Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
OCIS 2.0 on vacourts.gov searches circuit and district court cases, each circuit court clerk offers secure remote access to land records, and vital records are ordered from the Office of Vital Records online or by mail, at a DMV customer service center or a local health district.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Virginia birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $15 per copy or search under the July 1, 2026 rate, with no refund if nothing is found; FOIA requests may require a deposit when charges exceed $200.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applicants provide a legible copy of identification, and full certified copies go only to immediate family until births open after 100 years and other records after 25.
Guide
What Records Are Available
Court Records: civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases.
Property Records: deeds, mortgages, liens and ownership transfers.
Vital Records: birth, death, marriage and divorce records.
Business Records: business licenses, assumed names (DBAs), UCC filings and permits.
Voter Registration: registration status, polling places and voting districts.
Tax Records: property tax assessments, tax bills, payment history and exemptions.
Guide
Select a County in Virginia
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Straight answers
Virginia County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Code of Virginia 2.2-3700 and following, requires a response within five working days, extendable by seven, and circuit court, land record and assessment records are open. Birth records become public 100 years after the event and death, marriage and divorce records 25 years after, when they appear in a public index; newer certificates go only to immediate family members, meaning the person named, parents, spouse, children and siblings. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Virginia birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $15 per copy or search, the rate set by the 2026 Acts of Assembly effective July 1, 2026, from the Office of Vital Records, a DMV customer service center or a local health district; the fee is kept if no record is found, and a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth is free. Circuit court clerks charge statutory fees for deed copies, and under FOIA a deposit may be required when charges will exceed $200.
Can I search county records online?
The Online Case Information System, OCIS 2.0, on vacourts.gov lets anyone search circuit and district court cases by name or case number, and the Supreme Court of Virginia posts its own case status. Each circuit court clerk records deeds and offers secure remote access to land records, Henrico and Fauquier among them, and localities post real estate assessments. The State Police name search on form SP-167 returns a Virginia criminal record, and vital records are ordered online, by mail, at the Richmond office or at a DMV, not searched.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Any person requesting a Virginia vital record must provide a legible copy of identification from the Office of Vital Records list, and only immediate family members get full certified copies; others with a direct and tangible interest can obtain a verification of death. Legal guardians must show custody papers, and aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws are not eligible.
How long does it take to receive records?
The Office of Vital Records processes online applications in 5 business days and complete mailed applications in 8 business days, plus express delivery options, and its Richmond lobby serves walk-in customers weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; DMV customer service centers issue certificates in person. OCIS searches are immediate.