Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
Independent records-search resource. This website is not a government agency, police department, sheriff's office, jail, prison or courthouse. Search coverage varies by source and jurisdiction. Some links may lead to third-party services, and compensation may be received when a partner service is used.
Find a Virginia Jail Inmate and Confirm Current Custody
A Virginia inmate search works best when you first identify which custody system should have the person. Someone arrested recently may be in a city, county or regional jail, while a person serving a state sentence may appear in the Virginia Department of Corrections system. Court records are separate again.
Fastest route: for a recent local arrest, search the jail serving the arrest locality. For Virginia Department of Corrections custody, use the VADOC Inmate & Supervisee Locator. For charges, hearings and case status, use the Virginia Judiciary rather than relying only on a jail roster.
This independent guide does not operate a jail database. Live custody, release, bond and housing information can change quickly, so use the linked official record for the final confirmation.
Which Virginia Inmate Search Should You Use?
| Your situation | Best place to search | What it is useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest happened recently | City, county or regional jail serving the arrest locality | Current booking and local custody |
| You do not know the local jail | Virginia VINE, then the relevant jail | Finding local or regional jail custody and custody-status information |
| Person is in Virginia state custody | VADOC Inmate & Supervisee Locator | DOC ID, custody location and available state-custody information |
| You need charges or the next hearing | Virginia Judiciary case-information system | Criminal case, court, hearing and docket information |
| Person may be in federal custody | Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator | Federal prison custody |
| Person may be in immigration detention | ICE Online Detainee Locator | Eligible immigration-detention searches |
Virginia uses both locally operated jails and multi-jurisdiction regional jails. This matters because an arrest in one county does not always mean the person will appear in a jail named after that county. A participating locality may send detainees to a regional facility several miles away.
How to Use the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator
The official Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate & Supervisee Locator covers people in VADOC institutions and other categories under VADOC custody or supervision. VADOC states that its public locator is updated daily, but also warns that information can occasionally be delayed or inaccurate.
- Open the VADOC locator. Use the official Department of Corrections page rather than a third-party people-search site.
- Search by name or DOC ID. The current search accepts a full last name with at least the first three letters of the first name, or a seven-digit DOC ID.
- Use additional filters only when necessary. The locator provides filters such as location, race, gender and age range to narrow similar names.
- Accept the disclaimer and run the search. Review every plausible match instead of assuming the first result is correct.
- Confirm the identifying information. Compare the name, DOC ID, location and other displayed information with what you already know.
- Save the seven-digit DOC ID. This number is useful for VADOC services such as money deposits, mail and telephone-account setup.
How to Search a Virginia Local or Regional Jail
For someone arrested by a Virginia sheriff, city police department or other local agency, start with the jail serving the locality where the arrest occurred. Many Virginia jurisdictions publish a current inmate inquiry, inmate roster or jail tracker. Regional facilities may serve several counties and independent cities.
- Identify the arrest locality. Use the city or county where the arrest happened, not necessarily the person’s home address.
- Find the correct Sheriff’s Office or regional jail. Virginia commonly uses the terms “inmate search,” “inmate lookup,” “inmate inquiry,” “in custody search” or “inmate roster.”
- Search the legal name. Start with the last name and add the first name if the system returns too many matches. Avoid nicknames where possible.
- Compare identifying details. Check available booking numbers, dates, age or date of birth, facility and photograph rather than relying on the name alone.
- Confirm the facility before taking action. A transfer, bond release or court order can change the inmate’s location quickly.
If you do not know which regional facility serves the locality, Virginia VINE is a useful additional route for local jail custody. Once you identify the facility, use that jail’s own website for its current visitation, mail, money and release procedures.
Common Virginia Jail and Regional Inmate Lookup Systems
This is a practical starting directory for several major Virginia jail systems. It is not a list of every correctional facility in the Commonwealth.
| Area or jail system | Who it commonly serves | Official search route |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond City Justice Center | City of Richmond | Richmond inmate search |
| Virginia Beach Correctional Center | Virginia Beach | Virginia Beach inmate lookup |
| Henrico County Jail | Henrico County | Henrico inmate search |
| Arlington County Detention Facility | Arlington County | Arlington in-custody search |
| Northern Neck Regional Jail | Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties, Gloucester County and the Town of Warsaw | NNRJ inmate roster |
| Rappahannock Regional Jail | Stafford, Spotsylvania and King George counties and the City of Fredericksburg | Rappahannock Regional Jail |
| Riverside Regional Jail | Charles City, Chesterfield, Prince George and Surry counties; Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg | Riverside inmate locator |
| Western Virginia Regional Jail | Roanoke County, Franklin County, Montgomery County and the City of Salem | WVRJ inmate name search |
| New River Valley Regional Jail | Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Pulaski and Wythe counties and the City of Radford | NRVRJ inmate resources |
| Fairfax County Adult Detention Center | Fairfax County area | Fairfax ADC information; inmate-information phone route: 703-246-2100 |
What to Do if You Cannot Find the Inmate
Then work through this order:
- Search the jail serving the arrest locality.
- Check Virginia VINE for local jail custody.
- Search the VADOC locator in case custody has moved into the state system.
- Use the Virginia Judiciary case search to identify the court and case even when the current housing location is unclear.
- If the matter is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator.
