Virginia Booking Reports
Virginia booking reports track who was taken into custody, when, where, and on what charge. Sheriff offices, city police, and regional jails across the Commonwealth post jail rosters and arrest logs online each day. You can search booking reports by name, booking number, or arrest date. This page points you to the main state tools for Virginia booking reports and shows you how to use each one. Use the links below to check jail rosters, court case lookups, inmate locators, and arrest logs. Find the office that holds the file and get the record you need.
Virginia Booking Reports Overview
Where to Find Virginia Booking Reports
Virginia booking reports live in more than one place. The arresting agency writes the first log. That is often a city police unit or a county sheriff. The jail that holds the person then opens a booking file. Most jails post a daily roster online. The court clerk adds the case once charges are filed. You can pull pieces of the same event from each of these offices. The Virginia State Police holds the central criminal history file for the whole state.
The main statewide tool is the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System, known as OCIS. It covers circuit and general district courts. You can search booking reports and case files by name, case number, or hearing date. The system shows charges, bond, hearing dates, and case outcome. For general district cases, use the Virginia General District Courts online portal. For offenders held in state prison, the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator is the right place to look.
Note: Juvenile booking reports are not public under Virginia Code section 16.1-301 and will not show up in these systems.
Primary Virginia Booking Reports Sources
The Virginia State Police runs the CARE system for criminal history checks. Start at the Virginia State Police CARE page to get the right form for your request.
CARE uses form SP-167 for the general public, SP-230 for employers, and SP-325 for national fingerprint searches. Fees run from $15 to $37 and it takes about 15 business days.
The Virginia State Police homepage links out to arrest logs, alerts, and the sex offender registry. You can reach it at the Virginia State Police homepage.
Use the site to find a trooper, file a report, or look up an agency that handles booking reports in your area.
Court case files form the other half of the picture. Open OCIS, the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System, to search by name or case number.
OCIS pulls real-time data from 117 of 120 circuit courts and every general district court in the state.
For traffic and misdemeanor booking reports, the Virginia General District Courts online system is the faster tool.
General district courts handle class 1 misdemeanors, traffic cases, and the first look at felony charges before they move up to circuit court.
Virginia Booking Reports Alerts and Victim Tools
Victims and family members can sign up for free alerts on any inmate held in a Virginia jail or state prison. VINELink is the statewide tool for this.
Every local and regional jail in Virginia feeds data to VINE. You get a call, text, or email when an inmate is moved, released, or returned to custody.
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services publishes the annual Crime in Virginia report with arrest counts by county and city.
Use these numbers to see local trends before you drill down to the specific jail roster you want.
The Virginia Judicial System main site explains how the court structure handles booking reports from arrest through appeal.
Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit courts, and general district courts all play a role in how a case is logged and resolved.
The Code of Virginia sets the rules for what is public and what is sealed. Read the text at the Code of Virginia online portal.
Title 19.2 covers arrest and booking, Title 53.1 covers jail records, and section 2.2-3706 sets the rule that adult booking photos are public.
For older booking reports and historical arrest registers, the Library of Virginia holds penitentiary records going back to 1796.
The reading rooms in Richmond are open to the public with a valid photo ID and many files are on microfilm.
How to Search Virginia Booking Reports
Start with the name. You need a first and last name at minimum. A date of birth or middle name helps when the name is common. Then pick the right tool. If the person is in state prison, use the VADOC offender locator. If the person is in a city or county jail, start with that jail roster. If you only want the court outcome, jump straight to OCIS.
Most county and city booking reports are updated each day. Some jails update every few hours. Regional jails like Riverside, Western Virginia, New River Valley, and RSW serve several counties at once, so always check the regional site when a small county does not host its own roster. The Riverside Regional Jail serves seven jurisdictions in the Richmond area. The Western Virginia Regional Jail and New River Valley Regional Jail cover the southwest. RSW Regional Jail serves Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren counties.
Note: The OCIS system updates in real time but does not hold juvenile, protective order, or civil commitment records.
Virginia Booking Reports and FOIA
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act is at Code section 2.2-3700. Adult booking reports, mug shots, arrest dates, and charges are public. Juvenile files, active case files, and victim info are not. The Virginia FOIA Council gives free advice on how to file a records request and what to do if a local office turns you down.
The law gives the agency five business days to answer. They can ask for seven more days if they need more time. Most jails and police units have an online FOIA form. If you hit a wall, the FOIA Council can mediate. You can call (804) 225-3056 or email foia@dls.virginia.gov.
Note: Under section 2.2-3706, a police agency must release adult arrestee photos and basic booking info on request.
Virginia Booking Reports Laws
A few key code sections shape how Virginia booking reports work. Section 19.2-72 covers warrantless arrests. Section 19.2-73 sets the rule that a person must go before a magistrate without delay. Section 19.2-389 names the Virginia State Police as the central repository for all criminal history data. Section 19.2-392.2 spells out the narrow path to expungement. Read the full text at the Code of Virginia.
Jail record-keeping rules sit in Title 53.1. Section 53.1-28 says prisons must keep full records on every person in custody. Section 53.1-116 puts the same duty on sheriffs and jail heads for local inmates. The Virginia Sex Offender Registry is a separate public file run by the State Police.
Browse Virginia Booking Reports by County
Each Virginia county has its own sheriff and jail. Pick a county below to find local booking reports, jail rosters, and arrest logs.
Virginia Booking Reports in Major Cities
Virginia has 39 independent cities. Each runs its own police department and jail. Pick a city below.