Chesapeake County Public Records / Chesapeake County Arrest Records

Chesapeake County Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Chesapeake County

Arrest records in Chesapeake are generally accessible to the public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA), codified at § 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. This statute establishes a presumption of openness for all public records maintained by government bodies, including law enforcement agencies, and requires that custodians of records respond to requests within five working days. Under current law, basic arrest information — including the name of the person arrested, the charges filed, and the date and location of the arrest — is considered a public record and may be inspected or copied by any member of the public upon request.

It is important to distinguish between an arrest record and a conviction record. An arrest record documents the act of being taken into custody by law enforcement and does not indicate guilt or a criminal conviction. A conviction record, by contrast, reflects a formal finding of guilt by a court of law. Virginia law recognizes this distinction, and individuals who are arrested but not convicted may be eligible to petition for expungement of their arrest records under § 19.2-392.2 of the Code of Virginia. Certain categories of arrest information may be withheld if disclosure would compromise an ongoing investigation or endanger a person's safety, as permitted under VFOIA exemptions.

What's in Chesapeake County Arrest Records

Chesapeake arrest records contain a standardized set of data fields compiled at the time of booking and maintained by the arresting agency. The specific contents of an arrest record may vary depending on the nature of the offense and the agency involved, but the following categories of information are typically included.

Arrestee Identifying Information:

Full legal name and any known aliases
Date of birth and age at time of arrest
Gender, race, and physical description (height, weight, eye and hair color)
Residential address at time of arrest
Social Security Number (restricted from public disclosure in most cases)

Arrest Details:

Date, time, and location of the arrest
Name and badge number of the arresting officer
Arresting agency (e.g., Chesapeake Police Department or Sheriff's Office)
Incident or case number

Charge Information:

Specific criminal charges filed
Virginia Code section(s) alleged to have been violated
Classification of offense (felony, misdemeanor, or infraction)

Warrant Information (if applicable):

Warrant number and issuing court
Date warrant was issued
Type of warrant (arrest warrant, bench warrant)

Booking Information:

Date and time of booking
Facility where the individual was booked
Booking number assigned by the detention facility

Bond/Bail Information:

Bond type (personal recognizance, secured bond, no bond)
Bond amount set by the court or magistrate
Bonding company name, if applicable

Court Information:

Scheduled court date and time
Court division handling the case
Assigned docket or case number

Custody Status:

Current custody status (held, released, transferred)
Release date and conditions of release, if applicable

Additional Information May Include:

Fingerprint records and biometric data (not publicly released)
Photographs taken at booking (mugshots)
Narrative arrest report (may be partially redacted)
Vehicle information if relevant to the arrest

How To Look Up Arrest Records in Chesapeake County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain arrest records in Chesapeake through several official channels. Requests should be submitted in writing to the appropriate custodian of records, identifying the subject of the record as specifically as possible to facilitate an accurate search.

Chesapeake Police Department Records Unit: Submit a written VFOIA request to the Records Division. Requestors should include the full name of the subject, approximate date of arrest, and any known case or incident number. The department is required to respond within five business days under § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.
Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office: Court records associated with criminal charges, including indictments and case dispositions, are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk and are open to public inspection during regular business hours.
Virginia State Police: Statewide criminal history records are maintained by the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE). Members of the public may request a name-based criminal history search for a nominal fee.
In-person requests are accepted at the Records Division of the Chesapeake Police Department and at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office during posted public counter hours.
Written or mailed requests should be addressed to the Records Custodian at the relevant agency, accompanied by a completed request form and any applicable fee.

Chesapeake Police Department 304 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322 (757) 382-6161 Chesapeake Police Department

Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office 307 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322 (757) 382-3000 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Chesapeake Circuit Court

Chesapeake Sheriff's Office 400 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322 (757) 382-6161 Chesapeake Sheriff's Office

How To Find Chesapeake County Arrest Records Online

Several official online platforms currently provide access to arrest and criminal justice records related to Chesapeake.

Virginia's Judicial System Case Information: The Chesapeake Circuit Court maintains an online case information system through the Virginia Courts Case Information portal, where members of the public may search for criminal case records by name or case number at no cost.
Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator: Individuals currently in state custody following a conviction may be located through the Virginia Department of Corrections inmate search tool, which includes individuals held at the Chesapeake City Jail and those under Chesapeake Probation and Parole supervision.
Chesapeake Sheriff's Office: The Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, which holds accreditation through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, provides information about individuals in local custody through its official channels.
Virginia State Police CCRE Online Portal: Name-based criminal history record searches are available through the Virginia State Police online portal for a processing fee.

How To Search Chesapeake County Arrest Records for Free?

Members of the public may access certain arrest and criminal records at no cost through the following methods.

Virginia Courts Case Information System: The online case search portal maintained by Virginia's Judicial System allows free public searches of circuit and general district court records, including criminal case filings and dispositions associated with Chesapeake courts.
In-Person Inspection at the Clerk's Office: Under VFOIA, members of the public have the right to inspect public records in person at no charge. The Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office permits public inspection of court records during regular business hours without a fee, though copies may incur a per-page charge.
VDOC Inmate Locator: The Virginia Department of Corrections provides a free online inmate locator tool that allows searches by name or offender number for individuals currently in state custody.
VFOIA Requests to Law Enforcement: While some agencies charge a reasonable fee for staff time and reproduction costs, the initial inspection of records is generally provided at no cost under current Virginia law.

