Petersburg Background Check Records

Petersburg background check records are maintained by the Petersburg Bureau of Police and the Petersburg Circuit Court Clerk for this independent city south of Richmond in the metro area.

Petersburg Bureau of Police Records

The Petersburg Bureau of Police is located at 37 East Tabb Street, Petersburg, VA 23803. The main number is (804) 732-4222. Petersburg is an independent Virginia city separate from Dinwiddie County and Prince George County, with its own police agency and records office. Arrest records, incident reports, and local criminal history requests are handled by the Bureau of Police.

Petersburg also has a Sheriff's Office at 8 Courthouse Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803, reachable at (804) 733-2369. The Sheriff in an independent city primarily manages the jail and courts rather than street patrol, but the office also holds certain records. Depending on the type of record you need, you may need to contact either the Bureau of Police or the Sheriff's Office.

To request police records, submit a written FOIA request to the Bureau of Police or the Petersburg City Attorney's Office. Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 requires a response within five working days. Active criminal investigations, juvenile records, and personnel files are not releasable under Virginia FOIA. For resolved cases, basic incident information is available with standard fees. The first 30 minutes of staff time is typically free.

For inmate custody status, VINELink provides free name searches and notification registration for people held at the Petersburg Jail or transferred to state corrections. For a complete statewide criminal history, use the Virginia State Police CCRE. The Petersburg website is at petersburg-va.gov.

Petersburg Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Petersburg Circuit Court is located at 1 Courthouse Square, Petersburg, VA 23803. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Circuit Court handles all felony criminal cases, civil matters, appeals from district court, and maintains land records, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and probate records for the city. For certified copies of court documents, contact the Clerk directly. Standard copies are $0.50 per page with a certification fee for official copies.

Case information for the Petersburg Circuit Court is available at no cost through the statewide Virginia Judiciary Case Information system. Search by name or case number to see case status, charges, hearing dates, and docket entries. No account is needed. This covers both circuit and general district court records.

The Petersburg General District Court is part of the 7th Judicial District. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil claims under $25,000. Case records from that court are also accessible through the Virginia Judiciary portal. The city is part of the 11th Judicial Circuit for circuit court matters.

For FOIA requests directed at Petersburg city government, contact the City Attorney's Office at 135 N. Union Street, Petersburg, VA 23803. Marriage records, deed recordings, and probate files are held by the Circuit Court Clerk and available through a written request with the appropriate fees.

Online Resources for Petersburg Background Checks

The free starting point is the Virginia Judiciary Case Information system. Search Circuit and General District Court cases by name or case number at no cost. No registration needed.

For full statewide criminal history, use Form SP-167 from the VSP forms page for a $15 name-based CCRE check. Mail to CARE at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. This covers all Virginia counties and cities.

The Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name, zip code, or address. Results include photos, current addresses, and conviction details for registered offenders in the Petersburg area.

VINELink provides free inmate custody searches and notification registration for people held in the Petersburg Jail. Registration is free and notifications are sent by phone, email, or text.

Virginia FOIA and Background Check Laws

Virginia FOIA at Title 2.2, Chapter 37 governs public records access in Petersburg. Criminal history statutes at Title 19.2, Chapter 23 govern the CCRE and the statewide criminal records exchange. Virginia's record sealing law at § 19.2-392.12 takes effect July 1, 2026. Contact the FOIA Advisory Council at (804) 698-1810 with questions about public records in Virginia.

Nearby Virginia Cities

These independent Virginia cities are near Petersburg in the Richmond metro and Southside areas.