Covington Busted Mugshots

Covington busted mugshots and arrest records are maintained by the Covington Police Department, the Covington Sheriff's Office, the Alleghany-Covington Regional Jail, and the Covington Circuit Court. Covington is an independent city in the Alleghany Highlands of western Virginia, separate from surrounding Alleghany County. It has its own police force and shares a regional jail with Alleghany County. This page explains how to find arrest records and booking photos tied to the City of Covington.

Covington Police Department Arrest Records

The Covington Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. It handles all arrests made within city limits and maintains records of those arrests. Arrest records can be requested by submitting a FOIA request to the department. Virginia law requires the department to respond within five working days. Records fees apply for copies of reports and other documents.

Under Virginia Code §2.2-3706, adult booking photographs are public records. The Covington Police Department must release mugshots upon request for adult arrestees. The only time a photo may be withheld is when an active felony investigation would be harmed by its release. Once that reason ends, the photo must be provided. Juvenile arrest records are not released to the public under Virginia law.

Covington is a small city, and the police department handles records for all arrests within the city. When you submit a request, include the full name of the person and the approximate arrest date. That gives staff what they need to locate the record quickly. Incident reports and arrest reports are the most commonly requested documents and are generally available as public records for adult arrestees.

For a quick look at recent Covington arrests, the statewide Virginia Arrests database may have records from participating jurisdictions. This third-party site aggregates booking information from around Virginia and can be useful for checking recent bookings without going directly to the agency. It is not an official source, so use it as a starting point and follow up with the police department if you need verified information.

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange maintains the official statewide criminal history database and collects records from all Virginia agencies including Covington. Name-based criminal history searches cost $15 and take about 15 days using the SP-167 form submitted to the State Police by mail.

Alleghany-Covington Regional Jail

The Alleghany-Covington Regional Jail serves both the City of Covington and Alleghany County. When someone is arrested in Covington and taken into custody, they are typically booked at this regional facility. The booking process creates records that include photographs, fingerprints, and charge information. Those records are public for adult inmates under Virginia law.

The regional jail is a shared facility, which means it handles inmates from both the city and the county. Booking records and inmate information can be requested through the jail directly or through the Covington Sheriff's Office. FOIA requests should include the full name and approximate booking date of the person you are searching for. The facility must respond within five working days.

To check current custody status at the Alleghany-Covington Regional Jail, use VINE. VINE is the statewide custody notification service for Virginia jails and covers most facilities including regional jails. You can search by name or offender ID. If someone is in custody, the system shows which facility they are held at. You can also sign up for release notifications by phone, text, or email. VINE is free to use.

For inmates who have been transferred to a state prison, use the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator. This free tool lets you search anyone in VADOC custody by name or offender ID and see their current facility, release date, and photograph. Covington inmates who receive prison sentences may be held at any VADOC facility in the state.

The Covington Sheriff's Office coordinates with the regional jail on booking and inmate records. Contact the office to request booking records or inmate information through the FOIA process.

Covington Circuit Court Criminal Records

Criminal case records for felony offenses in Covington are maintained by the Circuit Court that serves the city. Court records are part of the public record and include arrest information, charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions. You can search Covington circuit court records online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System (OCIS).

The OCIS system allows searches by name, case number, or hearing date across all Virginia circuit courts. It shows case status and charges but does not display booking photos. For full case files or certified copies of criminal records, you need to contact the Circuit Court Clerk directly. Staff can look up cases by name or case number and provide copies for a per-page fee.

Misdemeanor cases in Covington go through the General District Court. Contact information for General District Courts across Virginia is available at vacourts.gov. Both the Circuit Court and General District Court handle cases that begin with an arrest in Covington. Their records together document the full criminal process for cases tried in the city.

Covington shares some court services with Alleghany County and the nearby City of Clifton Forge. Make sure you are searching under Covington when looking for city-specific cases, rather than Alleghany County records. The two have separate case files even though they share some court infrastructure in the region.

State Resources for Covington Arrest Records

Virginia maintains several tools that apply to Covington arrest records. The Virginia State Police forms page has all the request forms needed for criminal history checks. The SP-167 form is for individual name-based searches. The SP-266 form is for sex offender registry name searches. Both forms can be downloaded and submitted by mail with the required payment.

The sex offender registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov includes photos of registered offenders from Covington and all other Virginia jurisdictions. It is searchable by name, city, or zip code at no charge. The registry is updated every business day. Under Virginia Code §19.2-390.1, this registry is publicly available online and includes offender photographs that may be viewed without a formal records request.

The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides free guidance on records requests. If you have trouble getting Covington arrest records, contact the council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810. They help both citizens and agencies understand rights and responsibilities under Virginia's Freedom of Information Act. Mandatory releases of adult arrest records and booking photos under §2.2-3706 are not at the agency's discretion.

Expungements of Covington arrest records are governed by Virginia Code §19.2-392.2. If your charge was dismissed or you were found not guilty, you can file a Petition for Expungement in the Circuit Court. The petition must be served to the prosecuting attorney, and you must submit fingerprints to the CCRE. If the court approves, the arrest record is removed from public access. Virginia's new record sealing law effective July 1, 2026 will allow some conviction records to be sealed as well.

Virginia State Records and Custody Tools

The Virginia State Police forms portal provides access to the criminal history request forms used to obtain statewide arrest records, including those from Covington and the Alleghany-Covington Regional Jail system.

The Virginia State Police SP-167 form is used to request criminal history records including Covington arrest information from the Central Criminal Records Exchange, with a $15 fee and approximately 15-day turnaround.

The Library of Virginia establishes retention schedules that govern how long Covington arrest records must be maintained by local law enforcement and court agencies.

The Library of Virginia's retention schedules require that adult arrest records from Covington be maintained for 100 years from the subject's date of birth, ensuring long-term access to historical arrest information.

Nearby Cities

These Virginia cities are near Covington in the western Virginia and Shenandoah Valley region. Each has its own independent law enforcement and records system.