How To Delete Arrest Records in Chesapeake County

Virginia law provides two primary legal mechanisms for limiting public access to arrest records: expungement and sealing. Expungement refers to the legal erasure or destruction of arrest records, while sealing restricts public access to records without physically destroying them. Under current Virginia law, these remedies are distinct and governed by separate statutory provisions.

Eligibility for Expungement:

Charges that were dismissed, nolle prossed, or resulted in an acquittal are eligible for expungement under § 19.2-392.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Individuals who were arrested but never charged may also petition for expungement.
Certain convictions became eligible for sealing under the Virginia Clean Slate Act, which took effect in 2025, automating the sealing of qualifying misdemeanor convictions after a defined waiting period.

Steps to Petition for Expungement:

Obtain a copy of the arrest record and the final court disposition from the Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
Complete the Petition for Expungement form, available from the Circuit Court Clerk.
File the petition with the Chesapeake Circuit Court, along with the required filing fee.
Serve a copy of the petition on the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Chesapeake.
Attend the scheduled hearing, at which the court will determine whether expungement is warranted.
If granted, the court will issue an order directing all relevant agencies to expunge the records.

Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney's Office 306 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322 (757) 382-3130 Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney

What Happens After Arrest in Chesapeake County?

The criminal justice process in Chesapeake follows a structured sequence of events from the point of arrest through final case disposition.

Arrest and Booking: Following an arrest, the individual is transported to the Chesapeake City Jail for booking, where identifying information, fingerprints, and photographs are recorded.
Initial Appearance: The arrested individual is brought before a magistrate, typically within hours of arrest, for an initial determination of probable cause and a bond decision.
Arraignment: The defendant appears before the General District Court or Circuit Court to enter a formal plea.
Preliminary Hearing (Felony Cases): For felony charges, a preliminary hearing is held in General District Court to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to certify the case to the grand jury.
Grand Jury Review: A grand jury convened in the Chesapeake Circuit Court reviews felony cases and issues an indictment if probable cause is found.
Trial or Plea: The defendant proceeds to trial or enters a guilty plea. Misdemeanor cases are typically resolved in General District Court, while felony cases are heard in Circuit Court.
Sentencing: Upon conviction, the court imposes a sentence in accordance with Virginia sentencing guidelines.
Appeals: Defendants retain the right to appeal convictions to the Virginia Court of Appeals and, subsequently, to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

How Long Are Arrest Records Kept in Chesapeake County?

Arrest records in Chesapeake are subject to retention schedules established under Virginia law and applicable state archival standards. The Library of Virginia, acting under authority granted by the Code of Virginia, publishes official records retention schedules that govern how long law enforcement and court records must be maintained.

Law enforcement arrest records are generally retained for a minimum period consistent with the Virginia Public Records Act, codified at § 42.1-76 et seq., which requires that public records be maintained according to approved retention schedules and prohibits unauthorized destruction.
Felony arrest records are typically retained permanently or for extended periods, given their evidentiary and historical significance.
Misdemeanor arrest records may be subject to shorter retention periods, though specific schedules vary by agency and record type.
Court records maintained by the Chesapeake Circuit Court Clerk are subject to judicial records retention schedules approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, which generally require permanent retention of criminal case files.
Different agencies — including the Chesapeake Police Department, the Sheriff's Office, and the Circuit Court Clerk — maintain separate records and are each subject to their own applicable retention requirements.
Records retention serves the dual purpose of preserving evidence for potential future proceedings and maintaining public accountability for law enforcement actions.

How to Find Mugshots in Chesapeake County

What Mugshots Are Mugshots are photographic images taken by law enforcement at the time of booking following an arrest. They are part of the official booking record and serve as a means of identifying individuals in custody.

Where Mugshots Are Maintained Mugshots taken in Chesapeake are maintained by the Chesapeake City Jail and the Chesapeake Police Department as part of the booking record. The Virginia State Police CCRE also retains booking photographs as part of the statewide criminal history record.

Finding Mugshots Members of the public seeking a booking photograph may submit a VFOIA request to the Chesapeake Police Department Records Division or to the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office. Requests should identify the subject by full name and approximate date of arrest.

Can They Be Found Online At present, Chesapeake does not maintain a publicly accessible online mugshot database. Some third-party websites aggregate and publish booking photographs obtained from public records, though the accuracy and currency of such information cannot be verified by official sources.

Obtaining Mugshots Officially Official copies of booking photographs may be obtained by submitting a written public records request to the Chesapeake Police Department. A per-copy fee may apply in accordance with the agency's established fee schedule.

Restrictions on Mugshot Access Booking photographs associated with juvenile arrests are not subject to public disclosure under Virginia law. Additionally, if a court has granted an expungement order, the associated booking photograph must be removed from agency records and is no longer subject to public release.