With a free search of Grayson County public records, you can learn a lot about another person’s past — or make sure there are no surprises or inaccuracies in your own files.
Thanks to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, members of the public can search marriage, divorce, criminal, court, and property records. Knowing where to start is the tricky part.
In this resource on tracking down public records in Grayson County, searchers will learn how to conduct background checks, look up prisoner information, find out if someone is on probation, and discover if a person has any active warrants or prior arrests. Citizens will also learn how to look up court records, request vital records, and find information about property ownership and taxes.
How To Execute a Free Arrest Record & Mugshot Search in Grayson County Virginia
When someone is arrested in Grayson County, they’re taken to the New River Valley Regional Jail (NRVRJ).
Located in Dublin, Virginia, this facility is operated by the NRVRJ Authority and houses both prisoners awaiting trial and convicts serving out sentences. Criminals who have been sentenced to terms of longer than five years are typically then transferred to a state prison.
In addition to Grayson County, the jail serves Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, and Wythe counties, as well as the city of Radford, Virginia.
To look up jail records in Grayson County, the NRVRJ should be your first stop. But if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you can try the Sheriff’s Office and the Independence Police Department to inquire about Grayson County arrest records.
Track Down Someone Who Was Arrested in Grayson County
It’s easy to view Grayson County bookings thanks to the New River Valley Regional Jail’s Inmate Lookup Tool.1 This service allows users to search current inmate records by name or booking number (as well as by permanent number, FBI number, state ID, etc.). All that’s required is the search subject’s last name.
Note that, although the Inmate Lookup Tool contains a checkbox for including released inmates, searches will only display people currently incarcerated in the jail.
Once you’ve entered the subject’s name and clicked “search,” you will see a public index of current inmates. You’ll be able to see their full names, booking numbers, permanent IDs, and birth dates.
However, keep in mind that the New River Valley Regional Jail houses inmates from several counties in southern Virginia. There’s no way to look up just inmates who were arrested in Grayson County. However, that information is given when you click on an inmate’s name.
Clicking on a name will allow you to view more information about the inmate, as well as letting you find someone’s mugshot. You’ll be able to see their identifying characteristics (height, weight, hair and eye color, etc.), as well as information on charges against them and any bond information.
Under “Incarceration Information,” you’ll also find in which county they were arrested and the date of their commitment to NRVRJ.
For more information about using this service or to request more details about an inmate incarcerated in the jail, use the following address and phone number:
New River Valley Regional Jail
108 Baker Rd.
Dublin, VA 24084
Phone: 540.643.2000
Check for Arrests via Local Law Enforcement Agencies in Grayson County (or Request Police Reports)
Information on arrests and other incidents can also be found using local law enforcement agencies, as they host records for events they were involved in. You can contact the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office directly to find out details about someone who may have been arrested by that department.2
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
304 Davis St., P.O. Box 160
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.3241 or 276.236.9988 or 800.782.7764 (toll-free)
The other law enforcement agency in Grayson County is the Independence Police Department.3 During office hours (Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm), the department can be contacted at 276.773.3661. Outside of these hours, call 276.773.3241.
You can also visit the Independence Police Department at the following address:
Independence Police Dept.
136 East Main St.
Independence, VA 24348
How To Conduct a Free Public Criminal History Check in Grayson County
Performing a free criminal record check can give you more insight into another person’s history. When you look up someone’s criminal record, you can learn more about any charges, warrants, convictions, and probation sentences associated with their name.
There are several record custodians for checking Grayson County public records relating to criminal activity. This resource will provide you with instructions for using each agency and search tool.
Access Grayson County Criminal Cases & Charges Through the Online Case Information System
Virginia’s Judiciary has several options for tracking down criminal case records.
The best search tool to start with is the Online Case Information System 2.0.4 This unified system searches most of the courts in the state, and you can use it to look up criminal records in Grayson County’s trial courts, the Circuit Court and the District Court.
The Circuit Court hears criminal cases involving felony charges, as well as civil trials and District Court appeals.
On the other hand, the Grayson County General District Court is the other trial court in the county and hears cases involving criminal misdemeanors and traffic violations. The District Court also holds preliminary hearings for felonies.
