Search Free Lynchburg Public Records: Criminal, Marital, Court, Property & More

X

Free Lynchburg Public Records Search

Access Lynchburg Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

First Name

Last Name

City (Optional)

State ALAKAZARCACOCTDEDCFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY

Lynchburg public records are available for you to access for free, both online and in person.

A variety of official records are available for the public to view and acquire, including criminal records (prisoner information, arrests, warrants and probation), family records (marriage, divorce, birth and death), general court records, and property records. You can search these records yourself or by requesting background check reports.

Laws such as the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and its federal counterpart require government agencies to make these records available to the general public. While there are certain exceptions and the process can be tedious, there is a way for you to access these records for free.

Some public information is available online, while some must be requested by mail or in person. This helpful, streamlined resource will provide guidance on how to conduct a free public records search efficiently for an array of record types in Lynchburg, Virginia.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Look Up Recent Arrests in Lynchburg Virginia for Free

If you are looking for Lynchburg arrest records, you can find information at the city, county and sometimes state level. Regardless of where you obtain this information, arrest records typically provide you with basic information about charges brought against an individual and help you find out if someone is in jail.

If you want to conduct the broadest search for arrest records, you can start at the county level (Campbell County for the city of Lynchburg). If you want an arrest report, you will often have to find records at the city level, as the city police departments are typically the arresting agency.

Below is information on how to obtain a recent arrest report, police reports and other information you may want to get about an individual.

Check if Someone Is in Jail Through the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority

You can search for inmates via the Blue Ridge Jail Authority online jail tracker tool.¹ You can use this online search tool to perform a name search for current and released Lynchburg inmates.

The search tool provides detailed jail records and information on crimes charged against someone, when they were arrested and whether or not they were released. You can also view detailed descriptive information about the person, what facility they are located in (if not released) and any bond amount required for them to be released from jail.

For additional information on Lynchburg bookings, you can contact the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority. In addition to their online search tool, you can make a request for records by submitting an online request.²

You can also get information on requesting inmate information by contacting their FOIA department at 434-847-3100 (ext. 1224) or by email at [email protected].

When making a request, make sure you provide as much detail about the inmate you are requesting information about as you have available. The more information you have on the subject, the more likely the office will be able to produce records from their jail roster to assist you with your search.

The Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority consists of six different locations. If you want to contact the Lynchburg facility, you can call them at 434-847-1300. You can also go in person to the below address:

Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority – Lynchburg
510 9th St.
Lynchburg, VA 24504

If you are looking for an online search option, you will have to use the state-level Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator.³ This tool can provide you with information on whether or not an individual is in jail and where they are currently incarcerated. However, the search tool does not provide detailed inmate information.

You can use this information to assist you with any request made with the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority.

Note: The city of Lynchburg does not provide an online search tool that allows you to find someone’s mugshot.

Obtain Police Reports & Find Recent Bookings Through the Lynchburg Law Enforcement Agencies

If you are seeking police records, a good starting point is to contact the Lynchburg Police Department.⁴

Police records can give you specific details about an incident that occurred that led to an individual’s arrest. Usually, this information will contain significantly more detail about a particular incident than what may be provided by a jail or prison inmate search tool.

To request records from the Lynchburg Police Department, you can contact their Records Unit. The Records Unit allows requests to be made by phone, email, mail or fax. You can also go in person to make a request. Here is the contact information for all the ways in which you can make a request for police records.

Phone: To make a request by phone, you can call the Records Unit at 434-455-6052 (Select Option 1).

Fax: Fax requests can be sent to 434-847-1526.

Email: Email requests may be sent to [email protected].

Mail or In-Person: For mail-in requests or to make a request in person, you can use the address below.

Lynchburg Police Department
Records Unit
905 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

To make a request, make sure you provide your name, address and as much specificity as you can about the record you are requesting. This also means being specific about the type of record you are requesting, so be sure to indicate which type of police record you need.

The Records Unit will respond to any requests made within 5 business days of its receipt.

Note: While there is no fixed cost for requesting these records, the Lynchburg Police Department can charge for the actual cost of responding to your request; furthermore, they can request a deposit in advance if the cost is estimated to be greater than $200. 

