Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026.
Alleghany County, Virginia, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Alleghany County is held at the county jail, run by the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Alleghany County public records, Alleghany County arrest records, Alleghany County warrants, Alleghany County criminal records, Alleghany County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Alleghany County
The county jail, run by the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office, holds everyone kept in custody after an arrest in Alleghany County, from every agency.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office at alleghanycountysheriff.com/inmate-information (page title: Inmate Information | Alleghany County Sheriff's Office), phone 540-965-1770, wed from 9 am - 10 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Someone booked recently shows on that page; someone cited and released at the scene, or held a few hours at a city station, does not.
The Alleghany County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2025 the jail held about 82 people, up from about 61 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 34 beds, and it ran at 127 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Alleghany County has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 56 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Alleghany County Jail
The Alleghany County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Clifton Forge make the arrests that end in a booking in Alleghany County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Alleghany County: the Alleghany County State Police (state police).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office's 120 for 2025 and Clifton Forge's 90 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in Alleghany County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 210 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Alleghany County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Virginia Department of Corrections lists its inmates at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Alleghany County?
Look on the custody page of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office at alleghanycountysheriff.com/inmate-information, or call 540-965-1770. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Alleghany County jail?
About 82 on an average day in 2025, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 34 beds.
What is the phone number for the Alleghany County jail?
540-965-1770, the number on the page of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Alleghany County go?
To a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Is this the official Alleghany County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.