Chesapeake Criminal History Records
Chesapeake criminal history records are maintained by the Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office and the General District Court, both located at 307 Albemarle Drive. Chesapeake is Virginia's largest city by area and an independent jurisdiction with its own complete court system. The city operates within the 1st Judicial Circuit. Criminal records from Chesapeake courts are accessible online through the Virginia Judiciary's public case portals or in person at the courthouse.
Chesapeake Overview
Chesapeake Circuit Court Criminal Records
The Chesapeake Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases, misdemeanor appeals, and other significant legal proceedings for the city. The Clerk's Office Criminal Division accepts pleadings via email for standard filings. The office no longer accepts faxes as of April 2023. Documents submitted by email must follow specific formatting guidelines. Any incorrectly filed documents must be mailed or dropped off at the front counter instead. Cover letters, if included, must be scanned as the last page of the attachment.
| Office | Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 307 Albemarle Drive, Suite 300A, Chesapeake, VA 23322 |
| Phone | (757) 382-3000 |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. |
| Website | cityofchesapeake.net/1126/Circuit-Court-Clerk |
The clerk's office records all criminal cases, including felonies and misdemeanor appeals. It also records deeds, civil cases, divorces, adoptions, and other matters. The court is at 307 Albemarle Drive, and court hours for actual proceedings run from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sentencing and probation violation hearings start at 9 a.m. each day except Wednesday. Criminal trials also begin at 9 a.m. Attire must be neat and show respect for the court. Shorts, flip-flops, hats, and clothing with offensive language are not allowed inside the courthouse.
The Land Record Division also offers a free Property Notification service that alerts property owners by email when documents are recorded under their name. This is a separate service from criminal records but shows the clerk's office commitment to transparency.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's official page is shown here.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles all criminal case records for felonies and misdemeanor appeals filed in the city.
The clerk's office processes and maintains all Chesapeake criminal court filings, orders, and judgments.
General District Court in Chesapeake
The Chesapeake General District Court is at 307 Albemarle Drive and handles misdemeanors, city ordinance violations, minor civil suits, preliminary hearings for felonies, traffic violations, and small claims up to $25,000. Court schedules begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The General District Court enforces strict security. No guns, knives, mace, cameras, camera phones, recording devices, or other prohibited items are allowed inside the court building. Anyone entering the courthouse should leave all such items in their vehicle. The district court is where the majority of Chesapeake criminal cases start, from traffic infractions to serious misdemeanor charges. Cases are searchable through the OCIS system and the GDC portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/. The official court page is at cityofchesapeake.net/1225/General-District-Court.
Chesapeake Police Department Records
The Chesapeake Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the city. Arrest records, incident reports, and other police records can be requested through the department's records division. Virginia FOIA procedures govern these requests. For a full statewide criminal history, the Virginia State Police CARE program is the official source.
The Chesapeake Sheriff's Office handles courthouse security, civil process service, and transport of inmates. For jail and detention inquiries, contact the Chesapeake Sheriff. The city's correctional facility handles pretrial detainees and people serving shorter local sentences. People sentenced to more than a year go to a state VADOC facility and can be located through the VADOC Inmate Locator tool.
Search Criminal History in Chesapeake
Three main state-run tools provide free public access to Chesapeake criminal records. The OCIS system at eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search covers both circuit and district court criminal and traffic cases in Chesapeake. Enter the person's name or case number to search. Results include charges, court dates, and case status. Sealed and juvenile records do not appear.
The GDC portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/ is specifically for district court cases. The Virginia Courts case information page at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home provides links to all available search tools and guidance on which tool to use for which type of case.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court as listed on the Virginia Judiciary website is shown here.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court on the Virginia Judiciary site links to online case search tools and provides official court contact details.
The Virginia Judiciary website is the authoritative source for court contact information and links to online Chesapeake criminal record searches.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court's local city website is also shown here for reference.
The Chesapeake Circuit Court local page on the city's website provides court procedures, schedule details, and attire requirements.
The city's local court page is useful for understanding court procedures and what to expect when attending a Chesapeake criminal court proceeding.
Virginia State Police Criminal Record Checks
The Virginia State Police maintain the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE), which holds statewide criminal history including cases from Chesapeake. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, full criminal history access is restricted. An individual may request their own criminal record by completing Form SP-167 and submitting it to the CARE program at vsp.virginia.gov/criminal-record-check/.
Mail Form SP-167 to: Department of State Police, P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076. The CARE program can also be reached at Virginia State Police, 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Phone: (804) 674-8028.
VADOC Inmate Locator
For individuals convicted in Chesapeake and sent to a Virginia state correctional facility, the VADOC Inmate Locator at vadoc.virginia.gov/general-public/inmate-locator/ allows name-based searches. The tool shows current facility assignment, custody level, and estimated release dates. People held locally in the Chesapeake correctional facility would not appear in VADOC's state system. Contact the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office for local jail inquiries.
Criminal Records Access in Chesapeake
Non-confidential circuit court records in Chesapeake are open to public inspection under Virginia Code Title 17.1. The Circuit Court Clerk allows inspection of open case files during office hours. Copies are available for a per-page fee. Virginia FOIA, which normally governs government records, does not apply to court clerk records. Those records follow Title 17.1 instead.
Full criminal history reports are governed by Virginia Code § 19.2-389. That statute controls who can receive a criminal history on another person from the state system. Sealed records, juvenile records, expunged records under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2, and confidential records are not publicly available through any of the online portals. These restrictions apply equally in Chesapeake as throughout the state.
Nearby Virginia Cities
These cities are near Chesapeake in the Hampton Roads region. Each is an independent city with its own courts. Suffolk, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach all share the general Hampton Roads area with Chesapeake.