Search Petersburg Police Records

Petersburg police records cover arrest reports, incident files, crash data, and criminal case documents held by the Petersburg Bureau of Police and the city's Circuit Court. As an independent city south of Richmond, Petersburg operates its own law enforcement and court system. Searching for police records here means working with city offices that handle everything from fingerprint cards to FOIA requests. This page covers how to request records from the Petersburg police, what fees to expect, and where to look up court cases online. The contacts and steps below will help you get started with the right office for your search.

Petersburg Police Department Records

The Petersburg Bureau of Police maintains a Records Management Team that falls under the Administrative Services Support Unit. This team is the main repository for criminal histories, public information, fingerprints, photographs, incident reports, accident reports, and all warrants generated by or entrusted to the department. If you need a copy of a police report from Petersburg, this is where you start. The records office handles walk-in requests and mail-in requests on regular business days.

Petersburg has a detailed fee schedule for police records. Accident and crash reports cost $5.00 each. Incident reports also cost $5.00. Applicant fingerprints run $10.00. FOIA requests carry an administrative fee of $12.80 per hour, plus $2.00 for a CD and $0.15 per page for document copies. These fees are set by the city and apply to all requests.

Note: As of September 2019, the City of Petersburg resumed charging for FOIA requests as allowed under Virginia Code Section 2.2-3704.

Petersburg Police Records Online

You can get copies of Petersburg crash reports online through the department's web portal. The city directs people to an online system for crash report purchases. For incident reports, there is a separate online portal at secure.coplogic.com. Both options let you skip a trip to the station and get records from home. You still pay the standard $5.00 fee per report.

The Petersburg Bureau of Police released 681 pages of department General Orders in May 2023, following a Freedom of Information Act request from OpenOversightVA. That release shows the city does respond to FOIA requests for policy documents, though the turnaround time can vary based on what you ask for. For quick links, the department website includes sections for Animal Control, Police FOIA, Property and Evidence pickup, Records and Reports requests, tip submissions, and complaint forms.

For broader record searches that go beyond what the local police hold, the Virginia Circuit Court Case Information System is a free tool. It lets you search Petersburg circuit court cases by name, case number, or hearing date. The General District Court system covers misdemeanors, traffic cases, and preliminary hearings.

Filing a FOIA Request in Petersburg

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act applies to all city agencies in Petersburg. Under Virginia Code Section 2.2-3700 et seq., the public has the right to inspect and copy records held by public bodies. You can submit a FOIA request by mail, email, or in person. The city must respond within five working days. If it is not possible to respond in that time, the city can take up to seven more days after providing written notice.

Each constitutional office in Petersburg serves as its own FOIA officer. That means the Clerk of Court, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, Treasurer, and Commissioner of the Revenue each handle requests for their own records. For police records specifically, direct your request to the Bureau of Police Records Management team at the email listed above. Be as specific as you can about the records you need. Include dates, names, case numbers, and the type of report you are looking for.

If the city estimates the cost of your request will be more than $200, they may ask for a deposit before they start working on it. You have 30 days to respond. If you do not respond, the request is considered withdrawn. The Virginia FOIA Council can answer questions about your rights if you run into problems with any city office.

Petersburg Circuit Court Records

The Petersburg Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases, civil cases over $25,000, and family law matters. The court sits in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Court records are available through in-person requests at the clerk's office and through the statewide online case search systems. The Virginia Judicial System website is your starting point for looking up Petersburg cases from home.

Certified copies of court records typically cost $2.00 per document on top of the standard $0.50 per page copy fee. These are set by state law under Virginia Code Section 17.1-208. The clerk must provide copies of nonconfidential records within 30 days. Land records may be available through a paid remote access subscription, but criminal case data is freely searchable through the state's online tools.

Virginia State Police Background Checks

A Petersburg police record search only covers local data. For a check that spans every jurisdiction in Virginia, use the Virginia State Police. Submit Form SP-167 to the Central Criminal Records Exchange. The fee is $15 per search. You must get the form notarized before mailing it to Virginia State Police, CARE, 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Results take about 15 business days.

Under Virginia Code Section 19.2-389, criminal history records from the Central Criminal Records Exchange can only go to authorized recipients. That includes the person who is the subject of the record, their attorney with a notarized release, law enforcement agencies, and certain government agencies. The general public cannot request someone else's criminal history through this system.

The Virginia State Police FOIA portal is available for requests involving state police records specifically. This covers state-level incident reports and other files not held by the Petersburg Bureau of Police.

Petersburg Police Records and Expungement

If you were acquitted or had charges dismissed in Petersburg, you may be able to get those records expunged. Virginia Code Section 19.2-392.2 sets the rules for expungement of police and court records. You file a petition with the circuit court, and the judge decides whether keeping the record causes manifest injustice. Expungement removes the record from public view.

Virginia also has an automatic sealing process under Section 19.2-392.6. Certain misdemeanors, deferred dismissals, and decriminalized offenses may qualify. The Virginia State Police runs a monthly check to find eligible records and sends lists to circuit court clerks. This process does not require a petition from the individual.

Other Ways to Search Petersburg Police Records

The Virginia Sex Offender Registry, run by the Virginia State Police, is searchable by name or location. It covers all of Virginia, including Petersburg. Crash reports from state police investigations can be ordered through the Virginia DMV. Send a written request or Form CRD 93 to the DMV Custom Records Work Center in Richmond. The fee is $8 per report.

For victim notification, the VINELink system lets you track custody status of offenders held in Petersburg or anywhere in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Corrections offender locator shows current inmate locations, charges, and projected release dates. These are all free tools that complement a local police records search.

The screenshot below shows the Virginia Courts online case search system, which covers Petersburg Circuit Court cases.

Use this free tool to look up criminal cases, hearing dates, and case outcomes in Petersburg.

Nearby Cities

These Virginia independent cities are near Petersburg. Each runs its own police department and court system for handling police records.