Roanoke Booking Reports

Roanoke Booking Reports track each adult taken into custody inside the city of Roanoke, the largest city in southwest Virginia. This page covers Roanoke City, the independent city, not Roanoke County. The two are separate bodies with their own police, sheriff, and court. You can search Roanoke booking reports by name, booking number, or arrest date. Use the Roanoke Police records desk, the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office, and the Virginia Judiciary OCIS system to pull arrest logs and case files. The city also sends some inmates to the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem.

Roanoke City vs Roanoke County

Roanoke City and Roanoke County are two separate governments. Virginia is one of the few states where cities are independent of the counties around them. Roanoke City has its own police, its own sheriff, and its own circuit court. Roanoke County has its own police and its own sheriff as well. If you want the county, visit the Roanoke County page instead. The rest of this page covers the city only.

Roanoke Police Booking Reports

The Roanoke Police Department sits at 348 Campbell Avenue SW. The records desk handles requests for arrest logs, incident reports, and Roanoke booking reports. You can call the main line at (540) 853-2211. Walk-ins are welcome during regular business hours. Officers write the first log for each arrest, and that log is the base for every other record that follows.

Under Virginia Code section 2.2-3706, adult arrest photos and basic booking info are public. Section 19.2-72 covers warrantless arrests, and section 19.2-73 says a person must go before a magistrate without delay. Read the text on the Code of Virginia site.

Note: Juvenile arrest files are not public under Code section 16.1-301 and will not be released by the Roanoke Police records desk.

Roanoke Sheriff and Jail Records

The Roanoke City Sheriff's Office runs the Roanoke City Jail and books new arrestees from the police, state police, and federal units that work in the city. The sheriff also provides court security for the Roanoke Circuit Court. For an inmate roster or booking info, call the jail records desk.

Roanoke City also sends some inmates to the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem. The regional jail serves Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, Franklin County, and Montgomery County. The jail site has an inmate lookup tool. For family alerts on a Roanoke inmate, sign up with VINELink. VINE pushes a call, text, or email when the inmate is moved, released, or back in custody. Title 53.1 of the Code of Virginia covers jail records. Section 53.1-116 puts the duty on the jail head.

For state prison transfers, use the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator.

Roanoke Court Records and Booking Reports

Court files round out the arrest story. Charges from a Roanoke City arrest go first to the Roanoke General District Court, then move up to the Roanoke Circuit Court for felony cases. You can search Roanoke booking reports and the linked case files on the Virginia Judiciary OCIS system. Pick Roanoke City Circuit Court from the court list. The tool shows charges, bond, hearing dates, and case outcome. For traffic and misdemeanor cases, use the Virginia General District Courts online portal.

Section 19.2-389 names the Virginia State Police as the central repository for all criminal history data in the state. Section 19.2-392.2 spells out the narrow path to expungement for adult arrest files.

Here is the main page for the Virginia Judiciary OCIS system, which pulls case data from 117 of 120 circuit courts in the state.

Use OCIS to search by name or case number and pull the full file for a Roanoke arrest.

FOIA and Roanoke Booking Reports

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act is at Code section 2.2-3700. The police and sheriff must answer a records request in five business days. They can ask for seven more days if they need more time. Adult booking reports, mug shots, arrest dates, and charges are public. Juvenile files and active case files are not.

If you hit a wall, the Virginia FOIA Council can mediate. Call (804) 225-3056 or email foia@dls.virginia.gov. You can also pull the Crime in Virginia annual report from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to check arrest counts for the city of Roanoke.

Note: Under section 2.2-3706, the police must release adult arrestee photos and basic booking info on request.

Statewide Tools for Roanoke Booking Reports

If the local tool is down, use the statewide tools. The Virginia State Police CARE system runs the criminal history file for the whole state. Form SP-167 is the one for the public. The fee is $15 and it takes about 15 business days. The Virginia Sex Offender Registry is a separate public file run by State Police. Older Roanoke booking reports may be on microfilm at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

Roanoke Booking Reports Request Tips

When you file a request for Roanoke Booking Reports, be as clear as you can. List the full name of the person, any other names they use, the date of birth if you know it, and the date or range of the arrest. A tight request is faster and cheaper. A broad request can take longer and cost more in staff time. Use plain words. You do not need a lawyer to file a Virginia FOIA request, and you do not need to say why you want the file.

Ask for the booking sheet, the arrest report, the charge list, and any mug shot on file. If the person went to court, also ask for the case number so you can pull the court file. Send the request by email if the office lists an email address, since that leaves a clear paper trail. If you mail it, keep a copy. The Virginia FOIA Council posts free sample letters and a hotline for help with denied requests.

Note: Juvenile records are sealed in most cases under state law and will not appear in Roanoke arrest logs.

Using Roanoke Booking Reports With Court Files

Booking reports and court files work best together. The booking sheet shows the arrest. The court file shows what happened after. For a full picture of any Roanoke case, pair the two. Start with the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System to pull the case by name. Note the case number, the charge code, and the court date. Then ask the Sheriff or the jail for the matching booking file.

The case system covers Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts. It shows charges, bond, pleas, and final outcomes. Some very old files are not online and must be pulled at the clerk's counter. The Virginia Courts homepage lists each court and its contact info. For help with court forms, the Virginia Legal Aid site has free guides.

If the charge ended in a dismissal, an acquittal, or a pardon, the person may be able to seal the file. Code § 19.2-392.2 sets the rules. A sealed file will not show up in later Roanoke Booking Reports searches.