Find Criminal History in Charlottesville

Charlottesville criminal history records are kept by the Charlottesville Circuit Court at 315 East High Street and the General District Court serving the city. Charlottesville is an independent Virginia city, separate from Albemarle County, and operates within the 16th Judicial Circuit. Criminal cases filed in the city stay within the city's own court system. You can search Charlottesville criminal records through the Virginia Judiciary's online case portals or by visiting the clerk's office in person.

Charlottesville Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Charlottesville Circuit Court handles all felony criminal cases for the city and hears misdemeanor appeals from the General District Court. Clerk Hon. Llezelle Agustin Dugger leads the office. This court is part of the 16th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. The circuit court has the broadest criminal jurisdiction, covering serious crimes punishable by a year or more in state prison. It also handles civil cases over $15,000 and shares jurisdiction with the district court for cases in the $4,500 to $15,000 range.

Charlottesville is an independent city that sits within but is legally separate from Albemarle County. The circuit court handles divorce and other family matters in addition to criminal cases. Appeals from both the General District Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court go to the circuit court. For criminal records, the circuit court is where felony indictments and convictions are recorded and maintained.

The Charlottesville Circuit Court as shown on the Virginia Judiciary website is below.

The Charlottesville Circuit Court page provides official contact information and links to the online case search systems.

The Virginia Judiciary's page for Charlottesville Circuit Court is the main resource for court contact details and online record access.

General District Court in Charlottesville

The Charlottesville General District Court handles misdemeanors, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felonies. Clerk Mary Alice Trimble leads this office. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Phone: (434) 970-3388. Fax: (434) 970-3387. This court is part of the 16th Judicial District. Cases at this level that result in conviction can be appealed to the circuit court. The district court is where most people first interact with the Charlottesville criminal justice system.

The General District Court's case data is searchable through the statewide OCIS system and the GDC portal. The official court page is at vacourts.gov/courts/gd/charlottesville/home.html. For criminal and traffic case searches at the district level, use eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/ and select Charlottesville from the court list.

The district court page is shown here from the Virginia Judiciary website.

The Charlottesville General District Court handles the majority of criminal cases in the city at the misdemeanor level.

The district court serves as the entry point for most criminal cases in Charlottesville, from traffic tickets to serious misdemeanors.

Charlottesville Police Department

The Charlottesville Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. For arrest records and incident reports specific to the city, contact the department's records unit directly. Requests for police records follow Virginia FOIA procedures. The Virginia State Police maintain the statewide criminal history database and are a separate source from city police records. If you want a full criminal history covering all of Virginia, the VSP CARE program is the right contact.

The Charlottesville City Jail handles local pretrial detention and short-term sentences. For state facility inmates convicted of longer sentences, use the VADOC Inmate Locator. For local detention inquiries, contact the Charlottesville Sheriff's Office or the city jail directly. The Charlottesville and Albemarle court systems are legally separate, so records for incidents that occurred in Albemarle County would be held by Albemarle County courts, not the Charlottesville courts.

Search Criminal History in Charlottesville

The OCIS portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search is the main free tool for public criminal record searches in Charlottesville. It covers both general district and circuit court levels. Enter a name or case number and search. Results show charges, court dates, case status, and final dispositions for open records. Sealed, juvenile, and expunged records do not appear.

For GDC-level cases, use the dedicated portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/. The broader case information gateway at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home provides links to circuit court case searches and additional guidance. Both circuit and district court cases in Charlottesville are accessible through these free tools. In-person record access is available during business hours at the circuit court clerk's office on East High Street.

Virginia State Police Criminal Record Checks

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) maintains statewide criminal history data that includes convictions from Charlottesville and all other Virginia courts. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, access to someone's full criminal history is restricted. Individuals may request their own record by completing Form SP-167 and submitting it to the VSP CARE program.

CARE can be reached at: Virginia State Police, Civil and Applicant Records Exchange, 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Phone: (804) 674-8028. Email: Background_Checks@vsp.virginia.gov. The VSP criminal history check page at vsp.virginia.gov/criminal-record-check/ has instructions and forms for submitting a request.

VADOC Inmate Locator

If a person was convicted in Charlottesville and sentenced to a Virginia state correctional facility, you can search for them using the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator at vadoc.virginia.gov/general-public/inmate-locator/. The tool is free and searchable by name. It shows current facility assignment, custody level, and projected release date for individuals serving state sentences. Those held locally in pretrial detention or on short sentences would be at the Charlottesville City Jail, not a state facility.

Criminal Records Access in Charlottesville

Circuit court records in Virginia are public under Virginia Code Title 17.1. Records that are not sealed, confidential, or otherwise restricted are open to inspection at the clerk's office. The Charlottesville Circuit Court Clerk maintains these records and allows public inspection during business hours. Copies are available for a per-page fee.

Full criminal history records are controlled by Virginia Code § 19.2-389. That statute limits who can receive a comprehensive criminal history report on another person. Court records showing case dispositions are different from a full criminal history report. You can look up specific court cases freely through the online portals, but a full statewide criminal history requires going through the VSP or another authorized channel.

Juvenile records are confidential under Virginia law. Expunged records are sealed by court order. Records sealed under statutory authority, such as first-offender dispositions, are also not available to the public. If you need to know whether a specific case is sealed or not, contact the circuit court clerk's office directly.

Nearby Virginia Cities

These Virginia cities are near Charlottesville. Waynesboro and Staunton are to the west in the Shenandoah Valley. Fredericksburg is northeast along the I-95 corridor. Charlottesville is surrounded by Albemarle County and is part of the 16th Judicial Circuit.