Richmond Residents Directory Search
The Richmond Residents Directory is a free way to find people and look up public records in Virginia's capital city. Richmond is an independent city, not part of any county. As the seat of state government, the city sits next to many state agencies that hold public data on Virginia residents. Use this page to find the right city office, the right phone, and the right form for your search. Each link below points to a Richmond city office or a state portal that holds the record you want. Court files, police reports, marriage licenses, deeds, and tax records all live within walking distance of one another downtown.
Richmond Residents Directory Overview
City of Richmond Residents Directory Basics
Richmond is the capital of Virginia and an independent city. It runs its own police force, court system, and records office. The City of Richmond portal at rva.gov is the front door for most resident lookups. From there you can reach the police, the courts, the Real Estate Assessor, the Treasurer, the Commissioner of the Revenue, and the city's online tools to pay bills and request services. Each office has its own phone line and walk-in hours.
Records here fall into a few groups. Court files are at the John Marshall Courts Building. Police reports come from the Richmond Police Records Division. Marriage licenses, deeds, and probate records live with the Circuit Court Clerk. Property assessments and tax info are at the Real Estate Assessor and the Commissioner of the Revenue.
For a quick view of the city government homepage, visit rva.gov.
The site is the main jump point for council meetings, the city budget, and any resident lookup or records request in the city.
Richmond Police Department Records
The Richmond Police Department provides law enforcement to Virginia's capital city. The department keeps records of every incident, arrest, traffic crash, and case it works on. Most are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, with carve-outs for active cases. Call 911 for an emergency. The non-emergency line is 804-646-5100.
The Records Division takes requests for incident reports, accident reports, and arrest records. Incident reports are open to victims and involved parties with proper ID. Accident reports go to involved drivers, vehicle owners, and insurance companies. Background checks for Richmond only are processed through the Records Division. Statewide checks must go through the Virginia State Police.
The department also runs an online crime map and posts annual stats. For a quick view of the Richmond Police homepage and the records links, visit rva.gov/police.
The page lists records request steps, crime maps, and the non-emergency phone line in one spot.
Note: Have a case number or a date and address ready when you call the Richmond Police Records Division. It cuts the wait by days.
Richmond Courts and Case Lookup
The Richmond Courts page lists each clerk and address. The Richmond Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction for the city. It hears felony cases, civil suits over $25,000, divorces, and probate matters. The Clerk's Office maintains deeds, marriage licenses, judgments, and wills. Land records like property deeds and mortgages are recorded and kept by the Clerk. Probate records like wills and estate administrations are also there.
The Clerk's Office is at the John Marshall Courts Building, 400 N. 9th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Court records are public unless sealed by court order. Records can be searched in person at the courthouse or through online systems where available. The court provides certified copies of documents for a fee. Plain copies cost about $0.50 a page. Certified copies run $2 to $5 each.
The Richmond General District Court hears misdemeanors, traffic, small claims up to $5,000, civil cases up to $25,000, and landlord cases. All Richmond courts are part of the Virginia Judicial System. The case status portal at vacourts.gov is the fastest way to run a name lookup across Richmond court files. It is free and open to the public.
For bulk court data on Richmond, the Virginia Court Data Portal offers free downloads of Circuit and District court cases through 2024.
Public Records Under Virginia FOIA
City records in Richmond are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700. The act says all writings prepared or held by a public body are open unless a clear exemption applies. The law has to be read in favor of access. The city must reply to a request within five working days.
Send a written request to the right department. You do not have to give a reason. The city may charge for staff time and copies, but only the actual cost. Ask for an estimate first if the request is large. If a request is denied, you can appeal to circuit court or get help from the state Freedom of Information Advisory Council. Reach the council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, by phone at (804) 225-3056, or toll-free at 1-866-448-4100. Visit foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov for sample request letters and FOIA guides.
Vital Records and State Resources
Marriage licenses for couples married in Richmond are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk at the John Marshall Courts Building. For birth, death, and divorce certificates, the state runs a central office right in Richmond. The Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond. Walk-in hours are 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. Call (804) 662-6200. Each copy is $12. Records are limited to immediate family. Birth records are public after 100 years. Death, marriage, and divorce records are public after 25 years.
For a Virginia criminal history, the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange handles name searches at $15 per name using Form SP-167. The Sex Offender Registry is free at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov, set up under Va. Code § 9.1-900. Driving records come from the Virginia DMV. Business filings are at the State Corporation Commission. Health professional licenses are at the Department of Health Professions.
Library of Virginia and State Archives
The Library of Virginia at 800 E. Broad Street is one of the deepest research stops for any Richmond resident lookup. It holds free in-library access to Ancestry, HeritageQuest, LexisNexis, and Westlaw. Over 100 digital collections are online, covering photos, maps, the Virginia Chronicle newspaper archive, Chancery Records court cases, and the Virginia Untold African American resources. For genealogy and old Richmond records, this is where you start.
The library also runs Records Management for state and local agencies. Many pre-1912 records live with the library when they are not at a circuit court clerk's office. The Virginia Public Access Project tracks campaign donors and lobbying tied to elected officials, including those based in Richmond.
Note: Richmond has no county clerk. All city records go through Richmond city offices or through state agencies, most of which are right in town.
Nearby Resources and Related Pages
Richmond sits at the heart of Central Virginia. Many residents work in or commute through nearby counties. For court and records info on nearby areas, see the Henrico County Residents Directory, Chesterfield County Residents Directory, and Hanover County Residents Directory pages. The nearby city of Petersburg also has its own records office.
For records in another part of the state, see all Virginia cities or all Virginia counties. The Virginia Residents Directory home page has the full state guide.