You can also contact the Lynchburg Sheriff’s Office in your search for police records, either by phone at 434-847-1301 or in person at this address:

Lynchburg Sheriff’s Office
907 Clay St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

Another option, if you are still trying to track down police records in Lynchburg, is to contact the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.⁵ Lynchburg is located within Campbell County, so you can also contact them to request police records by phone at 434-332-9580 or by email at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can go in person to request records at the location listed below:

Campbell County Sheriff’s Office
87 Courthouse Ln.
Rustburg, Virginia 24588

How To Search for Free Lynchburg Criminal Records

In addition to searching jail rosters and arrest records, you can also perform a free criminal record check of Lynchburg public records. While arrest records may provide all of the information you need, criminal records can provide the final outcome of any charges brought against a person.

If someone has a criminal record, it means they have not only been arrested but they have also been convicted of a crime.

Their criminal record will detail what charges they were ultimately convicted of (which can differ from their initial arrest record), their sentence (including whether or not they are in prison or on probation) and a detailed list of court dates and what occurred during each specific hearing.

The sections below will highlight how to search for and access criminal records. In addition, there will be specific information on how to determine if someone has a warrant or is currently on probation.

Perform a Criminal Record Lookup To View Cases & Charges via the Lynchburg General District Court

To access criminal cases, you can search Lynchburg judicial records through the Lynchburg General District Court Online Search Tool.⁶ You can use this search tool to find criminal records by name, case number or hearing date.

They also provide a search option to find criminal records based on an individual that was served in a criminal matter. For example, you can use this search option to search for instances in which individuals were served with a subpoena to be a witness on a party’s behalf.

Most often, people will use this search tool to check public records for criminal cases by name or case number. When you perform your search, you have the option of filtering your search to view current, archived or all criminal records.

Your search results will provide you with a list of names and case numbers that match your search criteria. In addition, you can see a summary of the charges against the individual as well as the most recent hearing date and time for that particular criminal case.

Once you select a particular criminal record, you can view detailed criminal record information on an individual. In addition to getting general descriptive information on an individual (e.g., gender, sex, date of birth), you can also get attorney information and the current status of the individual (e.g., released on summons).

The charges section in the criminal record provides detailed information about the specific charge, including the particular criminal statute that was violated and the arrest date. You can also access information on the arresting agency, which can be helpful if you are looking for additional information to make a request for an arrest report.

If you want to see how the case was resolved, check the “disposition information” section, where you can find information on an individual’s sentence, including whether or not the person has to serve probation or pay any fines.

The Lynchburg General District Court Criminal Division handles misdemeanor and traffic cases.⁹ Misdemeanors are cases that are punishable by up to one year in jail.

The Lynchburg General District Court hours are Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can contact the General District Court Criminal Division at 434-455-2630 or in person at the following address:

General District Court – Criminal Division
905 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

Verify if Someone Has a Criminal History by Utilizing the Lynchburg Circuit Court Online Search Tool

For more serious types of criminal cases, you can search with the Lynchburg Circuit Court Case Information Tool.¹⁰

Utilize this online tool to find a person’s criminal history by searching their name, case number or hearing date. Once you complete your search, you’ll be able to view similar information as to what is provided by the General District Court’s Search Tool.

The criminal records information provided by this search tool is broken down into the following broad sections:

• General Case Details
• Hearings
• Final Disposition

The “Final Disposition” section not only details how the case was determined (i.e., guilty or innocent) but also provides details about an individual’s sentence. This includes anything from where they are incarcerated to restitution payments required to be paid by the defendant.

The Lynchburg County Circuit Court adjudicates felony cases and any appeals of misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases that were originally handled by the General District Court.

If you have additional questions about searching criminal records, you can contact the Lynchburg Circuit Court from Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call them at 434-455-2620 or stop by in person at:

Lynchburg Circuit Court
900 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24505

How To Determine Whether You or Someone Else Has a Warrant Out for Arrest in the City of Lynchburg VA

If you want to find out if someone has any Lynchburg warrants, you can search using the Lynchburg General District Court online search tool or the Circuit Court Case Information Tool.

After you perform a criminal record search, go to the “Hearings” section. Here, you will see a list of every action taken in a particular criminal case. If a warrant has been issued in a criminal case, it should be listed as an entry in this section of the individual’s criminal record.