To use the search tool, choose which court to search (the Information System also contains criminal records for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations department of the General District Court, which can be searched separately). Or search both the District and Circuit courts at the same time. Then enter a defendant’s name (the last name is the only required part).
You will then be taken to an index of cases that fit your search criteria. You’ll see case numbers, hearing dates, defendants’ names, charges, and offense dates.
Click on a hot-linked case number to find out more information about the case, including information on sentencing, fines, charge information, and the city and state in which the defendant was living at the time.
Locate Criminal Records in Grayson County via the Circuit Court
The Virginia Judiciary website also hosts a separate search tool for the Circuit Courts of most counties in the state. To use it to look up criminal cases, visit the Circuit Court Case Information lookup site, select “Grayson Circuit Court” from the dropdown menu, and click “Begin.”5
On the next page, you can select to search criminal or civil case records. Then enter the search subject’s name (the last name is all that’s required). You can also choose to search by case number or court date.
Once you’ve initiated the search, you’ll be taken to a page with an online directory of cases heard by the court’s Criminal Division. You’ll see each case’s number, as well as the defendant’s full name, charge, hearing date, and current status.
Clicking on the case number will yield more details, including a rundown of court events and details about sentencing.
You can also contact the Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court for more information about criminal trials using the following information:7
Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 201, P.O. Box 130
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2231
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
See Grayson County Criminal Case Information Using the General District Court Search Tool
To search only cases tried by the Grayson County General District Court, visit the Virginia Judiciary’s General District Court Online Case Information System and select “Grayson General District” from the dropdown menu on the left.8 Then click “Name Search” under the “Traffic/Criminal” tab.
You can then enter a name to search (the last name is the only requirement). You can use the “Data Status” menu to choose whether to search current cases, archived cases, or both.
You’ll then be able to see a list of cases meeting your criteria, including the case number, defendant name, hearing date and time, and charge for each.
Clicking on the hot-linked case number will yield some more details about the case, including information on the defendant, the hearing, and any fines or sentences.
For more information about cases tried by the Grayson County General District Court, contact the clerk at:
Grayson County Clerk of District Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 305, P.O. Box 280
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2011
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How To Run a Grayson County Virginia Warrant Search
There’s no online search tool to find out if someone has an open warrant in Grayson County. However, there are several ways to find out this information.
One way to request information about Grayson County criminal records relating to warrants is by contacting the Clerk of District Court. Among the duties of the clerk is processing all criminal warrants for the county.
You can contact the office using the following information to inquire about warrants:
Grayson County Clerk of District Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 305, P.O. Box 280
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2011
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You can also contact the Sheriff’s Office and the Independence Police Department to ask for information on Grayson County warrants. However, keep in mind that if you visit one of these law enforcement agencies in person and have an outstanding warrant, you may be arrested on the spot.
Here’s the contact information for the county sheriff’s office:
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
304 Davis St., P.O. Box 160
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.3241 or 276.236.9988 or 800.782.7764 (toll-free)
Use this information to contact the Independence Police Department:
Independence Police Dept.
136 East Main St.
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.3661 or 276.773.3241 (after hours and weekends)
How To Obtain Probation Information in Grayson County Virginia
The easiest and quickest way to find out if someone is on probation in Grayson County is to use the Virginia Judiciary’s unified Online Case Information System 2.0. Check out the instructions above for locating criminal case details to learn how to successfully use this search tool.
To get the details on a probation sentence, check out the section labeled “Disposition Information.” If someone has been granted the ability to serve part of all of their sentences at home, this information will be included here.
In Grayson County, the Day Report Center program operates services for offenders serving probation sentences. To learn more about the program, you can contact the office using the following information:
Grayson County Day Report Center
129 Davis St., P.O. Box 217
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.3274 or 800.752.5117 (toll-free)
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How To Acquire a Background Check Report in Grayson County Virginia
There are several reasons why you may want to obtain a background check report. You may wish to run a check on another person such as a new colleague or neighbor to make sure they are exactly who they say they are. Or you may want to run one on yourself to make sure there are no surprises or inaccuracies the next time you apply for a job or a license.
Background checks run for purposes like these are known as personal checks. They can be done without the consent of the subject and can be easily accomplished for free by using the tips for looking up Grayson County public records included in this resource.