- For possible immigration detention, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
What a Virginia Jail Record Can—and Cannot—Tell You
The exact fields vary by facility, but a public inmate record may include a legal name, booking or subject number, booking date, current facility, listed charges, bond information, photograph or custody status.
| Information | How to use it | What to verify elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| Booking record | Confirms that a person was processed into custody | Final case outcome |
| Charge | Shows the offense currently associated with the booking when published | Amended, dismissed or final charges through court records |
| Bond | May show whether bond was set and a listed amount | Current eligibility and payment instructions with the court, magistrate or jail |
| Court date | Some jails display a scheduled date | Use Virginia Judiciary for the current docket |
| Release information | May show release status or projected information at some facilities | Current release plan directly with the responsible facility when permitted |
| Mugshot | May help distinguish people with similar names | Not every facility publishes photographs |
How to Check Virginia Charges, Bond and Court Dates
For the legal case itself, use the Virginia Court System Case Status and Information page. The Virginia Judiciary provides online access to statewide adult criminal information in general district courts, adult criminal information from participating juvenile and domestic relations district courts, and criminal case information from participating circuit courts.
- Open Virginia Judiciary Case Status and Information.
- Choose the appropriate search. The statewide Online Case Information System is useful for many criminal matters; locality-specific court systems are also available.
- Search the defendant’s name or case number. Use the locality when the system requests it.
- Match the case carefully. Compare the defendant, court, charge and case number rather than matching only a common name.
- Confirm time-sensitive information. If a bond payment, hearing or release depends on the result, verify it with the court or jail before taking action.
Virginia felony matters generally proceed in circuit court, while general district courts handle many misdemeanor, traffic and preliminary criminal matters. A case can also move between courts, so the jail’s charge display is not a substitute for the current court docket.
After You Find the Inmate: Visit, Call, Mail or Send Money
The next step depends on whether the person is in a VADOC institution or a local/regional jail. Do not use state-prison mailing or deposit instructions for someone still housed under a local jail’s procedures.
If the inmate is in VADOC custody
- Mail: VADOC requires the inmate’s first and last name, seven-digit state ID, institution name and facility address. VADOC states that its mail rules apply to VADOC facilities; inmates housed in local or regional jails follow that jail’s rules. See VADOC mailing instructions.
- Money: VADOC currently uses JPay for inmate-account deposits. The seven-digit inmate ID is required. Payment methods and fees can change, so check VADOC Sending Money before paying.
- Phone: the seven-digit state ID is also used when setting up supported inmate phone services. See VADOC phone correspondence.
- Visitation: visitors must follow VADOC approval and scheduling procedures. Individual institutions can change schedules or cancel visits, so use the current VADOC visitation page before traveling.
If the inmate is in a local or regional jail
Open that jail’s own inmate-services page. Virginia regional facilities use different vendors and different rules for video visits, mail scanning, inmate accounts, commissary and telephone services. Confirm the current jail first; then use only the vendor link published by that facility.
Virginia Custody and Release Notifications
Virginia uses different notification routes depending on custody.
| Custody | Notification route | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Local or regional jail | VINE | Search local jail custody and, where available, register for custody-status notifications |
| Virginia Department of Corrections custody | NAAVI | VADOC’s post-sentencing victim notification and assistance system for eligible victims |
VADOC specifically notes that its NAAVI notification service is separate from VINE notifications at local jails. Eligible victims who need state-custody notifications must register through VADOC rather than assuming a local-jail VINE registration carries over.
Virginia Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. What is the official Virginia jail inmate search?
There is not one single local jail roster covering every Virginia city, county and regional facility. For recent local arrests, use the jail serving the arrest locality or Virginia VINE. For people under Virginia Department of Corrections custody or supervision, use the official VADOC Inmate & Supervisee Locator.
2. How do I search for a Virginia inmate by name?
For VADOC custody, enter the person’s full last name and at least the first three letters of the first name in the VADOC locator. For local jails, use the specific Sheriff’s Office or regional-jail search and start with the legal last name.
3. Can I search a Virginia inmate by DOC number?
Yes. The VADOC locator accepts a seven-digit DOC ID. Using the ID is often more reliable than a name search because it identifies a specific state record.
4. Why is someone arrested in Virginia not showing in the jail search?
The booking may still be processing, the name may be entered differently, the person may have bonded out, been released, transferred to another jail or moved into VADOC, federal or immigration custody. Check the local facility, VINE, VADOC and the Virginia court system as appropriate.
5. How do I find someone arrested today in Virginia?
Start with the jail serving the city or county where the arrest occurred. Search the jail’s current inmate inquiry or roster. If no record appears yet, allow time for booking and identification processing and contact the facility when same-day confirmation is important.
6. Does the Virginia inmate search show charges and bond?
Some local jail searches display charges, bond or booking information, but the fields differ by facility. For the legal case, bond status and hearing information, also check the Virginia Judiciary case-information system and verify urgent bond instructions with the court, magistrate or jail.
7. How can I find a Virginia inmate’s court date?
Use the Virginia Court System’s Case Status and Information page. Search the appropriate criminal case system by defendant name or case number and select the correct locality or court when required.
8. How do I know whether to search a Virginia jail or VADOC?
If the person was recently arrested and has not moved into state correctional custody, begin with the local or regional jail. If the person is under VADOC custody or supervision, search the VADOC locator. When unsure, check both systems.
9. How can I receive Virginia inmate release or transfer notifications?
For local and regional jail custody, use Virginia VINE where the service is available. For eligible crime victims seeking notifications about someone under VADOC custody, use VADOC’s NAAVI system. The two notification systems are separate.
10. Are Virginia jail inmate records proof that someone was convicted?
No. An arrest, booking or jail record is not proof of guilt. It documents custody or alleged charges at a particular stage of the case. Use the official court record to determine how the charges were ultimately resolved.
Use the Live Official Record for the Final Step
For most searches, you should be able to identify the correct Virginia custody system, understand the inmate record and locate the relevant court information without moving between many unrelated websites. Use the official jail, VADOC or court link only for the final live lookup, current transaction or same-day verification.
Information reviewed against Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Judiciary, Virginia Board of Local and Regional Jails, Richmond City Sheriff’s Office, Henrico County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and multiple Virginia regional-jail resources in October 2026.