What are Virginia Property Records?
Virginia residents fill out property records and tender them to state administrators who store and disseminate them as public records under the Virginia Public Records Act. Virginia property records are public documents that provide specific details about the state's lands and the properties constructed on them. There are different types of property records, including survey maps, mortgage reports, and property deeds. Property deeds are the most commonly requested types of property records.
Virginia residents can get property records by querying their county's commissioner of revenue. Interested persons can request these records in person or in writing. Alternatively, most offices provide a searchable online database that the public can use to find records on the internet.
Are Virginia Property Records Public?
Virginia's counties store and disseminate property records according to the Virginia Public Records Act. Thus, Virginia residents can request, inspect, and copy property records without providing a statement of intent.
Virginia residents can query their local commissioner of revenue or county assessor to obtain property records. For instance, Accomack County residents can submit written or in-person requests to the Accomack County Assessor's office or search for records on its online Real Estate Land Book.
Property records are available for public viewing through government agencies or third-party aggregate websites. Accessing property records through third-party sites is typically straightforward, and the records are not geographically limited. However, because the sites are not government-affiliated and run independently, the information contained in the records may vary. Searching parties should include the following information to obtain complete property records:
- The property's exact location.
- The property owner's details.
What Information is Included in Virginia Property Records?
Virginia's county assessors or commissioners of revenue maintain and disseminate different types of property records. While property deeds may be the most commonly requested property records, there are multiple types, including:
- Mortgage Records
- Survey maps
- Property deeds
Virginia mortgage records are formal financial documents that contain details of all debts a homeowner incurs when purchasing a property. For instance, interested persons can look through mortgage records to find out how much a property costs and the amount that the current owner contributed to purchase it. Researchers can also see how many times the property has been sold, how many times the credit facility has been refinanced, and any outstanding payments are left on the property.
Index maps are legal drawings (made to scale) that give visual descriptions of a property. Index maps include (but are not limited to) survey maps, parcel maps, assessment maps, or subdivision maps.
Virginia property deeds are the most commonly requested documents among Virginia property records. They are official documents that show a transfer of a property's title between a property's grantor and the grantee. Most people request this document as it indicates a property's true owner. Virginia property deeds come in different types, including:
Deeds of Trust
Deeds of trust are contractual documents drawn up to transfer the title of a property from the original owner to a beneficiary through a trusted third party.
Warranty Deeds
A warranty deed is a property transfer document that assures the grantee that the grantor holds title to the property and can effectively transfer it. It also protects the grantor in lieu of title defects.
Grant Deeds
Grant deeds are commonly used to transfer Virginia property between two persons or entities. Grant deeds assure the grantee that no other person has a title to the property - other than the grantor - and that the property had no legal encumbrances while the grantor retained its title.
Quitclaim Deeds
Quitclaim deeds show a transfer of property title between the grantor and the grantee but do not protect the grantor from any legal claims that may arise. These deeds are most commonly used when transferring property between family members.
Where to Search Public Property Records in Virginia
Individuals looking for Virginia property records may contact their county assessor, commissioner of revenue, or department of real estate assessments. Below is a list of some Virginia county assessor offices:
Accomack County
Accomack County Assessor
23296 Courthouse Avenue, Room 106,
Accomack, VA 23301
Phone: (757) 787-5729
Fax: (757) 789-3350
Albemarle County
Albemarle County Assessor
401 McIntire Road, Room 243,
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 296-5856
Fax: (434) 296-5801
Alleghany County
Alleghany County Commissioner of the Revenue
Alleghany Governmental Complex
9212 Winterberry Avenue,
Suite E, Covington, VA 24426
