Danville Criminal Records Lookup
Danville criminal records are held by the Danville Circuit Court Clerk and the General District Court, both of which serve the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Danville is an independent city in southside Virginia with roughly 40,000 residents, and it is the southernmost major independent city in the state. Because it is independent from Pittsylvania County, the city runs its own courts and law enforcement. Criminal case records are searchable online through the Virginia OCIS portal. The Danville Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports, while the Virginia State Police CCRE holds the official criminal history for all arrests made in the city.
Danville Overview
Danville Circuit Court Criminal Records
The Danville Circuit Court Clerk at danville-va.gov/circuit-court maintains all felony criminal records for the city. This includes indictments, motions, trial orders, conviction judgments, and sentencing documents. The office is the official record keeper for all cases that pass through the 22nd Judicial Circuit in Danville.
| Office | Danville Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Website | danville-va.gov/circuit-court |
| City Portal | danville-va.gov |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
Felony case files at the Circuit Court are public records open to inspection during business hours. The standard copy fee is $0.50 per page under Virginia Code Title 17.1, and certified copies cost more. You can request copies in person at the Clerk's Office window or send a written mail request with prepaid fees. The Clerk's staff can look up cases by name or case number and confirm what is available for a given individual or case.
The 22nd Judicial Circuit covers Danville and also serves Pittsylvania County, though each maintains its own separate records. A case from Danville is in Danville Circuit Court records, not Pittsylvania. Make sure you are searching the right jurisdiction when looking for case history.
General District Court and OCIS Search
The Danville General District Court at vacourts.gov handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings on felony charges before they move to Circuit Court. Most Danville criminal cases start here. The court keeps full records of all case outcomes.
Virginia's Online Case Information System at eapps.courts.state.va.us gives free public access to Danville criminal case records at both the circuit and general district court levels. You search by name or case number and see charge descriptions, case status, and hearing dates. No account is needed and no fee is charged for the search itself. To get full case documents or certified copies, you need to contact the appropriate court directly.
Online payment options are available through the General District Court portal for traffic and certain criminal fines. If a misdemeanor case was appealed to Circuit Court, a new record was created there. Check both levels when doing a full case history review for any individual with Danville criminal cases.
Note: OCIS does not display sealed records or juvenile case information.
Danville Police and Arrest Records
The Danville Police Department at danville-va.gov/police handles arrest records and incident reports for Virginia's southernmost independent city.
FOIA requests for Danville police records, including incident reports and arrest logs, can be submitted to the Records Division.
Virginia's FOIA law at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov gives residents the right to request accessible criminal records from Danville city offices.
Danville offices must respond to FOIA requests within five business days and may charge actual costs for document reproduction.
Basic information available under FOIA includes the date, time, location, and general nature of an incident. Detailed investigative files may be withheld if releasing them would compromise an ongoing case. The department must cite the specific exemption if it denies any part of your request. If you believe the denial was improper, the FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov provides mediation and advisory opinions.
All Danville arrests are reported to the Virginia State Police CCRE at vsp.virginia.gov within 15 days. To request an official criminal history at the state level, use form SP-167 with a $15 fee. The combination search including the Sex Offender Registry costs $20. Forms are at vsp.virginia.gov/forms. The Danville Sheriff's Office at danville-va.gov/sheriff manages the city jail and serves civil process. Victim notification is available through VINE.
Expungement in Danville
Danville residents may be able to have certain criminal records cleared under Virginia Code ยง 19.2-392.2. Expungement is available for cases that ended in acquittal, nolle prosequi, or dismissal. It is not available for most convictions, though Virginia has updated its expungement laws in recent years and more cases may now qualify than before.
To start the process, file a petition at the Danville Circuit Court. The petition must include the arrest date, the name of the arresting agency, the specific charge, the date of final disposition, and your date of birth. The Danville Commonwealth's Attorney receives a copy and has 21 days to respond. The court then holds a hearing and considers whether the continued existence of the record causes or may cause a manifest injustice to you.
If you have no prior record and the original charge was a misdemeanor or civil offense that was dismissed, you are generally entitled to expungement without having to prove manifest injustice. Once the court grants the petition, it orders the removal of both police and court records, including electronic records. The Virginia State Police CCRE updates the criminal history database after receiving the expungement order.
The VADOC Inmate Locator allows free searches for individuals held in state correctional facilities. For the Sex Offender Registry, use the free tool at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov.
Legal Help in Danville
Danville residents who need assistance with criminal records have several places to turn. Piedmont Legal Aid serves southside Virginia and may help with expungement petitions, records requests, and related questions for income-qualifying individuals. Their office can tell you if Danville falls within their service area and what documents to bring to your initial appointment.
The Virginia State Bar's lawyer referral service connects residents with private attorneys who handle criminal defense and expungement matters in the Danville area. Virginia Law Help has self-help guides online for individuals who want to manage their own expungement petition without legal representation.
Virginia's full criminal code at law.lis.virginia.gov defines all criminal offenses and their classifications. This helps you understand what a charge in a Danville case record means and how serious the offense was under state law. Virginia Code Title 19.2 at law.lis.virginia.gov governs all criminal procedure, from arrest and bail through sentencing and appeals, and applies equally in Danville.
Danville and Pittsylvania County
Danville is an independent city that borders Pittsylvania County to the north and west. The two jurisdictions share the 22nd Judicial Circuit but maintain completely separate courts and records. If you need criminal records from Pittsylvania County rather than Danville, visit the Pittsylvania County Circuit Court Clerk. See the Pittsylvania County page for details on county-level records in the area.
Nearby Cities
Martinsville is the closest independent city to Danville but does not yet have a page on this site. Other Virginia cities in the broader region include Roanoke, which has its own criminal records office.