What are Bedford County Arrest Records?
Bedford County arrest records are official documents that contain an individual's criminal history record within the jurisdiction of Bedford County. Arrest records usually contain information about an individual's arrests, arrest searches, inquiries, reports, logs, the warrant for arrest, and mug shots. However, these records do not provide definitive proof of a subject's involvement in a crime. Thus, they may not be used in lieu of criminal history information.
Bedford arrest records are maintained by a number of government agencies from Federal to the county level. In Bedford County, these public records are maintained by local law enforcement agencies, including the Bedford County Sherriff’s Office. Alternatively, an individual may use State Records’ online search tools.
Crime Statistics
Digital technology has greatly increased the county’s capabilities to track criminal activities. According to data published by Bedford County Sherriff’s Office, a total of 1,502 criminal offenses were reported in Bedford County in 2016. Simple assault was the most common offense and accounted for 25.4% of the index crimes at 381 incidents. Destructive damage of property was the second most reported offense and accounted for 11.1% of the index crimes at 167 incidents. Other forms of larceny were the third most reported offenses. They constituted 10.4% of the reported offenses at 156 incidents. There were also 109 and 151 incidents of burglary and drugs/narcotics violations respectively.
From 2015 to 2016, the reported index crime offenses in Bedford County dropped by 0.9%. There was a year-on-year decrease in reported cases of simple assault of 2.6%. However, destructive damage of property increased by 0.6% while other forms of larceny increased by 14.8%.
What are Bedford County Criminal Records?
Bedford County criminal records are documents of an individual's criminal history within the county’s jurisdiction. These records include documents pertaining to an individual's arrests, warrants, criminal charges filed, as well as convictions and sentences for criminal offenses. They are created and maintained by the Bedford County Police Department, Bedford County Sheriff's Department, or Bedford County Criminal Courts.
How Do I Get Bedford County Criminal Records?
Unless sealed by state statute or court order, Bedford County criminal records are public records. Members of the public seeking information pertaining to criminal records may direct their request to the Bedford Police Department or Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
Criminal records and background checks requests to these offices may be made in person, by mail or by email.
All criminal record requests may be directed to:
Bedford Police Department
215 E Main Street
Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 587-6011
Fax: (540) 586-7198
On the other hand, publicly available records are managed and disseminated online by some third-party service providers. Since these online service providers are not limited by geographical location, they are useful when searching for specific or multiple records.
However, third-party service providers are not government-sponsored. Thus, record availability is not guaranteed. To find a record using the search engines on third party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide:
- The location of the record in question including city, county, or state
- The name of the individual involved provided it is a not a juvenile
How to Find Bedford County Sex Offender Information
The Virginia State Police is the central custodian of the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The registry can be used to track convicted and wanted sex offenders. Information about registered sex offenders in Bedford County is publicly available on the online sex offender registry (SOR).
How do I Visit an Inmate in Bedford County Jail?
Bedford County Jail is under the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority. The Bedford Adult Detention Center is located at:
1000 Broad Street
Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 587-9282
Fax: (540) 587-9283
Visitors must adhere to the county jail visitation requirements including the jail dress code, visitation schedules, and visiting hours. 2-hour visits are allowed once a week. Furthermore, visitors must be the inmate’s visitation list and must carry an ID that matches the name on the inmate’s visitation list. Visitors aged under 18 years must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Otherwise, they must submit a notarized Juvenile Visitation Form, which is obtained from the jail officer on duty. Upon approval, an authorized adult must accompany them.
Where And How To Find Bedford County Inmate Information
Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority maintains a public database of current and released inmates in Bedford County. To make a search on the portal, click the search icon on the top right corner of the page. The searcher must provide the name of the individual, confirm the inmate’s status, and specify a booking time frame.
At the state level, the Virginia Department of Corrections maintains information on inmates in Bedford County. The department allows public access to this information on its website. Generally, the searcher must provide the offender’s first and last name or offender’s ID. Providing more information helps to narrow the search down.
What are Bedford County Court Records?