You can also use a third-party service to compile a personal background check report for you.
On the other hand, when businesses, nonprofit organizations, landlords, and other entities and institutions conduct background checks on someone else, it’s known as a professional check. These checks can be name-based or use fingerprinting to find records.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, professional background checks always require the consent of the subject before they can be conducted.
If you believe that you may have been the victim of an unlawful professional background check, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Federal Trade Commission for help.11,12 You can also find more information about protections for consumers and workers at the bottom of this resource.
Unlike some other counties, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Department does not conduct background checks.
However, the Virginia State Police offers three separate background checks:
- A Form SP-167 Criminal History Records Check for the general public, private businesses, and out-of-state agencies
- A Form SP-230 Criminal History Records Check for in-state agencies and healthcare employers
- A Form SP-266 Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Search for in-state agencies, volunteer organizations, and employers
Both the SP-167 and SP-230 checks can be used in conjunction with fingerprint requests for potentially even more information on the subject. Fingerprints cost $10 for the initial card, plus $5 for each additional set. They can be taken at any of the State Police’s Fingerprinting Locations.13
Request a Form SP-167 Criminal History Records Check— The first step in requesting this kind of background check is to retrieve the proper form from the Virginia State Police. To do this, select “SP-167 Criminal History & Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Name Search” option from the dropdown menu at the top of the page.
With this option, you can choose to search someone’s criminal history for $15 or add on a sex offender search for a total fee of $20.
If you’re conducting this search of your own records, you’ll also need to set up electronic notarization using NotaryCam. This costs $15 per form. To use NotaryCam, click on the green “Get Started” button right on the form. This will take you to another website that will walk you through the steps for using this tool.
If you’re requesting a background check of someone else, you’ll need to submit their notarized signature, as well as your own notarized signature. You cannot use NotaryCam for this.
Fill out the form, being sure to enter information for all the fields marked with a red asterisk. These fields are:
- Request type: criminal history or criminal history plus sex offender search
- Purpose: Adult or child care, employment, or volunteer services
- The subject’s last name
- Their first name
- Their race
- Their sex
- Their date of birth
- The requester’s name
- The requester’s address
- Payment method: Acceptable forms of payment include business or certified check, Visa or Mastercard, and money order
Once you’ve filled out all of the required fields, click “Confirm” to download a PDF of the completed form. You can then print the completed form and send it, along with any required notarizations, fingerprint cards, and payment, to:
Virginia State Police
Civil & Applicants Records Exchange
P.O. Box 85076
Richmond, VA 23285
Allow up to 15 business days from the receipt of the form for processing.
Order a Form SP-230 Criminal History Records Check— Certain Virginia agencies and employers (largely in the healthcare sector) can request a background check using Form SP-230. Visit the Virginia State Police website and select “SP-230” from the dropdown list.
Fill out this form as you would the SP-167 form detailed above. The costs are also the same ($15 for a Virginia criminal history check and $20 for both a criminal history check and a sex offender search). Payment can be made via business or certified check, Visa or Mastercard, or money order.
Forms, along with notarized signatures, fingerprint cards, and payment, can be sent to:
Virginia State Police
Civil & Applicants Records Exchange
P.O. Box 85076
Richmond, VA 23285
Request a Form SP-266 Criminal History Records Check— This Sex Offender & Crimes Against Minors Name Search Form was created to look up information about someone who wants to volunteer or be hired to take care of children.15
A search using this form costs $15; however, registered nonprofits can request one for volunteers for the discounted rate of $8. Payment can be made using a business or certified check, money order, or Visa or MasterCard.
Print and complete the form and send it, along with payment and the notarized signatures of both the subject and requester to:
Virginia State Police
Central Criminal Records Exchange
P.O. Box 85076
Richmond, VA 23285
How To Review Virginia Criminal Records Through State & Federal Resources
In addition to the custodians mentioned above, there are several other outlets on the state and federal levels for finding out information about someone’s potential criminal past. They include:
- The Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator: Search inmates in state prisons by name or ID number.16 Only prisoners currently serving time will appear using this search.
- The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Search Tool: Find out information about current prisoners in BOP-run jails.17 This search requires both the first and last names of the subject.
