How to Search Virginia Wants & Warrants (Start Here)
Active warrants in Virginia are maintained by law enforcement at state, county, and local levels. There is no single database of all warrants in Virginia.
What this page covers: Virginia state warrant databases, most-wanted lists, and county-level warrant search tools where available. What it does not cover: Federal warrants (those are handled by the U.S. Marshals and FBI).
Where to start: Check the state law enforcement agency first for statewide warrant searches. For county-level warrants, contact the county sheriff. Many county sheriffs post active warrant lists on their websites.
Common mistake: Most-wanted lists only show high-priority fugitives. If you need to check whether someone has any active warrant, a most-wanted list is not enough — contact the county sheriff or clerk of court directly.
Statewide warrant search
Most wanted list
Sex offender registry
State police / DPS
Virginia State Police provides law enforcement for all people of Virginia and it
US Marshals district
Number of counties
95 counties
Population
8,811,195
Households
3,324,700
Median Income
$87,249
Median Home Value
$339,800
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Virginia wants & warrants URL verified against the official state publisher at vsp.virginia.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.
Virginia Wants & Warrants — Key Facts (2026)
Outstanding warrants, fugitive lists, and active sheriff's warrants for Virginia — what's public, what isn't, and how to verify in 2026.
Public
Public-facing fugitive list
Yes (state portal)
Sealed
Active arrest warrants
Often non-public until executed
NCIC
Federal warrant index
Law enforcement only
$0
Cost of public warrant lookup
Free in most states
24-48h
New filings lag
Typical processing delay
Sheriff most-wanted list
100%
State fugitive portal
90%
NCIC (federal index)
0%
Sealed arrest warrant
0%
FBI Top-10 (national)
100%
Unit: % publicly searchable.
What Changed in 2026 — Virginia Wants & Warrants
2026
Virginia wants & warrants portal active
The official Virginia portal at vsp.virginia.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for wants & warrants in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for wants & warrants
The FBI Most Wanted Fugitives at www.fbi.gov provides federal-level context that complements Virginia state records.
2026
Virginia access in 2026
For 2026, Virginia continues to publish wants & warrants information through state-authorized portals; check vsp.virginia.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Virginia's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
The 3-Path Virginia Warrant Search
1
Path 1 — Sheriff most-wanted
Most Virginia sheriffs publish a 'Most Wanted' page on the county sheriff's official .gov or county site.
2
Path 2 — State fugitive portal
Virginia's statewide fugitive/warrant list is published by the state law enforcement agency.
3
Path 3 — Federal fugitives
FBI Most Wanted (fbi.gov/wanted) and U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted (usmarshals.gov) are the public federal lists.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Virginia Wants & Warrants
MYTH"Call the police to check your own warrant."
FACTThat call can end with handcuffs — if a warrant exists, they act on it. Attorneys run the check safely; that's part of why people hire them.
MYTH"The most-wanted page is the warrant list."
FACTMost-wanted pages are curated highlights. The actual warrant count in Virginia runs far beyond what any public page shows.
MYTH"All warrants are the same."
FACTBench warrants (missed court) and arrest warrants (probable cause) are different animals with different consequences — and different fixes.
MYTH"If the sheriff's site shows nothing, there's no warrant."
FACTCounty warrant lists are partial and updated on the county's schedule. Absence from the list proves nothing — courts confirm, websites suggest.
MYTH"Paid warrant-check sites see more than you can."
FACTThey see less: scraped county lists and old data. The court clerk and the sheriff hold the real answer, usually for free.