Phone: (540) 863-6640
Fax: (540) 863-6644
Amelia County
Amelia County Commissioner of the Revenue
16360 Dunn Street, Suite 102,
Amelia, VA 23002
Phone: (804) 561-2158
Fax: (804) 561-6472
Amherst County
Amherst County Commissioner of the Revenue
100 Goodwin Street, Amherst, VA 24521
Phone: (434) 946-9310
Fax: (434) 946-9312
Appomattox County
Appomattox County Commissioner of Revenue
329B Court Street,
Appomattox, VA 24522
Phone: (434) 352-7450
Fax: (434) 352-0080
Arlington County
Arlington County Department of Real Estate Assessments
2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 611,
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 228-3920
Augusta County
Augusta County Commissioner of the Revenue
Augusta County Government Center
18 Government Center Lane,
Verona, VA 24482
Phone: (540) 245-5647
Fax: (540) 245-5179
Bath County
Bath County Commissioner of Revenue
65 Courthouse Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484
Phone: (540) 839-7231
Fax: (540) 839-7234
Bedford County
Bedford County Commissioner of the Revenue
122 E. Main Street, Suite 103,
Bedford, VA 24523
Phone: (540) 586-7621
Bland County
Bland County Commissioner of the Revenue
Bland County Courthouse
612 Main Street, Suite 102,
Bland, VA 24315
Phone: (276) 688-4291
Fax: (276) 688-3071
Botetourt County
Botetourt County Commissioner of the Revenue
2 East Main Street,
Fincastle, VA 24090
Phone: (540) 473-8270
Fax: (540) 473-8289
Treasurer Phone: (540) 473-8254
Fax: (540) 473-8266
Brunswick County
Brunswick County Commissioner of Revenue
228 North Main Street,
Lawrenceville, VA 23868
Phone: (434) 848-2313
Fax: (434) 848-6856
Buchanan County
Buchanan County Commissioner of the Revenue
1012 Walnut Street, Suite 110,
Grundy, VA 24614
Phone: (276) 935-6542
Fax: (276) 935-1636
Buckingham County
Buckingham County Commissioner of the Revenue
13061 W. James Anderson Highway,
Buckingham, VA 23921
Phone: (434) 969-4972
Fax: (434) 969-2753
Campbell County
Campbell County Commissioner of the Revenue
47 Court House Lane,
Rustburg, VA 24588
Phone: (434) 592-9518
Caroline County
Caroline County Commissioner of the Revenue
212 North Main Street,
Bowling Green, VA 22427
Phone: (804) 497-7100
Fax: (804) 633-8072
Carroll County
Carroll County Assessor
605-17 Pine Street,
Hillsville, VA 24343
Phone: (276) 730-3030
Charles City County
Charles City County Commissioner of the Revenue
10780 Courthouse Road,
Charles City, VA 23030
Phone: (804) 652-2161
Fax: (804) 829-6228
Charlotte County
Charlotte County Commissioner of the Revenue
205 David Bruce Ave.,
Charlotte Court House, VA 23923
Phone: (434) 542-5546
Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County Department of Real Estate Assessments
6701 Mimms Loop, Chesterfield, VA 23832
Phone: (804) 748-1321
Fax: (804) 717-6278
Dickenson County
Dickenson County Commissioner of Revenue
First Floor, Dickenson County Courthouse
293 Clintwood Main Street,
Clintwood, VA 24228
Phone: (276) 926-1646
Fax: (276) 926-4702
Fauquier County
Fauquier County Commissioner of the Revenue
10 Hotel Street, Warrenton, VA 20188
Phone: (540) 347-8140
Fax: (540) 341-3647
Floyd County
Assessor, Commissioner of Revenue
Floyd County Commissioner of the Revenue
100 East Main Street,
Floyd, VA 24091
Phone: (540) 745-9345
Fax: (540) 745-9346
Fluvanna County
Assessor, Commissioner of Revenue
Fluvanna County Commissioner of the Revenue
34 Palmyra Way,
Palmyra, VA 22963
Phone: (434) 591-1940
Fax: (434) 591-1941
Franklin County
Assessor, Commissioner of Revenue
Franklin County Commissioner of Revenue
1255 Franklin Street, Suite 102,
Rocky Mount, VA 24151
Phone: (540) 483-3083
Fax: (540) 483-3089
Roanoke County
Roanoke County Office of Real Estate Valuation
5204 Bernard Drive SW, Suite 200D,
Roanoke, VA 24018
Phone: (540) 772-2035
Fax: (540) 776-7129
Rockbridge County
Rockbridge County Commissioner of the Revenue
150 South Main Street,
Lexington, VA 24450
Phone: (540) 463-3431
Fax: (540) 463-4082
Rockingham County
Rockingham County Commissioner of the Revenue
20 East Gay Street,
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Phone: (540) 564-3067
Russell County
Russell County Commissioner of the Revenue
Russell County Government Center
137 Highland Drive,
Lebanon, VA 24266
Phone: (276) 889-8014
Fax: (276) 889-8092
Scott County
Scott County Commissioner of the Revenue
104 East Jackson Street, Suite 6,
Gate City, VA 24251
Phone: (276) 386-7692
Shenandoah County
Shenandoah County Commissioner of Revenue
600 North Main Street, Suite 104,
Woodstock, VA 22664
Phone: (540) 459-6170
Fax: (540) 459-6173
Smyth County
Smyth County Commissioner of Revenue
Smyth County Courthouse
109 West Main Street, Suite 245,
Marion, VA 24354
Phone: (276) 782-4040
Fax: (276) 782-4041
Southampton County
Southampton County Commissioner of the Revenue
26022 Administration Center Drive,
Courtland, VA 23837
Phone: (757) 653-3030
Fax: (757) 653-0227
Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County Office of Real Estate Assessments
9104 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Phone: (540) 507-7777
Fax: (540) 507-7799
Stafford County
Stafford County Commissioner of the Revenue
1300 Courthouse Road,
Stafford, VA 22554
Phone: (540) 658-4132
Surry County
Surry County Commissioner of the Revenue
Surry County Government Center
45 School Street,
Surry, VA 23883
Phone: (757) 294-5225
Fax: (757) 294-5228
Sussex County
Sussex County Commissioner of the Revenue
15074 Courthouse Road,
Sussex, VA 23884
Phone: (434) 246-1024
Fax: (434) 246-4503
Tazewell County
Tazewell County Commissioner of Revenue
101 East Main Street,
Tazewell, VA 24651
Phone: (276) 988-1235
Fax: (276) 988-5221
Warren County
Warren County Commissioner of the Revenue
220 North Commerce Ave., Suite 900,
Front Royal, VA 22630
Phone: (540) 635-2651 Ext. 207
Fax: (540) 636-8280
Washington County
Washington County Commissioner of Revenue
1 Government Center Place,
Suite C, Abingdon, VA 24210
Phone: (276) 676-6270
Fax: (276) 676-6530
Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County Commissioner of Revenue
George D. English Building
111 Polk Street,
Montross, VA 22520
Phone: (804) 493-0113
Wise County
Wise County Commissioner of the Revenue
Wise County Courthouse
206 East Main Street,
Rooms 224, 225 and 226,
Wise, VA 24293
Phone: (276) 328-3556
Fax: (276) 328-6937
Wythe County
Wythe County Commissioner of Revenue
101 Wythe County Courthouse
225 South 4th Street,
Wytheville, VA 24382
Phone: (276) 223-6015
Fax: (276) 223-6047
York County
York County Real Estate Assessment Office
120 Alexander Hamilton Boulevard,
Yorktown, VA 23690
Phone: (757) 890-3382
Fax: (757) 890-3389
How to Find the Owner of a Virginia Property Using Public Records
Per the Virginia Public Records Act, Virginia property records are in the public domain. Thus, interested individuals can obtain all information about a property, including ownership details, by querying their local assessor's office. To find the owner of a Virginia property, the researcher must first obtain basic information about it, such as address.
Once the researcher has the above details, they may query their Virginia county assessor's office in person or in writing. For instance, Shenandoah County residents can find property records by querying the Shenandoah County Commissioner of Revenue's office in person or in writing. The commissioner of revenue also provides an online Real Estate Book that the public can peruse for property details.
What are Property Records Used for in Virginia?
Virginia residents request property records to gain knowledge about the state's lands and properties constructed on them. Researchers have many uses for Virginia property records, including the following:
- To establish title: Virginia residents can use property records to verify a person's title claims over a piece of land. The ability to verify can be valuable when a person disputes another's title claim.Virginia residents can use property records to verify a person's title claims over a piece of land. The ability to verify can be valuable when a person disputes another's title claim.
- To help set market value for a property: Property-owners and buyers must agree on prices to exchange properties. Property records provide historical records of market values that sellers and buyers can use to set a benchmark and decide on new prices.
- For Research Purposes: Anyone interested in buying property in Virginia must conduct research before settling on one. Property records are an excellent source of information as they tell the researcher how many owners a property has had. They also tell the researcher how many times the property has been modified, and its true market value.
- To settle boundary disputes: Conflicts are commonplace when multiple property owners share boundaries. Individuals looking to resolve such disputes can confirm official boundaries by perusing property records.
How to Find Virginia Property Tax Records
Property taxes are an official levy that Virginia's government places on owners of property in the state. Property owners pay taxes based on the value of their property. According to the Virginia Public Records Act, Virginia property tax records are not public property.
What to Do When You Cannot Find Virginia Property Records
Individuals interested in obtaining Virginia property records may query their county commissioner of revenue or county assessor's offices. These offices allow researchers to submit in-person and written requests. Some offices also provide online records that researchers can peruse from remote locations.
In some cases, researchers are unable to obtain Virginia property records at their county commissioner of revenue or county assessor. When such situations arise, researchers may use the information and resources available on third-party public records sites.
