Roanoke Criminal Background Check Records

Roanoke background check records come from several sources in this independent Virginia city. The Roanoke Police Department handles local criminal history requests, while the Roanoke Circuit Court maintains court case files for the city. For statewide records, the Virginia State Police operates the Central Criminal Records Exchange, or CCRE, which holds the most complete picture of a person's criminal history in Virginia. This page covers how to find and get background check records in Roanoke through official channels at the city, state, and court level.

Roanoke Police Department Background Check Records

The Roanoke Police Department handles local criminal history and incident records for the city. Their Records Division can provide copies of incident reports, accident reports, and local criminal history checks. Roanoke is an independent city, so it operates its own police force separate from Roanoke County. The department is located at 348 Campbell Avenue SW.

To get local records from the Roanoke Police Department, contact them by phone at (540) 853-2211 or visit in person. Staff can pull incident reports and local arrest records. Keep in mind that records from the Roanoke Police only cover incidents within the city of Roanoke itself. If you need records from surrounding Roanoke County, that is a separate jurisdiction with its own sheriff's office and court system. The two should not be confused.

Local records cover only Roanoke Police activity. They do not reflect arrests made by the Virginia State Police, Roanoke County Sheriff, or other agencies. For a full picture, request records from both local and state sources.

Roanoke Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Roanoke Circuit Court is the primary court of record for felony cases in the city. The Circuit Court Clerk maintains all case files, including criminal convictions, civil judgments, and court orders. Felony charges and convictions go through the Circuit Court, while misdemeanors are heard in the General District Court. Both courts are located on Church Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

You can search Roanoke court records online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. This free tool lets you search by name or case number across Virginia circuit courts and general district courts. It shows case status, hearing dates, and charges. For certified copies or the full case file, you need to contact the Circuit Court Clerk directly.

The Roanoke General District Court, located next door at 317 Church Avenue SW, handles misdemeanor cases and traffic offenses. Reach the GDC by phone at (540) 853-2561. Both courts feed into the statewide Virginia case information system, so you can search them online without traveling to the courthouse.

Note: Roanoke City and Roanoke County are completely separate legal jurisdictions. The Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk's office is located in Salem at 305 East Main Street and handles county cases only. Do not confuse the two when requesting records.

Online Roanoke Background Check Resources

Several online tools let you search Roanoke criminal records without visiting a courthouse. The Virginia Judiciary Case Information portal covers both circuit and general district courts statewide. The Virginia Courts Case Information site is the starting point. You can also search general district court cases through the statewide GDC portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts.

For Roanoke County criminal records (a separate jurisdiction that surrounds the city), the county's Criminal Division page at roanokecountyva.gov has additional resources including information on accessing county court records. This matters if your subject may have cases in either the city or the county.

FOIA requests for Roanoke city records go to the appropriate city department. Police records requests go to the Police Department. For court records that are not online, contact the Circuit Court Clerk. Virginia's FOIA law, under Virginia FOIA, gives the public the right to access most government records within five working days.

Roanoke Background Check Laws and CCRE Access

The Virginia State Police manages the Central Criminal Records Exchange, known as CCRE, which is the main state-level repository for criminal history records. Anyone who lives in or has cases from Roanoke will have those records reported to CCRE if arrests resulted in charges or convictions. The CCRE is governed by Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23. This statute sets out who can access records, what they contain, and how they must be used.

To request your own criminal history from the state, use the Virginia State Police CCRE portal. You can submit Form SP-167 for a personal name-based search. The fee is $15 for a name-based check. A fingerprint-based check costs $27 total and includes an FBI search. Fingerprint submissions go through the Virginia State Police as well. You can download the required forms at vsp.virginia.gov/services/forms.

Virginia also maintains a public Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry through the State Police. This registry is searchable by name and zip code at no charge and covers registered offenders statewide, including those with addresses in Roanoke.

Under Virginia Code Section 19.2-392.12, certain records may be sealed or restricted from public view. Virginia's Clean Slate law allows some past convictions to be sealed after a waiting period if the person has stayed out of trouble. If a record appears incomplete or missing in court searches, a sealing order could be the reason.

The Virginia Courts Case Information system provides free online access to court records from across the state, including Roanoke Circuit Court and General District Court cases.

Use the statewide case search to look up Roanoke cases by name or case number. Results include charge type, hearing date, and case disposition.

Nearby Virginia Cities

These Virginia cities are near Roanoke. Each one is an independent city with its own courts and police department.