Primary Sources and Official Record Portals
- vsp.virginia.gov — Official Virginia Wants & Warrants — State portal for Virginia wants & warrants
- FBI Most Wanted Fugitives — Federal fugitive list (national)
- U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted — U.S. Marshals top fugitives
- DOJ Wanted Fugitives — Department of Justice component agencies
- ICE Most Wanted — Immigration & Customs Enforcement
- DEA Most Wanted Fugitives — Drug Enforcement Administration
- ATF Most Wanted — Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Related Wants & Warrants Resources
📍 Other Virginia records:
- Virginia Court Records →
- Virginia Criminal Records →
- Virginia Property Records →
- Virginia Vital Records →
- Virginia Voter Records →
- Virginia Licenses →
- Virginia Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 Wants & Warrants in other states:
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National: U.S. Wants & Warrants hub →
Related Public Records
More Virginia records: Court records · Criminal records · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National view of this topic: All states: Wants & warrants
Wants & Warrants Databases
28 official Virginia wants & warrants sources.
Wants & Warrants
Outstanding Warrants | Smithfield, VA
Official Free
Active-warrant information for Virginia is posted through this channel. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Violation of Supervision Conditions
Official Free
1. Probationers/Parolees shown as “Most Wanted” must meet one or more of the following criteria for ... 3.
Albemarle County, VA Arrests, Warrants, Police Records Search
Official Free
Use this website for informational purposes only, read more · Albemarle County is located in central Virginia and has a population of approximately 112,395 residents. The county surrounds the independent city of Charlottesville, which serves as its seat of government.
Civil Process / Warrants – Official Website of Arlington County Virginia Government
Official Free
Active-warrant information for Arlington County is posted through this channel. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Arlington County Crime Solvers
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering Arlington County run through here. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
Virginia Dept. of Elections: Polling Place and Ballot Information Lookup
Official Free
Search for your polling place in Virginia, and find out what's on the ballot for the next upcoming election.
Quick Links • Community Corrections - Petersburg, VA
Official Free
Virginia Judicial System · City of Petersburg Sherriff’s Department · Dinwiddie County Sherriff’s Department · Riverside Regional Jail · Meherrin River Regional Jail · Vinelink · Virginia Department of Corrections · Federal Bureau of Prisons · All Categories ·
Most Wanted | GCSO
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering Virginia run through here. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Pamunkey JMS, VA
Official Free
Mobile Site · If you have reason to believe any information contained here is inaccurate, please contact the facility. Content on this website is determined by the facility; JailTracker is not responsible, and assumes no liability, for any content or for any improper or incorrect use of the ...
James City County, VA | Official Website
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering James City County run through here. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Crime Stoppers
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering Virginia run through here. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Most Wanted
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering Virginia run through here. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
Sheriff - Washington County Virginia
Official Free
The newly formed Criminal Warrant Service Unit serves hundreds of criminal warrants each year, and relieves some of the workload on the Patrol Division through their warrant service. ... This division is comprised of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), Project Lifesaver, Bike Patrol, K-9 Units and Honor Guard. Men and women from within the Sheriff’s Office support the Special Operations Division. This Division requires a tremendous amount of dedication, as intensive and strenuous training is often required from those involved. ... You must be a resident of Washington County, and…
MAP LEGEND FACILITIES PROBATION & PAROLE DISTRICTS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
Official Free
Active-warrant information for Virginia is posted through this channel. Confirm details with the official warrant office before relying on them.
Public Information Reports | York County, VA
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering York County run through here. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official warrant office.
Arrest Photos • City of Danville
Official Free
The information supplied are the Photos of individuals arrested (and the charge) in the previous seven days.
Hampton Police Department, VA P2C
Official Free
Official wants & warrants source (police2citizen.hampton.gov).
Three Arrested, Two Still Wanted in Connection to Blue ...
Official Free
Warrant lookups covering Virginia run through here. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official warrant office.
Magistrate's Office | Newport News, VA - Official Website
Official Free
Parcel and valuation data for Virginia — ownership, assessed values, and property characteristics. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
🌐 nnva.gov
Central Records Division | City of Norfolk, Virginia - Official Website
Official Free
Processing all arrest warrants, summonses, and related legal documents received from courts, Probation and Parole Offices, and other law enforcement agencies. Criminal Histories, Fingerprinting, and Background checks ... Physical Address Police Operations Center 3661 E. Virginia Beach Blvd ...
vacourts.gov
Official Free
Find public arrest records in Portsmouth County. Learn more about how to lookup and obtain Portsmouth County arrest records, sex offender information, and more. Navigate the complexities of public arrest records laws in Portsmouth County.
