Find Roanoke Residents Directory

The Roanoke Residents Directory is a free way to find people and look up public records in the City of Roanoke. Roanoke is an independent city in southwestern Virginia, the largest in the Roanoke Valley. It is not part of any county. The city handles its own court files, police reports, marriage licenses, and tax data. Use this page to find the right office, the right phone, and the right form for your search. Each link below points to a Roanoke city office or a state portal that holds the record you want.

City of Roanoke Residents Directory Basics

Roanoke sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is the urban center of southwestern Virginia. The city runs its own police force, court system, and records office. The City of Roanoke portal is the front door for most resident lookups. From there you can reach the police, the courts, the Real Estate Assessor, the city Treasurer, the Commissioner of the Revenue, and the Historic City Market info. Each office has its own phone line and walk-in hours.

Records here fall into a few groups. Court files are at the local courts. Police reports come from the city Police Records Unit. Marriage licenses and land deeds live with the Circuit Court Clerk. Property and tax info is on file with the Real Estate Assessor and the Commissioner of the Revenue. Most key offices sit in or near the Roanoke Municipal Building downtown.

For a quick view of the city government homepage, visit roanokeva.gov.

The site links to council meetings, the Business Equipment Incentive Program, parks and events, and resident services in one spot.

Roanoke Police Department Records

The Roanoke Police Department provides law enforcement services to city residents. 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 some carve-outs for active cases. Call 911 in a true emergency. For all other calls, use the city non-emergency line.

The Records Unit takes requests for incident reports, accident reports, and arrest records. Have a case number, or a date and address, ready to speed the search. Crash reports for insurance claims can be sent to the insurance company once you sign a release. Statewide criminal history checks must go through the Virginia State Police.

For a quick view of the police department page and the records request links, visit roanokeva.gov/police.

The page is the fastest way to start a report request or read the latest crime stats for Roanoke.

Roanoke Courts Residents Directory

The Roanoke Circuit Court hears felonies, civil suits over $25,000, divorces, deeds, wills, and probate. The Clerk's Office keeps marriage licenses and land records. The General District Court hears misdemeanors, traffic, small claims up to $5,000, civil cases up to $25,000, landlord cases, and felony preliminary hearings. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court hears custody, support, abuse and neglect, juvenile cases, and protective orders.

All Roanoke courts are part of the Virginia Judicial System. For a name lookup across Roanoke court files, the case status portal at vacourts.gov is the fastest tool. It is free and open to the public. Plain copies cost about $0.50 a page. Certified copies run $2 to $5 each.

For a quick view of the Roanoke Courts page and the clerk contact list, visit roanokeva.gov/courts.

The page is a good single starting point for case lookups, hours, and clerk phone numbers.

For bulk court data on Roanoke, the Virginia Court Data Portal offers free downloads of Circuit Criminal, District Criminal, Circuit Civil, and District Civil cases through 2024.

Public Records Under Virginia FOIA

City records in Roanoke 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.

Vital Records and State Resources

Marriage licenses for couples married in Roanoke are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk. For birth, death, and divorce certificates, the state runs a central office. The Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond. 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.

Nearby Resources and Related Pages

Roanoke is the urban heart of the Roanoke Valley. Many residents work in or commute between Roanoke and the nearby cities and counties. For court and records info on nearby areas, see the Salem Residents Directory, Roanoke County Residents Directory, and the nearby Radford Residents Directory page.

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. The Library of Virginia in Richmond holds chancery court records and old Roanoke newspaper archives that go back to the late 1800s.