- The Virginia Sex Offender Registry: Search offenders in the state by name, zip code, county, city, and current college of enrollment.18
- The U.S. Justice Department National Sex Offender Public Website: Look up sex offenders by name and location.19
- The Virginia State Police Criminal History Record Check: Request a name- or fingerprint-based background check on either yourself or another person (see above for more details).
How To Access Court Records in Grayson County Virginia
There are two courts in Grayson County: the Circuit Court and the General District Court.
The Circuit Court hears cases related to serious criminal offenses (felonies), civil matters involving claims of $15,000 or greater, divorces, probate, and appeals of decisions made by the Greater District Court.
On the other hand, the General District Court is responsible for trying cases involving less serious criminal offenses (misdemeanors), civil cases involving claims of less than $15,000, and traffic cases.
The General District Court also holds preliminary hearings for felony trials and contains the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations department (in larger Virginia counties, this is often a separate court). This department tries cases involving people younger than 18.
On a state level, the Commonwealth of Virginia also has a Court of Appeals and a Supreme Court, which reviews cases determined by the Circuit and District Courts.
Currently, Virginia has a unified case search tool only for criminal and traffic-related cases, the Online Case Information System 2.0. This tool will search not only Grayson County court records, but also criminal court records from across the state. See the section above on criminal cases for instructions on how to use this service.
To look up records pertaining to civil cases, researchers must know whether the case in question occurred in the Circuit Court or the Greater District Court.
Find Grayson County Circuit Court Records — The Virginia Judicial Branch has an online tool that makes it easy to search Circuit Court cases. To get started, visit the Circuit Court Case Information lookup tool, select “Grayson Circuit Court” from the dropdown menu, and click “Begin.”
On the next page, you can choose to search either criminal or civil court records. Here, you’ll also enter the party name, case number, or hearing date that you want to search. If you don’t know the person’s full name, that’s okay — the system requires only the last name to run a search.
Once you’ve entered the name, number, or date and initiated the search, you’ll see a list of cases that match your criteria. For each case, you’ll see the case number, the names of the plaintiff and defendant, and the current status.
Once you’ve initiated the search, you’ll be taken to a page with an online directory of cases heard by the court’s Criminal Division. You’ll see each case’s number, as well as the defendant’s full name, charge, hearing date, and current status.
Clicking on the hot-linked number will show more details about the case, including the filing type, the disposition, and a rundown of court events.
You can also contact the Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court for more information about cases and to potentially request copies of related documents.
Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 201, P.O. Box 130
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2231
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Find Grayson County General District Court Records — To conduct a Grayson County case search to find records for the General District Court, visit the Virginia Judicial Branch’s General District Court Online Case Information System. Choose “Grayson General District” from the dropdown menu on the left. Then click “Name Search” under the “Civil” tab.
You can then enter a business or personal name to search (the last name is the only requirement). The “Data Status” dropdown box allows users to choose whether to search current cases, archived cases, or both.
The site will then display a list of cases meeting your search criteria, including the case numbers, the names of the plaintiffs and defendants, hearing dates and times, case judgments, and case types.
If you click on the case number, you’ll be able to see more details about the selected case, including information about both the plaintiff and defendant, the judgment, and any related fines.
You can also contact the Grayson County Clerk of the General District Court for more information about cases or to potentially request copies of records at:
Grayson County Clerk of District Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 305, P.O. Box 280
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2011
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Find Virginia Court of Appeals Records — To look up records related to cases heard by the Virginia Court of Appeals, you can use the online Appellate Case Management System.20 You can search these records by the names of the appellant/petitioner or the appellee/respondent or by the case record number.
Find Virginia Supreme Records — The Appellate Case Management System also has a tool for searching Supreme Court of Virginia records. You can search by appellant/petitioner or appellant/respondent name or by the case record number.
How To Search Grayson County Vital Records Surrounding Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death
In the search for Grayson County public records, you may want to look for records such as birth and death certificates, as well as records pertaining to marriages and divorces.
There are many reasons why someone might want to access these records. For example, you might need to request a copy of your birth certificate to apply for a passport. Or you might want to check if someone is married before going out on that second date.
These kinds of records are considered vital records because they pertain to important life events. And they’re not necessarily available for public viewing. Record custodians often limit who can access or request copies of vital records.
