Virginia People Search

Start with these statewide searches to learn whether a person has court cases, a business, a license or a prison record, then use the address or court you find to search the right county or independent city.

• Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS)Circuit and district court cases from most courts statewide
• SCC Clerk's Information SystemCorporations, LLCs, partnerships and fictitious names
• DPOR License LookupContractors, real estate agents, architects, cosmetologists and more
• VADOC Inmate and Supervisee LocatorState prison inmates and people under supervision
• Virginia Sex Offender RegistryKept by the Virginia State Police
• VDH Office of Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates

Summary: Virginia has 38 independent cities, such as Richmond, Norfolk and Alexandria, that are separate from the counties, so each keeps its own records.

Virginia records are kept locally, and its independent cities are separate from the counties around them. A person might live in Fairfax County or in the City of Fairfax, two different governments with their own courts, assessors and police.

Property is assessed locally and professional licenses are statewide through DPOR, so it helps to know which government keeps the record. The statewide searches are linked in Where to Look.

The DMV keeps driver and vehicle records, which privacy laws restrict to permitted legal uses.

• Virginia DMVDriver and vehicle records, released only for uses the DPPA allows

Virginia's judicial system comprises the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts (general jurisdiction/felonies), and District Courts (misdemeanors/traffic). Because Circuit Court Clerks are elected constitutional officers, they maintain significant autonomy over their local records.

The Online Case Information System (OCIS), linked in Where to Look, covers cases from most, but not all, circuit and district courts. If a case does not appear, check with the circuit court clerk, since some courts keep their own systems.

• Virginia's Judicial SystemCourt directory, forms and local court contacts
• Supreme Court of VirginiaAppellate decisions and dockets

Virginia has no statewide property database. Real estate is valued by the local assessor or, in some localities, the Commissioner of the Revenue, and deeds are recorded by the circuit court clerk.

To find an owner, search the real estate assessment site of the county or independent city; it shows the owner, mailing address, assessed value and recent sales. The largest localities are listed under County and Major City Resources.

Business records can lead to a person. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) registers business entities, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) licenses trades and professions; both searches are linked in Where to Look.

• Virginia Department of Health ProfessionsLicenses of doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists

People sentenced to more than one year usually go to the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC); people awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences stay in local or regional jails. The VADOC locator and the State Police sex offender registry are linked in Where to Look.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) gives recent vital records only to the person named and close family. Births become public after 100 years, and deaths, marriages and divorces after 50 years. The Office of Vital Records is linked in Where to Look.

Virginia does not publish voter lists; full lists go only to campaigns, candidates and others allowed by law. You can check your own registration on the Department of Elections citizen portal.

• Virginia Department of Elections citizen portalYour registration and polling place

Virginia has some of the oldest public records in the country, and the Library of Virginia is the main repository for research before 1900.

• Library of VirginiaState archives, colonial records, manuscripts and genealogy
• Virginia Chronicle, Library of VirginiaFree digitized historical Virginia newspapers

Local records are kept by counties and independent cities. The circuit court clerk keeps deeds and court cases, and the real estate assessor keeps values. The largest localities by region:

Northern Virginia (NoVA)

Northern Virginia has many federal and technology workers, and its county property sites are updated often.

• Fairfax County Circuit CourtCourt cases and land records for Fairfax County
• Fairfax County real estate assessments (iCare)Owners and assessed values
• Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit CourtCourt cases and land records
• Loudoun County property searchParcel owners and assessments
• Prince William County Circuit Court ClerkCourt cases, land records and marriage licenses
• Prince William County real estate assessmentsAssessments and real estate tax
• Arlington County Circuit Court17th Judicial Circuit, court cases and land records
• Arlington property searchOwners and assessed values

Richmond Metro Area

The City of Richmond is separate from the surrounding Henrico and Chesterfield counties.

• Henrico County Circuit Court ClerkCourt cases and land records
• Chesterfield County Clerk of the Circuit CourtCourt cases and land records
• City of Richmond Circuit Court ClerkCourt cases and land records of the city

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is mostly independent cities, each searched on its own.

• Virginia Beach Circuit Court ClerkCourt cases, land records and marriage licenses
• Norfolk Circuit Court ClerkCourt cases and land records of Norfolk

The most common mistake in Virginia is to confuse a county with an independent city of the same name.

Research Tip: in an asset search, check both the county where the person lives and any nearby independent city for property deeds.

Common Mistake: Falling into the "Independent City Pitfall." If a person lives in the City of Roanoke, their property records will NOT be found in Roanoke County. You must search the City of Roanoke's specific municipal databases. Never assume a city address belongs to the surrounding county.

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) opens public records such as courts, deeds and corporate filings, but the right to make requests belongs to Virginia citizens and certain media.

Privacy Tip: the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), in force since January 1, 2023, gives Virginians the right to see, correct and delete personal data held by businesses and to opt out of its sale and use for targeted advertising.

The VCDPA does not remove government public records, but it lets people opt out of the sale of their data by businesses.