Another option if you want to perform a warrant search is to contact the Lynchburg Sheriff’s Office, as they are responsible for issuing warrants. You can contact them by phone at 434.847.1301  or in person at the following address:

Lynchburg County Sheriff’s Office
907 Clay Street
Lynchburg, VA 24504

How To Confirm if a Lynchburg Resident Is on Probation

If you want to find out if someone is on probation, you can use the Lynchburg General District Court online search tool or the Circuit Court Case Information Tool to perform a general criminal record check.

Once you conduct a search and select the individual you are searching for, you can find a variety of criminal records, including disposition information.

Under the “Disposition Information” section (for the General District Court) or “Final Disposition” (for the Lynchburg Circuit Court), there is detailed probation information, such as the probation type an individual is on, how long the person was sentenced to probation and the start date for probation.

If you have additional questions about whether someone in Lynchburg is on probation, you can try reaching out to the Campbell County Adult Probation Office for the Virginia Department of Corrections. Contact them by phone at 434-947-6651 or at this address:

Department of Corrections – Adult Probation
725 Church St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24588 

How To Perform a Criminal Background Check in Lynchburg Virginia

You can conduct your own personal background check by searching criminal records online and in person. If you just want to learn more about a particular individual, this may suffice. However, if you need a more formal background check, it’s important to understand the process for requesting one.

An official background check may be needed for–among other things–adoption, employment, getting approved as a tenant or volunteering with children or the elderly. The Lynchburg Police Department no longer provides criminal background checks, so to get a background check, you must make your request with the Virginia State Police.

The Virginia State Police can provide you with a criminal history background check that covers the entire state of Virginia through their Civil & Applicant Records Exchange (CARE).¹²

For individuals requesting a criminal background check, they must complete and have notarized their Criminal History Background Search Form (Form SP-167) and mail it to the address below:¹³

Civil & Applicant Records Exchange
Virginia State Police
P.O. Box 85076
Richmond, Virginia 23285

You can also drop off the form in person at this location:

Virginia Department of State Police Headquarters
7700 Midlothian Turnpike
North Chesterfield, Virginia 23235

The Virginia State Police provides detailed instructions for completing the background check form. The cost of a Criminal History Record Search is $15.00, and the approximate time for processing a request is 15 days from the date of receipt.

In addition to statewide background checks, the Virginia State Police can also assist with a national fingerprint-based background check for employees and volunteers working with children, the elderly or people with disabilities. For more information, call them at 804-674-2131 or visit their Background Check FAQ Page.

How To Uncover Virginia’s Criminal Records & Cases via State or Federal Agencies

After you have completed your search of Lynchburg public records, you can also use state and public resources to search for Virginia criminal records. 

Using these tools, you can look up someone’s criminal record throughout the state of Virginia, as well as an individual’s federal convictions.

These tools can be used to broaden your search or assist you with determining if someone has a criminal record in Lynchburg. Here is a list of online resources for retrieving these criminal records:

• Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System – The Virginia Judiciary’s online case information system search tool can be used to access criminal records throughout the state. You can search criminal cases by a person’s name, case number or even a hearing date.
• Civil & Applicant Records Exchange (CARE) – This is a tool provided by the Virginia State Police to request a criminal record check.
• Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator – This search tool is limited to providing you with the prison a person is located in, their release date and their inmate I.D. This information may be helpful as part of your overall search of an individual’s criminal record.
• Virginia Sex Offender Registry – This is a specific tool provided by the Virginia State Police for searching for anyone who was convicted of a sexual offense that requires them to register as a sex offender.¹⁴ This search tool allows you to search for sex offenders in Virginia by any of the following: (1) name, (2) zip code, (3) county, (4) city and (5) school.
• U.S. National Sex Offender Registry – You can use this countywide search tool to find individuals required to register as sex offenders throughout the United States, either by name or location.¹⁵
• Federal Inmate Search Tool (Bureau of Prisons) – Utilize this search tool to look for people with federal criminal convictions and incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons anywhere in the U.S.¹⁶

These federal and state-level Virginia public records tools are a great resource to supplement your search of Lynchburg criminal records.