Reports | Radford, VA
Official Free
Effective July 1, 2020, the Virginia Department of State Police, Uniform Crime Reporting Unit will begin the collection of investigatory stop data based on the creation of the Community Policing Act. Updates to the original legislation were made per Chapter 37 of the 2020 Special Session I.
Weekly City Crime Stats | Richmond
Official Free
A statistical overview of Major Crime to include Violent Crime and Property Crime as compared to the same time frame from the previous year.
🌐 rva.gov
22-15: Wanted Fugitive - 6/21/2022 | Richmond
Official Free
Just go to Facebook.com and search Metro Richmond Crimes Stoppers. If you have information about this or any unsolved crime or fugitive wanted in the City of Richmond, Hanover, Henrico, Charles City, New Kent, Goochland and Caroline County, call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000 or submit your tip ...
🌐 rva.gov
Archive Center • News Releases - Police
Official Free
News Releases - Police All Archives · Bank Robbery Franklin Road Closed due to Crash Update Sidetrack Road Homicide Glenvar Dog Attack Arrest Made in July Suspicious Death Investigation Death Investigation Road Closure - Mountain Heights Police Investigate Incident Road Closure - Catawba Valley ...
News & Reports | City of Staunton
Official Free
Crime Maps: Get information about criminal activity in any Staunton neighborhood through a crimemapping service that pulls data from SPD records daily to show the most current information available. Crime Statistics: The latest crime and traffic collision statistics from the SPD. This report is produced on an annual basis. Daily News Reports: This daily listing of police logs is posted online every business day. The list summarizes criminal activity from the previous day. News Releases: News reports released to the media regarding police department activity, searches and arrests. Virginia Comm
Warrant search has been decommissioned in ePRO.
Official Free
Official source for wants & warrants (eprodmz.vbgov.com).
Virginia Counties
95 Virginia counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Which Virginia counties publish jail rosters and sheriff records online
21 of Virginia's 98 counties run their own online source for jail rosters and sheriff records, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I check the Virginia most-wanted list?▼
Virginia's statewide wanted-persons and active-warrant information is published by the Official Virginia Wants & Warrants. View the current list at vsp.virginia.gov. Additional federal fugitives can be reviewed on the FBI Most-Wanted portal.
How do I know if I have an outstanding warrant in Virginia?▼
Most warrants in Virginia are issued at the county or municipal level by the local court or sheriff. The Official Virginia Wants & Warrants (vsp.virginia.gov) publishes statewide and felony-level warrant data; for misdemeanor and traffic warrants you generally must contact the clerk of the issuing court directly. Sheriffs in each county also maintain local active-warrant pages.
Can a private person serve or enforce a warrant in Virginia?▼
No. Only sworn law-enforcement officers can serve and execute warrants in Virginia. Civilians who locate a wanted person should report the information to the Official Virginia Wants & Warrants or local law enforcement at vsp.virginia.gov rather than attempt direct contact. Some Virginia warrants also carry a reward administered by the issuing agency.
How do I clear an old Virginia warrant?▼
A Virginia warrant generally must be cleared through the court that issued it — by appearing in person, hiring counsel, or filing a motion to quash. The Official Virginia Wants & Warrants can confirm whether a warrant is currently active in the statewide system at vsp.virginia.gov, but only the issuing judge can recall or quash it.
Does Virginia share warrant data with other states?▼
Yes. Virginia warrants that meet entry criteria are uploaded to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), making them visible to law enforcement nationwide. The Official Virginia Wants & Warrants at vsp.virginia.gov manages Virginia's NCIC interface and entry standards.