department file
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 29 investigations in Orange County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $155,389 in back wages agreed for 197 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.
| Employer | City | Cases | Back wages | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grelen Nursery, Inc. | Orange | 1 | $83,865 | 39 |
| Horizon Forestry, LLC | Orange | 5 | $20,923 | 103 |
| La Naranja Cocina Mexicana Corporation | Orange | 1 | $19,344 | 11 |
| Makawao Coffee Company LLC | Orange | 1 | $11,404 | 5 |
| ZLM Inc. | Locust Grove | 1 | $7,166 | 5 |
| Bella Cucina of The Lake | Locust Grove | 1 | $6,026 | 7 |
| Orange Veterinary Clinic | Orange | 1 | $3,841 | 5 |
| Mine Run Market & Deli | Locust Grove | 1 | $2,169 | 4 |
| Orange Sub Corp, LLC | Orange | 1 | $680 | 14 |
| The Light Well LLC | Orange | 1 | $293 | 5 |
| Orange County Senior Living, Inc. | Orange | 1 | $264 | 5 |
| American Color, Inc. | Orange | 2 | $0 | 0 |
| Somerset Education Foundation | Locust Grove | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Lake of the Woods Church Child Care Center | Locust Grove | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| E.T Ag Services | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Horton Vineyard, Inc | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| K.C. Interiors, Inc | Locust Grove | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Mike's Glass & Mirror Co | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Waverly Farm and Garden LLC | Somerset | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Nokomis Farm | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Orange County Public School System | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Propitious Clouds, Inc. | Locust Grove | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| McGhee Brothers, Inc. | Orange | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| K & K Building & Mechanical, LLC | Rhoadesville | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Integrated Maintenance and Bus Services, LLC | Locust Grove | 1 | $0 | 0 |
Every employer on the Orange County record, by back wages agreed; 6 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Virginia wage theft records page ranks the whole state.
Know before you ask
Each figure below was read on the official source linked beside it, October to November 2026. A fee or rule the source does not state is left out rather than guessed, and offices can change their schedules, so confirm on the source before you pay or travel.
The Circuit Court Clerk is the starting point for recorded land documents, probate files and Circuit Court records. Its counter is at 110 North Madison Road, Suite 300, Orange. Send ordinary postal requests to P.O. Box 230, Orange, VA 22960; use the street address for a courier delivery. Staff can help identify the record series and copy procedure, but the clerk says it cannot notarize documents for members of the public. Telephone 540-672-6162 when the document description is uncertain. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The record room operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; recording submissions stop at 4 p.m. Plan document filing around the earlier cutoff. The courthouse restricts cell phones and has limited parking, so bring the book, page, case number and party names on paper. A visit intended to inspect a file may require different preparation from dropping off a deed for recording. Tell the clerk which service you need before making travel arrangements. Sources: orangecountyva.gov; orangecountyva.gov
Orange holds deed and will books dating from 1734, marriage books from 1912, and additional plat, judgment and court-order series. Start with a known owner, ancestor or document date, then preserve the index reference used to locate the instrument. A later conveyance can supply the book and page for an earlier transaction. When asking staff for a copy, include that reference and identify any attached plat or exhibit that matters to the request. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The clerk lists copies at $0.50 per page plus $2 for certification; a triple seal is a separate $2.50 charge. A mailed copy request needs a letter, payment to Orange County Circuit Court and a stamped return envelope. Secure Remote Access requires clerk approval and is priced at $300 for six months or $600 for twelve months. It provides access to only part of the collection. Ask about the record series and period you need before choosing a subscription instead of a single copy request. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The Library of Virginia link in the older county directory leads to an Orange County microfilm inventory. It identifies archival series and reels, rather than a local branch library or a name-search result. Its inventory explains the interlibrary-loan notation. For an older estate or lawsuit, use the inventory to decide whether an order book, index or other series is the next useful source; then ask the holding institution about access to the identified material. Keep the archival citation distinct from a modern courthouse case number. Source: lva.virginia.gov
Virginia provides several different case searches. The statewide system covers adult criminal information from juvenile and domestic relations district courts, criminal and traffic information from general district courts, and selected circuit courts. The separate Circuit Court search includes civil and criminal cases by locality. Neither description promises every historical Orange file or a downloadable copy of every document. Record the court, parties and case number from a result and request the required filing or order from that court. Orange Circuit Court belongs to the 16th Judicial Circuit. Sources: vacourts.gov; vacourts.gov
Orange established a separate Real Estate Assessment Department in 2024. It is the office to contact about real-property valuation and the assessment-review route. Its own contact information gives 112 West Main Street, P.O. Box 111, Orange, VA 22960, and 540-672-6173. The Commissioner of the Revenue continues to handle other tax administration, including personal and business property and listed exemption programs. Naming the property type in an inquiry helps staff distinguish a parcel valuation issue from a personal-property account. Sources: orangecountyva.gov; orangecountyva.gov
The county says VamaNet is no longer publicly available. Follow the current property-card link from the county instead. The GIS viewer adds parcel, road, zoning, floodplain and topographic layers, while the open-data service offers downloadable datasets. Save the parcel reference alongside the address because a street description alone may not identify the intended tract. A map layer, assessment card and recorded deed answer different questions; compare their dates and identifying information before using them together. Sources: orangecountyva.gov; orangecountyva.gov
The Treasurer handles payment accounts. Its current Payment Options page replaces the old maintenance route and links the real-estate and personal-property payment services separately. For a mailed payment use the Treasurer address, P.O. Box 469, rather than the assessor or clerk mailing box. The outside drop box is collected for processing on the next business day. Keep a payment receipt with the bill reference if the question concerns whether a balance has been credited. Source: orangecountyva.gov
Virginia Department of Health charges $15 for a vital-record search or certificate, effective July 1, 2026; an unsuccessful search still incurs the charge. DMV provides a separate $17 search service for eligible applicants with identification. If DMV cannot locate or print the record, it forwards the application for state research instead of guaranteeing an immediate certificate. Specify whether you need a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate. A vital divorce certificate is distinct from the court judgment and its individual provisions. Sources: vdh.virginia.gov; dmv.virginia.gov
