Chesterfield County Criminal Records
Criminal records in Chesterfield County are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk and the General District Court. You can search for cases online or go to the courthouse in person. The county has both a police department and a sheriff's office that handle arrests and law enforcement. If you need to find criminal case information for Chesterfield County, the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System is a good place to start. For certified copies of court documents or detailed case files, you will need to contact the clerk's office directly or submit a written request.
Chesterfield County Overview
Circuit Court Criminal Records in Chesterfield County
The Chesterfield County Circuit Court Clerk, Wendy Hughes, maintains all felony criminal records for the county. The office is at 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You can visit in person or send a written request by mail. The clerk's office handles roughly 1,500 or more felony cases each year, so staff are well used to record requests.
Felony case files kept by the Circuit Court Clerk include: grand jury indictments, motions filed by both sides, court orders, judgments, sentencing records, and final disposition details. Each case gets its own file number. The office uses the Judicial Information Management System (JIMS) to track cases. Records from recent years can be pulled quickly. Older records may be stored off-site and take a few extra days to retrieve.
To get criminal records by mail from the Circuit Court Clerk, send your request to 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Include the defendant's full name, date of birth, case number if you have it, the specific documents you need, your contact info, and payment. Copy fees follow Virginia Code Title 17.1: $0.50 per page for plain copies and $2.00 per document for certified copies. The office accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card. Certified criminal record checks cost $15.00 per name search. More info is at chesterfield.gov/courts/circuit-court-clerk.
The court also takes part in the Virginia Judiciary E-Filing System (VJEFS) and gives online case access through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System (OCIS). Public terminals in the courthouse let you search cases by name or case number without paying copy fees.
| Office | Chesterfield County Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | chesterfield.gov/courts/circuit-court-clerk |
| Copy Fees | $0.50 per page; $2.00 certified; $15.00 name search |
General District Court and Misdemeanor Records
Misdemeanor criminal cases in Chesterfield County go through the General District Court, which is part of the Twelfth Judicial District. This court handles Class 1 through Class 4 misdemeanors, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony charges. If a felony case starts in General District Court, it comes here first before going up to the Circuit Court.
The General District Court keeps records of warrants, summonses, judgments, and sentencing orders. You can search misdemeanor case information online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. The OCIS lets you look up cases by defendant name, case number, or hearing date. It shows charges, case status, and disposition info. For full records or certified copies, you go to the clerk's office in person or send a request by mail. More info is at the Chesterfield County General District Court page.
Copy fees at the General District Court match the state schedule: $0.50 per page for plain copies and $2.00 per certified document. The court also uses the Virginia Judiciary Online Payment System for paying fines online. Court hours are Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
Note: Preliminary hearing records are public unless the case is sealed by court order.
Chesterfield County Police and Sheriff Records
The Chesterfield County Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the county. The Records Unit at Police Headquarters handles requests for incident reports, accident reports, and basic arrest information. You can visit in person during business hours or send a written request. The department processes all requests under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Records available from the police department include the public portions of incident reports, accident reports, and arrest information. Some details may be withheld for active investigations or other legal reasons. The department reports all arrests to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange, which is the state's main repository for criminal history data.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and handles court security and civil process. The Sheriff is an elected constitutional officer. The jail houses people waiting for trial and those serving shorter sentences. You can look up current inmates through the online inmate locator on the Sheriff's website. Inmate records show booking info, charges, court dates, and release information. Medical records are private and not shared without a court order.
The county is also served by the Central Virginia Regional Jail and the Riverside Regional Jail, both of which house inmates from Chesterfield and nearby localities. The Central Virginia Regional Jail serves Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Powhatan, and others. The Riverside Regional Jail covers Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, Prince George, and more. Both jails offer online inmate search tools.
The Chesterfield County Police Department's Records Unit is pictured below. The department keeps incident and arrest data for the county and reports to state and national information networks.
Chesterfield County Police Department official website
The department processes records requests in person and by mail under Virginia FOIA guidelines.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office is shown below. It operates the county jail and provides inmate lookup services to the public.
Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office
Visitors to the jail must show valid photo ID. Visitation is by appointment.
How to Request Criminal Records in Chesterfield County
You have three main ways to get criminal records in Chesterfield County: online search, in-person visit, or a written mail request. Each method works for different needs. Online tools are fast for basic info. Going in person lets you see full files and get certified copies the same day. Mail requests take longer but work if you can't travel to the courthouse.
For court records, go to the Circuit Court Clerk at 9500 Courthouse Road or the General District Court. For police records, contact the Chesterfield County Police Department Records Unit or the Sheriff's Office. Each agency handles its own records under separate procedures.
When you make a written request, include:
- Full name of the person in the record
- Date of birth if known
- Case number if available
- Approximate date of offense or arrest
- Specific documents you want
- Your contact information and return address
- Payment for copy fees
Mail requests to the Circuit Court Clerk are handled within 5 to 10 business days. The court uses the JIMS system to pull records. If a case is older and stored off-site, it may take a few extra days. For the General District Court, written requests typically take 5 to 7 business days to process.
Statewide Virginia Criminal History and Chesterfield County
The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) is the main state repository for criminal history data. It collects arrest and conviction records from all law enforcement agencies across Virginia, including Chesterfield County. When someone is arrested in Chesterfield, that record goes to the CCRE. The CCRE serves as the sole criminal recordkeeping agency of the Commonwealth under Virginia law.
To get a statewide criminal history report, you submit an SP-167 form to the Virginia State Police. A name search costs $15.00. A combined search that includes the Sex Offender Registry runs $20.00. You can get this form and more details at vsp.virginia.gov/CJIS_Criminal_History.shtm. This type of search covers the whole state, not just Chesterfield County cases.
For online case searches limited to Chesterfield County, the Virginia Judiciary OCIS lets you search by county. It shows both circuit court and general district court cases. Results include case status, charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. Some details are only available at the courthouse in person.
Note: The CCRE does not provide records to the general public for employment screening. Those searches go through authorized channels under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.
FOIA and Public Access to Chesterfield County Records
Virginia's Freedom of Information Act, found at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37, gives the public the right to see government records, including many criminal justice documents. Chesterfield County agencies must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. If they need more time, they must tell you in writing and explain why.
Under FOIA, you can request the public portions of police incident reports, accident reports, basic arrest data, and court records that aren't sealed. Records tied to active investigations, juvenile cases, confidential sources, and certain personal data may be withheld. The county designates a FOIA officer for each department to handle requests.
To submit a FOIA request to the Chesterfield County Police Department, you can visit in person, send a written request by mail, or check the department's website for online options. The same goes for the Sheriff's Office. For court records, contact the Circuit Court Clerk or General District Court directly. Copy fees under FOIA are set by state law: $0.50 per page for standard photocopies and additional charges for searches that take substantial staff time.
If a FOIA request is denied, you can appeal to the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council or file a lawsuit in circuit court within 180 days of the denial. The county must explain in writing which specific exemption applies when it denies a request.
Cities Near Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County borders several independent cities that have their own courts and criminal records systems.
Petersburg, Hopewell, and other cities in the region maintain their own independent court systems. All of them report arrest data to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Chesterfield County. Each has its own Circuit Court Clerk and criminal records system.