Roanoke People Search
A Roanoke people search pulls from court records, land files, police reports, and city FOIA responses across this independent city in southwest Virginia. Roanoke sits in the 23rd Judicial Circuit and shares circuit court services with Roanoke County through the clerk's office in Salem. The city keeps its own general district court and police records division. You can run a Roanoke person lookup online using state tools or file a written request with the clerk or FOIA officer. This page covers every public records source you need to search for someone in Roanoke.
Roanoke People Search Overview
Where to Start a Roanoke People Search
Roanoke does not have its own circuit court. The Roanoke County Circuit Court in Salem handles all circuit court matters for Roanoke City. The clerk is Hon. J. William "Bill" Alexander Jr. The office sits at 305 E. Main Street, Salem, VA 24153. You can call (540) 387-6205 for questions about case files, deeds, or marriage records. Hours run 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays.
The Roanoke Public Records Room is the best place to start an in-person people search. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 315 Salem Avenue SW in Roanoke. The room holds criminal case records, civil case records, land records and deeds, marriage licenses, probate records, and judgments. Copies cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost $2 per document. You can view files on a public terminal for free.
The Roanoke public records room holds criminal and civil case files going back decades. Use the Circuit Court Case Information System to search by name or case number before you go in person. Pick the Roanoke Circuit Court from the dropdown list. Results show party names, case numbers, hearing dates, and dispositions.
The Roanoke Public Records Room page lists every record type held by the city and how to request copies.
Roanoke Court Case Lookup
Court records are public. Under Virginia Code § 17.1-208, circuit court records are open for inspection with some limits. The statewide case search covers the Roanoke circuit. You can also search the General District Court Online Case Information System for traffic and misdemeanor cases.
The Roanoke City General District Court sits at 317 Church Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24011. The clerk is Ms. Janet E. Rigney. The phone is (540) 853-2562. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. This court falls in the 23rd Judicial District. Judges include Hon. William G. Alexander III, Hon. C.M. Lilley, and Hon. Travis W. White. The court handles traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary felony hearings, civil claims up to $25,000, landlord disputes, and protective orders.
The circuit court in Salem hears felony cases, civil claims over $4,500, family law, probate, and real estate disputes for Roanoke City. Judges on the 23rd Judicial Circuit bench include Hon. Chris Clemens as Chief Judge, plus Hon. Francis T. Burkhard, Hon. Jacqueline C. Sutherland, and Hon. Robert P. Doherty Jr.
Note: Juvenile and domestic relations cases stay sealed and will not appear in a Roanoke people search through the state portal or the clerk's public terminals.
Roanoke Police and Sheriff Records
The Roanoke Police Department is at 348 Campbell Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24011. Call (540) 853-2211 for the records division. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can get accident reports, incident reports, arrest records, and city-only background checks. A FOIA request is needed. Bring valid ID. The fee is $5 per report.
The Roanoke City Sheriff's Office handles court security, civil process, inmate transport, and concealed handgun permits. Sheriff Antonio S. Hash leads the office at 317 Church Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24011. Call (540) 853-2746. Hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays.
The Roanoke County Sheriff's Office also serves as a regional resource. It sits at 401 East Main Street, Salem, VA 24153. Phone is 540-283-3102. That office holds arrest records, incident reports, booking photos, daily activity reports, and inmate records for the Roanoke County-Salem Jail. You can request those records in person, by phone, or through a written FOIA request.
The Roanoke County public records request page walks through the steps for getting sheriff and county records.
The Roanoke County Criminal Division page covers how criminal cases move through the system in this region.
Roanoke FOIA and Public Records Access
The City of Roanoke FOIA officer works out of the City Attorney's Office at 215 Church Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24011. Call (540) 853-2512 to ask about filing a request. You can submit by email, mail, fax, online portal, or in person. Under Virginia Code § 2.2-3704, every public body must respond within five working days. The city can take seven more days if it needs an extension.
Fees follow state FOIA rules. The city charges reasonable rates for search time and copies. Staff time gets billed after the first hour of work. The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council offers free help if you hit any trouble with a request or get a denial.
Under § 2.2-3706, police must release basic criminal incident info. That includes the names of adults charged, dates, and charges. Full investigative files may stay closed while a case is open.
Roanoke Land Records Search
Land records for Roanoke City are kept by the Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk in Salem. The deed index goes back to 1966 for free online searches. Images of deeds, wills, judgments, marriage licenses, and plats also date to 1966. A paid subscription through Secure Remote Access costs $240 per year for one user. Extra users cost $220 each per year. A monthly plan runs $40 per user.
Free services include index data searches and a property notification service. The notification service emails you when a new document gets filed under your name. This is a good way to track deed fraud or see when someone files a new mortgage.
The Roanoke public records directory provides a summary of available records and search options for the area.
Note: Property assessment data is separate from deed records and can be searched by address or owner name on the county real estate site.
Vital Records in Roanoke
The Roanoke City Health Department at 1502 Williamson Road NE, Roanoke, VA 24012 handles local birth and death certificates. Call (540) 283-5050 for info. Birth records stay closed for 100 years. Death records are closed for 25 years. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, only the person on the record or a close family member can get a certified copy before those dates pass.
Marriage licenses come from the Roanoke County Circuit Court in Salem. The fee is $30. Both parties must show up with valid ID. The clerk issues the license the same day in most cases. Marriage records become public 25 years after the event. Older marriage records may be on file at the Library of Virginia for genealogy work.
Legal Help for Roanoke People Search
If a records request gets denied, the FOIA Advisory Council provides free legal guidance. Staff attorneys there take calls and emails. You do not need a lawyer to ask for help.
The Virginia Courts home page lists standard court forms, contact info, and case lookup tools. For published case opinions, check the Virginia Supreme Court opinions page. These can help trace court history for a person you are searching for in the Roanoke area.
For business ownership checks, the Virginia State Corporation Commission Clerk's Information System shows business entities, registered agents, and officers. It helps when the person you are looking up owns or runs a company in Roanoke.
Nearby Cities
These Virginia cities are close to Roanoke. Each has its own circuit court and public records system.