Chesapeake Residents Directory Lookup

The Chesapeake Residents Directory brings together the city offices, court clerks, and state portals you need to find a person or pull a public record in the City of Chesapeake. Chesapeake is one of the largest cities in Virginia and an independent city in the Hampton Roads region. It is not part of any county. The city runs its own police force, courts, and records office. Use this page to search court files, ask for police reports, get marriage records, and submit Virginia FOIA requests. Every link goes right to the source.

City of Chesapeake Government

The City of Chesapeake website is the main hub for resident services and records. From the home page you can reach the city manager, council, the records office, the planning desk, and every department. The city is part of the Hampton Roads region and works with neighboring cities on regional issues.

Chesapeake runs a long list of online services for residents. You can pay city bills, check trash pickup, look up zoning, and request services right from the website. Public records are kept in each department and are open under Virginia FOIA. The records office can route a request to the right place if you do not know where to start.

Take a quick look at the city homepage to find a department or contact line. Visit it at cityofchesapeake.net.

The site lists every department and online service in one spot.

Chesapeake Police Department

The Chesapeake Police Department is the city's law enforcement agency. The department keeps records of every incident, arrest, crash, and case it works on. Most of those records are open under Virginia FOIA, with the usual hold for active cases. The department also coordinates with other Hampton Roads agencies on regional public safety.

To get a copy of a report, contact the records section at the police department. You give the date, address, and any names you have. The department also runs community safety programs, crime prevention, and youth outreach.

Call 911 for any emergency. For non-emergency calls, use the line listed on the police page. The department posts crime stats and reports incident data to the Virginia State Police for the annual Crime in Virginia report.

Chesapeake Courts and Case Records

Chesapeake is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit. The city has a Circuit Court, General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Circuit Court handles felonies, large civil cases, divorces, real estate deeds, marriage licenses, and wills. The clerk's office can pull cases for you and make copies.

General District Court hears misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, civil claims, and landlord-tenant matters. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court takes care of custody, support, abuse, neglect, and protective orders. Each court has its own clerk and contact line.

For online case info, use the Virginia Online Case Information System. You can search by name in each court. The system shows case numbers, hearing dates, charges, and dispositions. For bulk downloads, the Virginia Court Data Portal has Circuit and District case files through the end of 2024.

FOIA and Public Records Search

Chesapeake records are open under Va. Code § 2.2-3700, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The act covers any record made or held by the city. The city has five working days to reply to a request. To file, contact the city clerk or the department that holds the file. Tell them what you want and how you would like to get it.

The state Freedom of Information Advisory Council can help with questions or appeals. Reach them at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov, by email at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, or by phone at (804) 225-3056.

Vital Records and State Resources

For birth, death, and divorce certificates, contact the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond. Each copy is $12. Phone is (804) 662-6200. Marriage licenses for people married in Chesapeake go through the Circuit Court Clerk in the city.

The Virginia State Police handles criminal history name searches for $15 through the Central Criminal Records Exchange. The free Sex Offender Registry is at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov. Driver records come from the Virginia DMV.

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services publishes crime data that includes Chesapeake. The Library of Virginia has historical records.

Related Hampton Roads Pages

Chesapeake sits next to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, and Portsmouth. To return to the full guide, see the Virginia Residents Directory home page or browse all Virginia cities and all Virginia counties.