Criminal Statistics
The Virginia Bureau of Criminal Investigation (VBCI) publishes criminal data of each county in the state. Going by the county’s most recent crime data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records the crime rates of the county are 88% higher than the national mean range, and violent felonies and misdemeanors are 12% higher than the national average. Essentially individuals living in Roanoke County have a 1 in 21 chance of becoming a victim of any form of crime. However, it is safer to live in Roanoke than in 14% of other cities in the United States even though the crime rate of Roanoke County has increased by 5% year after year.
Criminal Records
Roanoke County criminal records refer to criminal history information of person resident within county limits. These records are primarily collected and managed by the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Virginia Bureau of Criminal Investigation. As per state law, interested and eligible persons may access criminal records upon request.
How to Get Criminal Records
Individuals who need to check Criminal Records can do so online. They can also access public records by visiting the public records room, which is the Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county. The location is on the third floor of the Roanoke County Courthouse.
Selected information may not be accessible online, but only from the Clerk's office. Some criminal documents are unavailable or may only be accessible under certain conditions. These documents are records of sealed cases or records containing confidential or sensitive information; therefore, denying requests to access these records.
Individuals must carry out requests for criminal record searches by tendering a signed and authentic “Criminal Record Name Search” form SP-167.
Every instruction to take to complete the CRNS form is well-detailed in the document. Individuals can access, download, or print this document by visiting the Virginia State Police website under the Virginia State Police Forms section.
This service is eligible to:
- Individuals
- General Public
- Private Companies
How to Find Sex Offender Information
Individuals can access the details of sex offenders that live in Roanoke via the Virginia Sex Offender Search Registry. People living in the county may search offenders around their locality by inputting information such as their zip codes, address, county name, school, and more.
If Sex Offenders are already identified, individuals may obtain more information about them. They can tender their names, their home address, where they worked or schooled in, and other vital information.
Roanoke County Jail Information
The Roanoke County Jail is operated under the supervision of the County Sheriff.
Roanoke County Jail is the county's correctional facility. It is located at 401 East Main Street, Salem, Virginia.
Most individuals convicted with misdemeanors in Roanoke receive a jail term punishment and will spend time in county jail. The facility does not house individuals convicted of a felony crime.
How do I Visit an Inmate in Roanoke County Jail?
In Roanoke County, individuals can visit inmates via video visitation services. These services are available only to visitors who come to the jail facility to book an appointment.
The duration of each visit may not exceed 20 minutes, and individuals can only pay a visit to inmates during the following visiting hours.
- 9:00-11:00 a.m. from Monday to Sunday (excluding 4th floor)
- 1:00-4:00 p.m. from Monday to Sunday
- 7:30-11:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
It is important to note that visits must be scheduled 24 hours or up to a week before the actual appointment.
Individuals can also visit the facility in person. They must, however, book an appointment by visiting the county jail facility.
Where and How to Get Inmate Information
Interested persons can obtain inmate information by contacting the County Sheriff's office. The official website of the County Sheriff's office contains detailed information on how to access an inmate's information. The information available on the site includes the full name of the inmate, their conviction information, ongoing sentence, and criminal history (if applicable).
Court Records
What are Roanoke County Court Records?
Roanoke county court records are official documents containing details of court proceedings including criminal charges, habitual offender hearings, name change hearings, and civil lawsuits.
The Clerk of Circuit Court has the responsibility to maintain and disseminate court information. To obtain a court record, the requesting party will be required to query the office of the circuit court clerk. To facilitate the record search, the requestor will be required to provide general court information regarding records such as the name of the plaintiff and defendant, the case file number of the record, and any associated fees to cover the cost of copying, notarization, etc.
Location of all Courts in Roanoke
Below are the addresses and contact information of all the courthouses in Roanoke County, Virginia
City of Roanoke Circuit Court
Roanoke City Courthouse
315 Church Ave SW,
Roanoke, VA 24016
Phone: (540) 853-6702
Fax: (540) 853-1024
City of Roanoke General District Court
Roanoke City Courthouse
315 Church Ave SW,
Roanoke, VA 24016
Phone: (540) 853-2364 (Civil)
Fax: (540) 853-5826 (Civil)
Phone: (540) 853-2361 (Criminal)
Phone: (540) 853-2767 (Traffic)
Fax: (540) 853-2487 (Traffic)
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Roanoke City Courthouse
315 Church Ave SW,
Roanoke, VA 24005
Phone: (540) 853-2389
Fax: (540) 853-1195
Vital Records
The department responsible for managing vital records in Virginia is the Division of Vital Records.
The City of Roanoke Vital Records office helps residents in the city obtain records such as birth records, marriage records, and death records.
Health and humanitarian services, social services, and public health services are other services they render.
Not all records are available to the public. Individuals will need to contact the City of Roanoke Vital Records Health Department to ascertain if the records they seek are available.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
In Roanoke City, individuals can obtain divorce records from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Divorce records include the divorce papers filed in Roanoke Court and other vital documents such as a divorce certificate.
The state of Virginia categorizes divorce records as closed or confidential records. It implies that these records are only open to eligible individuals. When requesting a divorce record, individuals need to clarify their eligibility by submitting necessary documents. Divorce Records in Virginia became public records after 25 years, beginning from when the court grants the divorce.
The Virginia Division of Vital Records keeps divorce records in the state.
Where and How to get Marriage Records
In Roanoke, getting a certified marriage record comes at a token. Individuals may request certified copies of marriage documents by contacting the Circuit Court Clerk’s office by mail or in-person for a $2.50 fee. The Circuit Court Clerk must be the one who issued the marriage license. Another option is to contact the Virginia Division of Vital Records.
Where and How to get Birth and Death Records in Roanoke
Like other vital records in the state, individuals can access Roanoke County birth and death records by contacting the Division of Vital Records. Requesters will be expected to pay a fee of $12.00 per record requested.
To access a record, the requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the event. This information typically includes the full name of the subject of the record and the place and date of the birth/death. To be eligible to access these records, the requestor must be named on the record or be a direct relative or legal representation of the eligible parties.
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