How To Acquire Lynchburg Court Records

If you want to perform a general search of Lynchburg court records online, you can do so by using the following online search tools:

• Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System – You can use this statewide tool to search for information for cases specifically handled by the Lynchburg Circuit Court.
• Circuit Court Case Information Search Tool – This search tool can be used to search for all cases handled by the Lynchburg Circuit Court. Options are divided into civil and criminal cases.
• General District Court Online Case Information – This search tool can be used to search for a variety of different types of cases that were under the jurisdiction of the Lynchburg General District Court, including both criminal and civil cases.

To perform a Lynchburg case search in person, you can utilize the contact information below. It is advised that you start by calling the clerk of the courthouse to ask them for specific information as to their process for allowing individuals to search case records. Also, make sure you confirm their hours of availability for searching their records:

Lynchburg General District Court
905 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

Criminal Phone Number: 434-455-2630
Civil Phone Number: 434-455-2640

Lynchburg Circuit Court
900 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24505

Phone: 434-455-2620

Lynchburg Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
909 Court St., First Level
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

Phone: 434-455-2670

How To Retrieve Lynchburg Vital Records: Marriages, Divorces, Births & Deaths

Whether you want to find out if someone is married or you need a certified copy of a birth certificate, the primary custodian for these types of records is the Virginia Department of Health.¹⁷

Vital records can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, people often use birth and death records to perform genealogy searches. Vital records can also be used to simply learn more about a person or their family.

However, people often need a certified copy of these records for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• Getting added to someone’s health insurance policy
• Making an insurance claim as a beneficiary
• Submitting a passport application
• Changing your name on your social security card (often done after marriage or divorce)
• Estate probate

Whether you need a certificate of death or want to search Lynchburg divorce records, below is detailed information on how to view, access and request these records, along with any restrictions involved.

Acquire Marital Records (Divorced or Married) via the Library of Virginia & the State’s Department of Health

To request copies of marriage or divorce records, you can go through the Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office or the Virginia Department of Health.

If you are looking for marriage or divorce information for someone else, it is important to understand that both marriage and divorce records are not available to the public until 25 years after the date they were issued.

To obtain marriage or divorce records less than 25 years old, you must be one of the following:

• Spouse
• Parent
• Legal Guardian
• Child
• Sibling
• Grandparent

There are a couple of options when requesting a marriage or divorce record through the Virginia Department of Health. First, you can submit an Application for a Vital Record online with the Virginia Department of Health.

Another option is to submit a request by mail or in person using an Application for Certification of a Marriage or Divorce Record Form. Mail-in applications can be sent to this address:

Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, Virginia 23218

The processing time for mail-in applications is eight weeks, so if there is a location close to you, that will be a quicker option.

The Virginia Department of Health’s main office is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM at the address below:

Virginia Department of Health
2001 Maywill St.
Richmond, Virginia 23230

Another option is to visit one of the Virginia Department of Health’s additional locations. If you have specific questions concerning a request for a marriage or divorce record, you can contact them at 804-662-6200. The cost for either a marriage or divorce record is $12.00 per certified copy.

If you want to request your marriage certificate or divorce decree, you can do so through the Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. For additional information, call 434-332-9517 or go in person to:

Circuit Court of the County of Campbell
732 Village Hwy.
Rustburg, Virginia 24588

For divorce records, you can also contact the Lynchburg Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court any time from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, at 434-455-2670 or visit the courthouse in person at the following address:

Lynchburg Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
909 Court St., First Level
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

To check if someone is married or divorced in Lynchburg, you can also do so through the Library of Virginia’s Marriage Records Directory.¹⁸ This statewide search tool can be used to check for public Lynchburg marriage records by either party’s name.

Once you complete a search, you can find out where a marriage took place, the Bride and Groom’s name, when they were married and the custodian of the marriage record. This can be a valuable tool, especially if it turns out that the marriage record you were searching for was outside Lynchburg and even Campbell County.

Get Death & Birth Records or Certificates in Lynchburg City via the Virginia Department of Health

For a certificate of birth or death certificate, you can make your request through the Virginia Department of Health. Birth and death records are available from 1912 to the present.

You can submit a record request online directly with them for either type of record.²⁰ If you submit a request online, the Virginia Department of Health provides you with the ability to track the status of your record request online.