This section of the resource on how to check public records relating to Grayson County will cover the availability of these documents. Keep in mind, if you’re not authorized to access someone else’s vital records, you might be able to find this information using a third-party record search service.
View Marital Information & Obtain Certificates in Grayson County Through Official Channels
In Virginia, vital records pertaining to marriages and divorces become available to the public 25 years after the event. Previous to that time, these records can be accessed through the official channels only by the persons named on the document, as well as members of their intermediate families (with proper identification).
That said, here’s a rundown of the options for accessing these records using county and state custodians:
Find Grayson County Marriage Records — The Grayson County Clerk of the Circuit Court is responsible for maintaining records concerning marriages solemnized in the county.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to search these records online — nor an online form or process for ordering copies. That makes it tricky to quickly find out if someone is married.
However, if you’re interested in accessing Grayson County marriage records — and are authorized to do so — it may be worth contacting the Clerk’s office to find out more information.
Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 201, P.O. Box 130
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2231
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
It’s also possible to request a copy of a marriage certificate from the Virginia Department of Health through its online Application for Certification of a Vital Record.21
The cost for ordering a record using this method is $12 per copy, payable by credit card online. However, only a registrant, a member of their immediate family, or a legal representative may order a record this way.
For the form, you’ll need to supply your name and contact information, as well as your relationship to the parties mentioned in the certificate and a reason for your record request. You’ll also need to enter the first and last names of both wedding parties. Before you can order the document, you’ll also need to upload a copy of a government-issued photo ID.
Alternatively, if you’re authorized to do so, you can visit the Office of Vital Records in person to order a copy of a marriage certificate. The Customer Service Lobby is open Mondays through Fridays, from 7 a.m. To 4:30 p.m. at this address:
Office of Vital Records
2001 Maywill St., Ste. 101
Richmond, VA 23230
Or you can print out the form, fill it in by hand, and send it in by mail. You must also include a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID and a check or money order made out to the State Health Department. As with ordering records online, the fee is $12 for each copy.
Send the request to:
VDH, Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218
For more information about ordering copies from the Office of Vital Records, call 804.662.6200 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.
Find Grayson County Divorce Records — As with marriage records, the Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains Grayson County divorce records as well. If you’re listed on a divorce decree or are an immediate family member or legal representative of someone who is, you can contact the office for more details.
Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 201, P.O. Box 130
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2231
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You can also use the Application for Certification of a Vital Record to request a copy of a divorce record from the Virginia Department of Health. You’ll use the same form as for ordering a marriage document (see above for details), except be sure to select “Divorce” from the dropdown menu on the form.
If you’re one of the parties on the record, or a member of their immediate family or a legal representative with identification, you can order a copy for $12. See the marriage record section above for instructions on ordering documents from this record custodian.
Alternatively, you can quickly track down information on divorce cases tried by the Grayson County Circuit Court using the Virginia Judiciary’s Circuit Court Case Information lookup site. Be sure to select “Grayson Circuit Court” from the dropdown menu before clicking “Begin.”
See the section above on locating Grayson County judicial records for instructions on using this tool. When looking at details of individual cases, look for “Divorce” in the “File Type” field.
Access or Request Birth & Death Records in Grayson County via the Virginia Department of Health
Birth certificates aren’t considered Virginia public records until 100 years after the event. However, death certificates can be accessed by the general public after 25 years. Prior to that time, only authorized persons such as the registrant, an immediate family member, or a legal representative may see these vital records or order copies.
If you’re authorized, the most efficient way to track down a certificate of birth or death is through the Virginia Department of Health. You can use the birth certificate Application for Certification of a Vital Record form or the death certificate application form (available from the Virginia Department of Health) to order copies online. With either form, copies cost $12 each and are payable by credit card.
(It’s free to order a certificate of death for a stillborn baby.)
To complete the form, you’ll need to enter your name and contact information, along with your relationship to the registrant and the reason for your record request. You’ll also need to enter the registrant’s first and last names. You must also upload a copy of a government-issued photo ID to prove your relationship.
