Culpeper County Criminal Records

Culpeper County criminal history records are held at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office at 135 West Cameron Street in Culpeper, Virginia. The Circuit Court, part of the 16th Judicial Circuit, maintains felony criminal records and the General District Court handles misdemeanors and traffic cases. You can search Culpeper County criminal cases online through Virginia's statewide court portals or visit the courthouse in person during regular business hours to look up case files and request documents.

Culpeper County Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Culpeper County Circuit Court is part of the 16th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. The Clerk of Court is Hon. Carson W. Beard. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with no land recordings accepted after 3:30 PM. The Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases, civil litigation over $25,000, family matters, and appeals from lower courts. The Clerk's office keeps all criminal case files and court documents and can be reached directly for case searches and copy requests.

For FOIA requests related to Circuit Court records, direct them to: Carson W. Beard, Clerk, Culpeper Circuit Court, 135 West Cameron Street, Culpeper, VA 22701, email cbeard@vacourts.gov. Note that records already available to the public through the court are exempt from FOIA under Virginia law. This includes unsealed land records, court records, judgments, marriage licenses, and wills. For those records, you can go directly through the court's public access system rather than filing a formal FOIA request. More details are available at the Culpeper Circuit Court FOIA page.

The Culpeper Circuit Court official page is shown below. This screenshot was taken from the Culpeper Circuit Court page on the Virginia Judiciary website.

The page provides clerk contact information and links to the statewide online case search system for Culpeper County criminal history records.

General District Court in Culpeper County

The Culpeper General District Court is part of the 16th Judicial District of Virginia. The Clerk of Court is Cheryl Lee Phillips. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Phone: (540) 727-3417. This court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil matters under $25,000. It also conducts preliminary hearings for felony cases before they are transferred to Circuit Court for trial. Culpeper County also has a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. The Clerk there is Bethany Ann McClanahan, reachable at (540) 727-3418.

The Culpeper General District Court page at vacourts.gov is shown in the screenshot below. This was taken from the Culpeper General District Court page on the Virginia Judiciary website.

Misdemeanor criminal records, traffic cases, and preliminary felony hearing data for Culpeper County are accessible through this court and Virginia's statewide online case system.

Culpeper County Sheriff's Office

The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Timothy W. Chilton (I), who took office on January 1, 2024. The office is located at 14023 Public Safety Ct, Culpeper, VA 22701, phone (540) 727-7520. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sheriff Chilton can be reached directly at twchilton@culpepercounty.gov or (540) 829-9880.

The Sheriff's Office provides patrol, criminal investigations, court security, communications, jail operations, and Project Lifesaver services. Key leadership includes Chief Deputy Chad McKnight as School Resource Captain and Criminal Investigations Captain Joseph Curtis. The office accepts FOIA requests through its website at culpepersheriffsoffice.com/foia-request. For arrest records and incident reports from the Sheriff's Office, use the FOIA request form on the website or contact the office directly.

The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office main page is shown below. This screenshot was taken from the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office website at culpepersheriffsoffice.com.

The Sheriff's Office website has contact information for command staff, FOIA request forms, and information about law enforcement services in Culpeper County.

Search Criminal History in Culpeper County

Virginia's statewide online court portals are the most efficient way to search Culpeper County criminal records without visiting the courthouse. For Circuit Court felony cases, use the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. This system lets you search by name or case number and shows case status, scheduled hearing dates, and final dispositions for Culpeper County criminal cases. Both Circuit Court and General District Court case data are available online.

For Culpeper County General District Court records, including misdemeanor cases and traffic violations, use the Virginia General District Court Online Case Information System. Both systems are free and available any time. For a centralized starting point, visit the Virginia Courts Case Information portal at vacourts.gov. Juvenile court records and sealed case materials are not accessible through any of these public online search tools.

Culpeper County also has a Culpeper FOIA page specifically for Circuit Court records at web.culpepercounty.gov. This is useful if you need guidance on requesting specific documents that are not available through the standard online search portals. The Culpeper County FOIA page for circuit court records is shown in the screenshot below.

This screenshot was captured from the Culpeper County Circuit Court FOIA page at culpepercounty.gov.

The Culpeper Circuit Court FOIA page explains how to request criminal case records and what types of records are available through formal request versus those already publicly accessible.

Virginia State Police Criminal Record Checks

For a certified statewide criminal history check that covers Culpeper County and all other Virginia jurisdictions, submit Form SP-167 through the Virginia State Police Criminal Record Check portal. The VSP's CARE office maintains the statewide criminal history database and processes official record check requests. Under Virginia Code section 19.2-389, criminal history records held by law enforcement are regulated and not fully public, but court case records are accessible through the court system's public portals.

VADOC Inmate Locator

Use the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator to find people currently serving state prison sentences after a felony conviction in Culpeper County or elsewhere in Virginia. The tool shows current facility, projected release date, and basic status information. People held in the Culpeper County Jail are not listed in the VADOC system. For local jail information, contact the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office at (540) 727-7520.

Criminal Records Access in Culpeper County

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act at Code of Virginia section 2.2-3700 gives citizens the right to public records. Culpeper County must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. For law enforcement records from the Sheriff's Office, submit a FOIA request through the online form at culpepersheriffsoffice.com/foia-request. For Circuit Court records, contact the Clerk's office at (540) 727-3438 or email cbeard@vacourts.gov.

Records that are already publicly available through the court are not subject to FOIA. This includes final criminal case dispositions, judgments, and other unsealed court records. Active criminal investigation files, personnel records, and certain law enforcement operational records may be withheld. The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov can help answer questions about what records you can access and how to request them in Culpeper County.

Cities Near Culpeper County

Culpeper County does not include major independent cities within its borders. The nearest qualifying cities are Fredericksburg to the east and Charlottesville to the south. Criminal cases in Culpeper County go through the county court system in Culpeper.

Nearby Counties

Culpeper County borders several other Virginia counties. Each county operates its own court system and criminal history records.