You can also complete an Application for Birth Record or Death Record and mail it or drop it off at the address below:

Virginia Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
2001 Maywill Street, Suite 101
Richmond Virginia 23230

The cost of a certified copy of either type of vital record is $12.00. If you have additional questions, you can call them at 804-662-6200. Their office hours are Monday to Friday, from 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

Note: Birth records are not public in Virginia until 100 years after they were issued, and death records are not available to the public until 25 years after issuance. Until this time frame has lapsed, these records are limited to immediate family members such as parents, legal guardians and siblings.

How To Search Property & Tax Information in Lynchburg VA

Lynchburg public records also include real property and tax information which are maintained by the City Assessor and the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. To get this information online, you can search the public index of parcel information.²¹

While there are advanced search options, the basic search options should suffice, allowing you to search for parcels or property transfers by (1) Parcel I.D., (2) Owner name, (3) House number and (4) Street name.

Partial searches are acceptable, and the search tool provides an autofill feature that allows you to see possible search options as you are typing in any information.

Once you get your results and click on a particular parcel, you can get detailed information broken into the following eight sections:

• Summary
• Improvements
• Ownership History
• Assessment
• Neighborhood Sales
• Property Tax
• Planning & Development
• Utility Billing

You can use this information for a variety of purposes. For example, you can go to the “ownership history” tab if you want a list of all buyers and sellers, as well as the sale date and amount. You could also click on the “property tax” section to view past and current tax bills, including the amount owed, due date and when taxes were paid.

If you have additional questions regarding property searches in Lynchburg, contact the Assessor’s Office by email at [email protected] or by phone at 434-455-3830. To contact them in person, visit their office at the address below:

City Assessor
900 Church St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

If you are seeking copies of records, including deeds and plats, you can request them from the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office for $0.50 per page. Contact them by phone at 434-455-2620 (option #4) or in person at the following location:

Lynchburg Circuit Court
900 Court St.
Lynchburg, Virginia 24505

Responsibly Access Lynchburg Public Records & Know Your Rights

So far, this article has focused on how to access a variety of public records. While this is important, it’s equally vital to know how to look up Virginia public records in a responsible manner.

Public records in Lynchburg can be an invaluable tool, but there are limits as to what you can use them for. At the same time, you may be reading this article as a person who has recently been the subject of a public records search. It is important that you understand your rights when being searched.

Rights and responsibilities vary depending on whether someone is searching and reviewing public records for personal or professional use. There are significantly more restrictions and rights when it comes to professional use. Below is a summary of things to consider for either purpose.

Personal Use — Gathering public records independently and using them to learn more about a particular person.

Personal Use Rights & Responsibilities: When it comes to personal use, the most important rule is that you cannot use these public records for criminal purposes. That means just because you found property records of an individual in an online directory, it does not mean you can use that information to stalk or harass them.

Another restriction is that while individuals are afforded broad personal uses, the records cannot be used for non-personal reasons. That means, if you are a landlord or employer, you cannot conduct your own personal public criminal records check to determine whether or not you will hire someone or rent to a prospective tenant.

As for rights, individuals have the freedom to perform personal searches of anyone they want without requesting their consent. In addition, everyone maintains the right to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to federal and state agencies requesting a variety of government information that may not be directly accessible in a public records repository.

Professional Use — Professional use of public records involves the use of criminal records (such as background checks), credit information and other data to confirm information provided by an individual and to make official determinations for businesses and government agencies.

For instance, background checks may be used when:

• Hiring an employee
• Approving someone to volunteer with children or elderly
• Accepting someone as a tenant
• Authorizing a firearm’s licenses
• Providing a security clearance

Professional Use Rights & Responsibilities: When using public records for professional use, it is important to consider the following.

1. Protected class and criminal record discrimination is prohibited – You cannot use public information to discriminate against someone. Individuals who are discriminated against can submit a claim through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s online portal.
2. Background check fraud can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Individuals can report fraud to the FTC.²² This includes a failure to request consent from a person or failing to provide the required notices if a person is rejected due to public records that were accessed.
3. Individuals have several protections through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) – The FCRA provides several protections, such as a requirement to inform someone when information was used to make an adverse decision against them. The FCRA also allows you to know what is in your file (including your credit score) and gives you the opportunity to dispute any information on yourself.

There are many online and free ways to search public records; after reading this brief resource, you should now have a thorough understanding of how to search for Lynchburg public records and a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities when using them.