Authorized parties may also visit the Office of Vital Records in person to request copies of birth or death certificates:
Office of Vital Records
2001 Maywill St., Ste. 101
Richmond, VA 23230
The Customer Service Lobby is open Mondays through Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You can also print out the form, complete it, and send it to the Office of Vital Records by mail. You must also include a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID and a check or money order made out to the State Health Department. Copies cost $12 each.
Here’s the mailing address:
VDH, Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218
For more information about ordering copies, call the Office of Vital Records at 804.662.6200 Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How To Look Up Grayson County Property & Tax Records for Free
Currently, the only way to look up property records for Grayson County is by using the Geographic Information System (GIS) set up by the Tax Assessor’s Office through the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN).24 You can use this tool to look up properties by the owner’s name or parcel address.
To use the GIS lookup, simply enter the criteria you want to search.
Once you hit “Enter,” you’ll see a list of properties that match your criteria.
Clicking on a record will give you more information about the property, including the owner’s name and mailing address, the value of the property, and its most recent sale price.
For more information about the GIS map, as well as property records, contact the Grayson County Tax Assessor using the following information:
Grayson County Tax Assessor
129 Davis St., Ste. 203, P.O. Box 126
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2022
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additionally, the Grayson County Clerk of the Circuit Court records property documents such as deeds, mortgages, land transfer instruments, etc. Although there’s currently no way to search these documents online through this public records repository, it’s worth contacting the office for information:
Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
129 Davis St., Ste. 201, P.O. Box 130
Independence, VA 24348
Phone: 276.773.2231
Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Using Grayson County Public Records Ethically & Understanding Your Rights
Thanks to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, searching for public records is relatively easy once you know where to look.
However, although everyone has the ability to conduct a free public records search, it’s important to take this freedom seriously.
Never use information gathered from a public records search to stalk, harass, or intimidate another person — or to commit any other crime, such as identity theft.
Anyone researching the history of someone else for personal reasons must not use these records for pre-employment screenings, licensing purposes, or rental decisions. These reasons for a background check require the written consent of the subject before a search can be begun.
In addition, potential employers must adhere to Virginia’s ban-the-box law, which prevents them from asking about someone’s criminal history in the initial employment screening process.
All public records researchers must also follow the guidelines set out by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which regulates the use of consumer information. According to FCRA, everyone has the right to:
- Be informed if personal information has been used against them
- Review the information in their files
- Request their credit score
- Dispute inaccurate information in their files
- Seek damages if their FCRA rights have been violated
If you believe you are the victim of an unlawful professional background check, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for help.
Additionally, the Virginia Employment Commission can help workers who are victims of discrimination. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights is another resource for assistance.
That said, if you want to find out more about another person’s history — or want to double-check your own files — use the methods described in this resource to conduct a free search of Grayson County public records.
References
1New River Valley Regional Jail. (n.d.). Inmate Lookup. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <http://iml.nrvrj.org:8085/IML>
2Grayson County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d.). Contact Us. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://www.graysoncountysheriff.com/grayson-county-va-communications-officers/>
3Independence Police Department. (n.d.). Police Department. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <http://independenceva.com/emergency-services>
4Virginia Judiciary. (n.d.). Online Case Information System 2.0. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search>
5Virginia Judiciary. (n.d.). Virginia Courts Case Information System. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/Logoff.do>
6Virginia Judiciary – Grayson County Circuit Court. (n.d.). Search. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/MainMenu.do>
7Grayson County, VA. (n.d.). Clerk of Circuit Court. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://www.graysoncountyva.gov/judicial-services/#Circuit%20Court>
8Virginia Judiciary – Grayson County General District Court. (n.d.). Virginia Judiciary. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/changeCourt.do>
9Grayson General District Court. (n.d.). Results. Traffic/Criminal Search by Name. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/nameSearch.do>
10Virginia Judiciary. (n.d.). Case Details. Online Case Information System 2.0. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/details;oneCase=true>
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23Virginia Department of Health. (n.d.). Application for Certification of a Vital Record – Birth. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from <https://vr-fhs.vdh.virginia.gov/vvestsapps/f?p=140:4:6202848742288:::RP,4::&cs=3EQc-jdVvtY43RTgMrtCXDHPDZy3QbUs3scLU7F8TvRPKHYmzWTrjhpRMls4wG1ajHjgkSN3wzCWMju6Ot1ZKiA>
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