For older research, the state FAQ lists birth and death holdings for 1853 through 1896 and from June 1912 onward, marriage records from 1853, and divorce records from 1918. Gaps in those periods call for another record series rather than repeated applications for an unavailable state entry. The FAQ allows up to four weeks for a birth request without amendments and longer for changes; do not treat a general processing notice as a deadline for every product. Orange Health Department is at 450 North Madison Road, with a shorter Friday schedule. Sources: vdh.virginia.gov; orangecountyva.gov
For an Orange Sheriff record, the published FOIA route names Captain Justin Neal as the primary contact and gives jneal@orangecountyva.gov. The office is at 11282 Government Center Drive, Suite A; telephone 540-672-1200. Describe the incident, approximate time, location and record sought, such as an incident report or a particular communication. An incident number can help distinguish similarly named people. Ask for the existing record and allow staff to address any withheld portions through the applicable response process. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The Central Virginia Regional Jail Authority operates the regional facility serving Orange, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Madison counties. A custody inquiry therefore has a separate institutional route from a Sheriff report request. Use the county jail-board link to reach the regional jail, and supply the person identifying information needed for the inquiry. A court case search may help identify a charge or case, but it does not establish the current housing location or answer the jail operator's visit and mail requirements. Source: orangecountyva.gov
Virginia State Police uses SP-167 for individuals and other applicants outside the authorized SP-230 employer process. The instructions list $15 for a criminal-history search and $20 for the combined criminal-history and sex-offender search. The standard name search concerns Virginia convictions; the instructions discuss attaching a fingerprint card when a broader charge search is required. Check the receiving organization's instructions before selecting a form, because an internet court result is a different product. Source: vsp.virginia.gov
Generating the SP-167 request online produces a form for completion and mailing. It does not itself finish the background check. State Police describes notarization requirements, identifies the current mailing address and says there is no expedited or same-day service. Authorized fingerprint programs have separately stated state and FBI components; fingerprint collection can be another service. Use the current State Police instructions for the exact purpose of the check, recipient and payment method before sending the application. Source: vsp.virginia.gov
Orange accepts public-records requests by phone, in person, mail, fax, email or its online form. Writing is optional, although a written description can preserve the requested period and document type. The county says a requester need not explain the purpose or invoke FOIA by name. For a county-administration record, contact LaToya Smith through the county FOIA instructions; for another constitutional office, use the separate contact listed for that office. An agency can identify an existing record more effectively when a request distinguishes correspondence, a final decision and the underlying file. Source: orangecountyva.gov
Virginia generally requires a response within five working days, with specified extensions and provisions that can pause the clock for estimates or deposits. This is a response framework, not a promise that every requested file will arrive within five days. For voter-registration records or a local election inquiry, contact the General Registrar at 130 North Madison Road, 540-672-5262. The registrar's published counter schedule is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; verify an election-specific deadline with that office. Sources: law.lis.virginia.gov; orangecountyva.gov
Where to go
Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.
Circuit Court files, probate, recorded land documents and record-room copies.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Real-property valuation, assessment information and assessment reviews.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Personal and business property tax administration and listed exemption programs.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Tax bills, payments and account-credit questions; real estate and personal property are paid separately.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Sheriff records requests; Captain Justin Neal, jneal@orangecountyva.gov.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Voter registration and local election records.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Local health services and environmental-health inquiries; ask staff about the particular record service.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
County-administration records; LaToya Smith, lsmith@orangecountyva.gov; separate office contacts listed.
Office page: orangecountyva.gov
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Orange County Sheriff or a city police department in Orange 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 Orange County are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk. The Real Estate Assessment Department handles real-property valuation; the Commissioner of the Revenue has separate personal-property and other tax functions, and the Treasurer handles tax bills and payments. Sources: orangecountyva.gov; orangecountyva.gov; orangecountyva.gov Source: official state page.
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.
The record room closes at 4:30 p.m., but recording submissions stop at 4 p.m. on weekdays. Plan a recording visit around the earlier time. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The clerk expressly limits remote access to part of its records. Ask whether the required series and period are included before paying for access, and use the record room or a copy request for material outside that coverage. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The county says VamaNet is no longer publicly available and supplies a current property-card link. Start with that county route so you reach the replacement service. Source: orangecountyva.gov
Contact the Real Estate Assessment Department, whose own page lists 540-672-6173 and 112 West Main Street. The department was established in 2024; personal-property and other tax matters have separate Commissioner of the Revenue routes. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The Library of Virginia destination is an Orange County microfilm inventory with archival series and reel references. Use its holding and loan information to locate the material identified in the inventory. Source: lva.virginia.gov
DMV charges its own $17 search fee. Eligible records can be printed there, but an unsuccessful or unprintable result goes to VDH for additional research. The direct VDH fee is $15. Source: dmv.virginia.gov
The county identifies the Central Virginia Regional Jail Authority as the regional operator serving Orange and four neighboring counties. Follow the official jail-board link to the jail for custody, visit or mail questions. Source: orangecountyva.gov
The county says no reason is required and a request need not be written. Describe the existing records with enough specificity for the responsible office to identify them. Source: orangecountyva.gov
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.