Bedford County Court Records are documents, files, and transcripts of everything that occurs during a legal process. They are generated from when the case was filed to when a verdict was delivered as well as when an appeal is filed. These records are typically obtained from the court where they were generated.
Bedford County court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court where the case was filed. This can be the Bedford Circuit Court or the Bedford General District Court. To access a court record from the Circuit Court, the searcher must enter either the party’s name or case number into the Circuit Court’s online search portal. The hearing date can also be used to find court records.
To access a court record from the General District Court, the searcher must enter either the party’s name or case number into the Circuit Court’s online search portal. The hearing date can also be used to find court records.
Alternatively, the Virginia Judiciary serves as a central repository of court case information on individuals in Bedford County. These records are publicly available using online search tools on the judiciary website. The searcher must provide the name of the individual and select the court(s) where the case was filed.
Location of all Courts in Bedford County
The following are the addresses and contact information of courthouses in Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford County Circuit Court - 24th Judicial Circuit
Bedford County Courthouse
123 E Main St, Suite 201, Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 586-7632
Fax: (540) 586-6197
Bedford County General District Court - 24th Judicial District
Bedford County Courthouse
123 E Main St, Suite 202, Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 586-7637
Fax: (540) 586-7684
Bedford County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
Bedford County Courthouse
123 E Main St, Suite 101, Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 586-7641
Fax: (540) 587-9395
What are Bedford County Vital Records?
Bedford County’s vital records are official documents pertaining to all birth, death, marriage, and marriage dissolution that have occurred within the county limits. The Virginia Department of Health is the central repository of vital records in the state. It is also tasked with issuing copies of these records to interested individuals who meet eligibility requirements.
Where And How To Get Bedford County Divorce Records
Bedford County divorce records are obtained at the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court where the divorce or marriage dissolution was finalized. Eligible individuals may obtain certified copies in person or by mail. The requester must attach a $2.50 for each certified copy of the marriage license along with the current return postage amount. The request is directed to:
Circuit Court Clerk's Office
123 E. Main St., Suite 201
Bedford, VA 24523
Alternatively, divorce records may be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. The requester must complete and sign an application form and attach a photocopy of a valid ID. All the information required is listed on the form. The standard fee is $12.00 per search.
Requests should be mailed to:
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218-1000
(804) 662-6200
Where And How To Get Bedford County Marriage Records
At the county level, marriage licenses are typically issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Eligible individuals may obtain certified copies in person or by mail from the Clerk's Office that issued the license. The requester must attach a $2.50 for each certified copy of the marriage license along with the current return postage amount. The request is directed to:
Circuit Court Clerk's Office
123 E. Main St., Suite 201
Bedford, VA 24523
Alternatively, marriage records may be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. The requester must complete and sign an application form and attach a photocopy of a valid ID. The standard fee is $12.00 per search. Additional fees may be incurred for express delivery. The form includes all information required from the requester.
Requests should be mailed to:
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218-1000
(804) 662-6200
Where And How To Get Bedford County Birth Records
Certified copies of birth records are available upon request to eligible persons with a valid ID. This includes immediate family members only i.e. mother, father, husband, wife, child, brother, sister, and grandparents of the named individual.
A requester must complete and submit a signed application form. The form must be mailed along with legible identification documentation and payment before it can be processed. The standard fee is $12.00 per search.
Requests should be addressed to:
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218-1000
(804) 662-6200
Where And How To Get Bedford County Death Records
Death certificates can be filed at and certified copies obtained from any local department in Virginia, regardless of where the death occurred. However, records of deaths that occurred earlier than 30 days are excluded.
Certified copies of death certificates are available upon request to eligible persons with a valid ID. This includes immediate family members only i.e. mother, father, husband, wife, child, brother, sister, and grandparents of the deceased.
A requester must complete and submit a signed application form. The form must be mailed along with legible identification documentation and payment before it can be processed. The standard fee is $12.00 per search.
Requests should be addressed to:
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218-1000
(804) 662-6200
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
