Portsmouth Background Check Records
Portsmouth background check records come from the Portsmouth Police Department Records Unit and the Portsmouth Circuit Court Clerk for this independent Hampton Roads city across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk.
Portsmouth Overview
Portsmouth Police Department Records Unit
The Portsmouth Police Department Records Unit is located at 700 Crawford Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704. The records unit phone is (757) 393-8737. The department website is at portsmouthpd.us. The Records Unit handles incident reports, arrest records, and local criminal history requests for Portsmouth.
Portsmouth maintains a public online database of arrest and incident reports. You can search the database at portsmouthva.gov by date, street, or census tract. The database is updated daily between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. This is a quick way to look up basic arrest and incident information without filing a formal records request.
For formal FOIA requests, the department's FOIA page is at portsmouthpd.us/212/FOIA. Records can be provided electronically or in print. You must identify the records you want with reasonable specificity in your request. Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 requires a response within five working days. Active investigations, juvenile records, and personnel files are exempt from public disclosure.
For inmate custody, VINELink provides free name searches and notification registration for people held in the Portsmouth city jail or transferred to state corrections. For a full statewide Virginia criminal history, use the Virginia State Police CCRE rather than local records alone.
| Office | Portsmouth Police Department Records Unit |
|---|---|
| Address | 700 Crawford Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704 |
| Phone | (757) 393-8737 |
| Website | portsmouthpd.us |
| Online Reports | Public arrest/incident database |
Portsmouth Circuit Court Criminal Records
The Portsmouth Circuit Court is located at 1345 Court Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704. Portsmouth is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit. The Circuit Court handles all felony criminal cases, civil matters, appeals from district court, and maintains land records, marriage licenses, 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 Portsmouth 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 registration is required. This covers both circuit and general district court records for Portsmouth.
The Portsmouth General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil claims under $25,000. Online case management is available through the statewide Virginia Judiciary portal. The Portsmouth Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court handles family and juvenile matters. Records from all three court levels are accessible through the Virginia Judiciary system.
For FOIA requests directed at Portsmouth city government, contact the City Attorney's Office or City Clerk. Marriage records, deed recordings, and probate files are maintained at the Circuit Court Clerk's office.
| Office | Portsmouth Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 1345 Court Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704 |
| Judicial Circuit | 3rd Judicial Circuit |
| Case Search | vacourts.gov |
Online Resources for Portsmouth 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 account needed.
Portsmouth also has a public online database of arrest and incident reports searchable by date, street, or census tract. This gives basic incident-level information without a formal records request.
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 in one search.
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 Portsmouth and Hampton Roads area.
Virginia FOIA and Background Check Laws
Virginia FOIA at Title 2.2, Chapter 37 governs public records access in Portsmouth. Criminal history statutes at Title 19.2, Chapter 23 govern the CCRE. 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.
The Portsmouth Police Department Records Unit at portsmouthpd.us handles requests for incident reports, arrest records, and local criminal history information for this Hampton Roads independent city.
Contact the Records Unit at (757) 393-8737 for information on submitting records requests or to get copies of incident and accident reports from Portsmouth police.
The Portsmouth Police public arrest and incident database provides searchable access to basic records by date, street, or census tract and is updated each morning.
Use the public database for a quick, free search of arrest and incident records before submitting a formal records request through the department's FOIA process.
Nearby Virginia Cities
These independent Virginia cities are near Portsmouth in the Hampton Roads area.