Search Pulaski County Criminal Records

Pulaski County criminal records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk and General District Court in Pulaski, Virginia. If you need to search for felony cases, misdemeanor filings, or arrest records from the Sheriff's Office, you can start online through the Virginia Judiciary system or go to the courthouse in person. This page covers the main sources for criminal records in Pulaski County and walks through the steps to access each one.

Pulaski County Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk holds all felony criminal case records for the county. The office is at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Pulaski, Virginia, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. All felony criminal cases in Virginia go through circuit court. The clerk builds a case file from the moment a grand jury indictment is returned, adding motions, court orders, plea paperwork, and sentencing documents as the case moves forward.

Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23, all arrests and court dispositions must be reported to the statewide criminal records system. The clerk sends this data to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange. Felony case records in Pulaski County are public once a case is finalized, unless a court order seals specific information.

You can search Pulaski County Circuit Court records online at vacourts.gov. The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System lets you search by name or case number. It shows party names, charges, hearing dates, and case status. The full text of filed documents is not available online. For those, visit or write the clerk's office directly.

Copy fees follow state law under Virginia Code Title 17.1: $0.50 per page for standard copies and $2.00 per document for certified copies. The Pulaski County government website has contact information for the courthouse and links to county services related to criminal records.

The circuit court also takes appeals from the General District Court. When a misdemeanor conviction is appealed, the case gets a new trial in circuit court and those records go to the same clerk's office. If you are not sure which court level handled a case, the online system lets you check both at once.

General District Court and Misdemeanor Records

The Pulaski County General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony charges. The court is part of the Twenty-seventh Judicial District of Virginia. Misdemeanor records include warrants, summonses, court orders, judgments, and sentencing information. All of these are public records accessible through the courthouse or the Virginia Judiciary online system.

Virginia law classifies misdemeanors from Class 1 through Class 4. Class 1 misdemeanors under Virginia Code Title 18.2 are the most serious and carry up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. Records of these cases stay on file with the General District Court. You can search them at vacourts.gov or go in person to the Pulaski County Courthouse.

Preliminary hearings for felony cases are held in General District Court to determine probable cause before a case goes to the grand jury. Records of those hearings are kept by the district court clerk. If probable cause is found and the case is certified to circuit court, records then continue at the circuit level. Both sets of records can be searched through the online case information system.

Note: Traffic infractions in Virginia are civil violations and do not create criminal records. Criminal traffic charges like reckless driving, DUI, and driving on a suspended license do appear in criminal record searches.

Pulaski County Sheriff's Office Records

The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. The Sheriff maintains arrest records, incident reports, and jail operations for Pulaski County. When an arrest is made, the Sheriff's Office reports it to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange. This is how Pulaski County arrest data enters the statewide criminal history database.

Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37, the Sheriff's Office must respond to records requests within five working days. Arrest records, incident reports, and jail rosters are generally public. Active investigation files, juvenile records, and confidential informant information may be withheld. Submit FOIA requests in writing to the Sheriff's Office in Pulaski. Include dates, names, and case details to help staff locate the right record.

The Sheriff also runs the county jail for pretrial detainees and people serving short sentences. Jail records can be requested from the Sheriff's Office. Virginia State Police handle incidents on state roads in Pulaski County, so some reports may need to be requested from VSP rather than the local Sheriff.

The Pulaski County government website has contact information for the Sheriff's Office and other county departments. The image below comes from that site.

This screenshot shows the Pulaski County government portal at pulaskicounty.org, which links to the courthouse, Sheriff's Office, and county public records resources.

How to Get Criminal Records in Pulaski County

Getting criminal records in Pulaski County is done online, in person, or by mail. The right method depends on what you need. Online searches are free and take just a few minutes. In-person visits let you see the full case file and walk out with certified copies. Mail requests work if you cannot make the trip to Pulaski.

For online searches, go to the Virginia Judiciary case information system at vacourts.gov. It is free and covers circuit and district court records statewide. For an official criminal history report, contact the Virginia State Police CCRE. Use the SP-167 form for a name search at $15.00. Fingerprint-based searches are required for some official purposes and cost more. Sex offender registry name searches use the SP-266 form at $15.00, or search the Virginia Sex Offender Registry for violent offenders at no charge.

• Online case search: vacourts.gov/caseinfo
• Circuit Court Clerk: Pulaski County Courthouse, Pulaski, VA
• Sheriff's Office FOIA: written request, Pulaski County
• Official criminal history: Virginia State Police CCRE, $15 name search
• Copy fees: $0.50 per page, $2.00 certified

For in-person visits, go to the Pulaski County Courthouse during business hours. The Circuit Court Clerk handles felony files. The General District Court clerk handles misdemeanor records. Bring photo ID and payment for copy fees. For mail requests, write to the Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse address, include the name and year of the case, and enclose a check or money order. Allow one to two weeks for processing.

Virginia CCRE and Pulaski County Criminal History

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange is the statewide criminal history database. Arrests in Pulaski County get reported to the CCRE by the Sheriff's Office or Virginia State Police. Court dispositions are added as cases close. This builds a running criminal history for anyone arrested in Virginia.

The CCRE record is a summary of arrests and dispositions. The court record at the clerk's office is the full file with all the documents. They should agree in most cases, but timing differences in data reporting can cause small gaps. For a thorough check, use both sources. The Virginia Judiciary site gives you court records at no cost. The VSP CCRE page explains how to get the official criminal history report.

Virginia law controls who can access CCRE records and for what purpose. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, criminal history information is restricted to authorized parties. Public access to CCRE data is more limited than access to the court records maintained by circuit and district court clerks.

Public Access and FOIA in Pulaski County

Most criminal court records in Pulaski County are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37. Anyone can request them without explaining their purpose. The clerk or Sheriff's Office has five working days to respond. Fees may be charged for search time, review, and reproduction of records, with cost estimates provided for large requests.

Access limits apply in specific cases. Juvenile records are sealed by law. Expunged records are not available to the public. Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.1, people whose charges were dismissed or who were acquitted may petition to have their records expunged. Once a court grants expungement, the record disappears from public searches. Some records tied to active investigations or that contain sensitive personal data may also be withheld under FOIA exemptions.

If you believe a record was improperly withheld, you can seek guidance from the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council or challenge the decision through the courts. The FOIA Council issues advisory opinions and offers mediation services for records access disputes without requiring formal litigation.

Nearby Counties

Pulaski County sits in southwest Virginia. These neighboring counties each maintain their own circuit courts and criminal records systems.