Colonial Heights Arrest Records and Mugshots

Colonial Heights busted mugshots and arrest records are held by the Colonial Heights Police Department, the Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office, and the Colonial Heights Circuit Court. Colonial Heights is an independent city in the Richmond metro area, located just south of Petersburg along the Appomattox River. It has its own police force, jail, and court system separate from Chesterfield County and neighboring cities. This page explains where to find arrest records and booking photos for Colonial Heights.

Colonial Heights Police Department Records

The Colonial Heights Police Department serves the city and handles all law enforcement within its boundaries. The department maintains arrest records and incident reports for all individuals arrested in Colonial Heights. Records can be requested through the department's Records Division by submitting a FOIA request. Requests can be made in person, by mail, or online. The department must respond within five working days under Virginia law.

Under Virginia Code §2.2-3706, adult booking photographs are public records and must be released upon request. This applies to Colonial Heights Police mugshots just as it does to every other Virginia jurisdiction. The only exception is when releasing a photo would interfere with an active felony investigation. Juvenile records are protected and are not available to the public.

Colonial Heights sits adjacent to Petersburg, and the two cities share a border but are separate jurisdictions. Arrests in Colonial Heights are handled by its own police department. If you are looking for records from Petersburg, those come from a different set of agencies. The Colonial Heights Police Department keeps its own records separate from Petersburg and Chesterfield County.

Arrest records typically include the person's name, date of birth, charges, arrest date, and booking information. You can request these by submitting a FOIA request to the Colonial Heights Police Department. Be as specific as possible when making your request. Include the full name of the person and the approximate date or year of arrest. That makes it easier for staff to locate the file.

The statewide Virginia Arrests database may also have recent Colonial Heights arrest records. The site aggregates booking data from participating Virginia jurisdictions and includes booking photos where available. It is a third-party resource, not an official government site, but it can be useful for recent arrest lookups.

The Colonial Heights Police Department website has contact information for the Records Division and submission guidelines for public records requests.

The Colonial Heights Police Department Records Division processes FOIA requests and provides copies of arrest records and incident reports for individuals arrested within the city.

Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office operates the city's jail and maintains booking records for all individuals processed through it. When someone is arrested in Colonial Heights, they are booked at the city jail. The booking process creates records that include photographs, fingerprints, and charge details. Adult booking records are public under Virginia law and can be obtained by submitting a FOIA request to the Sheriff's Office.

To check current inmate status at the Colonial Heights jail, use VINE, the statewide custody notification service for Virginia. VINE covers most Virginia city and county jails and is updated regularly. You can search by the person's name or offender ID and find out if they are currently in custody and at which facility. You can also register for automatic notifications when someone's custody status changes. VINE is free to use any time, online or by phone.

If the person you are looking for has been sent to a state prison, the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator can help. This free tool lets you search for anyone in VADOC custody by name or offender ID. Results include the facility location, release date, and an offender photograph. It covers all state prisons and correctional facilities in Virginia.

FOIA requests to the Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office should include the full name and approximate booking date of the person you are searching for. Booking records, mugshots, and inmate status are generally public under Virginia Code §2.2-3706. The Sheriff's Office can provide copies for a fee and must respond to FOIA requests within five working days.

The Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office maintains booking records, mugshots, and inmate information for all individuals processed through the city jail.

The Colonial Heights Sheriff's Office operates the city jail and maintains booking records and mugshots for all arrestees processed through the Colonial Heights detention facility.

Colonial Heights Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Colonial Heights Circuit Court maintains criminal case records for all felony offenses in the city. Court records are part of the public record and include arrest information, charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions. You can access these records in person at the Circuit Court Clerk's office or online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System.

The OCIS system lets you search by name, case number, or hearing date. It shows case status and charges for circuit court proceedings. While it does not display booking photos, the system links you to the underlying criminal case. For full case files or certified copies of criminal records, contact the Colonial Heights Circuit Court Clerk directly. Staff can look up cases and make copies for the standard fee.

Misdemeanor cases in Colonial Heights go through the General District Court, which is a separate court from the Circuit Court. You can find the General District Court's contact information at vacourts.gov. Misdemeanor records from the General District Court are also public and document the criminal proceedings that follow an arrest in the city.

Note: Colonial Heights shares some court resources with the nearby Petersburg area but operates its own court system. Make sure you are searching the Colonial Heights court files and not Petersburg's when looking for city-specific records.

State Resources for Colonial Heights Records

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange holds the official statewide criminal history database. All Colonial Heights arrests are submitted to the CCRE. You can request a name-based criminal history search using the SP-167 form for $15. The process takes about 15 days. Payments must be by certified check, money order, business check, or credit card.

The sex offender registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov is searchable by name, city, or zip code at no charge. It includes photographs of all registered offenders from Colonial Heights and across Virginia. The registry is updated every business day and includes offense details, current address, and registration status. A complete registry name search by mail costs $15 using the SP-266 form.

The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides guidance if you have trouble accessing Colonial Heights public records. Contact them at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810. They advise on rights and obligations under Virginia's FOIA law, including which records agencies must release and which ones are discretionary. Mugshots and booking photos for adults are mandatory releases under §2.2-3706.

Expungement of Colonial Heights arrest records is governed by Virginia Code §19.2-392.2. If your charge was dismissed or you were acquitted, you may file a Petition for Expungement in the Colonial Heights Circuit Court. The process includes serving the prosecuting attorney, submitting fingerprints to the CCRE, and attending a court hearing. Virginia's 2021 record sealing law, effective July 1, 2026, will allow eligible criminal convictions to be sealed for the first time. Until then, convictions remain on the public record.

The Library of Virginia sets retention schedules that govern how long Colonial Heights arrest records are kept. Adult arrest records are typically retained for 100 years from the subject's birth date. This means records from decades ago may still be on file and accessible through a FOIA request or court record search.

Nearby Cities

These Virginia cities are near Colonial Heights in the Richmond and Petersburg metro area. Each maintains its own arrest records and law enforcement agencies.