Danville Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records
Danville busted mugshots and arrest records are maintained by the Danville Police Department, the Danville Sheriff's Office, and the Danville Circuit Court. Danville is an independent city in south-central Virginia, near the North Carolina border, and operates its own law enforcement agencies separate from Pittsylvania County. The Danville City Jail serves as the primary detention facility. This page explains how to access arrest records, booking photos, and criminal case information in Danville.
Danville City Overview
Danville Police Department Arrest Records
The Danville Police Department is the city's primary law enforcement agency and handles all arrests made within Danville's city limits. The Records Division maintains arrest records, incident reports, and daily arrest logs. FOIA requests are accepted for arrest records. Requests can be submitted by mail, in person, or through the city's records portal. The department must respond within five working days under Virginia law.
Under Virginia Code §2.2-3706, adult arrestee photographs taken during booking are mandatory public records. This applies to all Danville Police mugshots. The only exception is when releasing a photo would interfere with an active felony investigation. Once the investigation ends, the photo must be released. Juvenile arrest records are not public under Virginia law.
Danville is one of the larger cities in the Southside Virginia region. The police department processes a significant number of arrests each year. Arrest records typically contain the person's name, date of birth, charges, arrest date, and booking photograph. When submitting a FOIA request, include the person's full name and approximate arrest date. That helps staff locate the right file quickly and reduces back-and-forth.
Criminal incident information for felony offenses is also a mandatory release under §2.2-3706. This includes the nature of the offense, arrest date, and the identity of the adult arrested. You can request this from the Records Division or look it up through the Danville Circuit Court once charges are filed. The police department can tell you which form to use and what the current fee schedule is for copies.
The statewide Virginia Arrests database may include recent Danville arrest records where the city participates. This third-party site aggregates booking information from Virginia jurisdictions and displays charge details and booking photos where available. Use it as a starting point and follow up with official sources for verified records.
The Danville Police Department Records Division is the first stop for arrest records and incident reports in the city.
The Danville Police Department maintains arrest logs and processes FOIA requests for booking records, incident reports, and mugshots for all adult arrestees in the city.
Danville Sheriff's Office and City Jail
The Danville Sheriff's Office operates the Danville City Jail. This is the primary detention facility for people arrested in Danville. When someone is taken into custody in the city, the booking process at the jail creates records that include photographs, fingerprints, and charge details. Adult booking records are public under Virginia law and can be requested through the Sheriff's Office via FOIA.
FOIA requests submitted to the Danville Sheriff's Office should include the full name and approximate booking date of the person you are searching for. The office must respond within five working days. Inmate information, booking photos, and custody status are all subject to the mandatory release requirements under Virginia Code §2.2-3706 for adults. Fees apply for copies of records.
To check current custody status at the Danville City Jail, use VINE. VINE is Virginia's statewide custody notification system and covers most city and county jails including Danville. You can search by name or offender ID and find out if someone is currently in custody and at which facility. You can also register for automatic notifications when custody status changes. The service is free and available online or by phone at any time.
For inmates who have been transferred to a state prison following sentencing, use the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator. This free tool searches anyone in VADOC custody and includes their current facility, release date, and photograph. Danville inmates who receive prison sentences may be housed at any VADOC facility across the state.
The Danville Sheriff's Office manages jail operations and maintains booking records and mugshots for everyone processed through the Danville City Jail.
The Danville Sheriff's Office operates the city jail and maintains booking records, mugshots, and inmate information for individuals arrested and detained in Danville.
Danville Circuit Court Criminal Records
The Danville Circuit Court maintains felony criminal case records for the city. Court records are public and include arrest information, charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions. You can access these records at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in person or through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System (OCIS).
The OCIS system lets you search Danville circuit court cases by name, case number, or hearing date. It displays case status and charge information but not booking photos. If you need full case files or certified copies of criminal records, contact the Danville Circuit Court Clerk directly. Staff can look up cases and provide copies for the standard per-page fee.
Misdemeanor cases in Danville 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. Both courts handle cases that originate with an arrest in Danville. Their records together document the full criminal process from booking through final disposition.
Note: Danville is an independent city, so its courts are separate from Pittsylvania County's courts. If you are looking for records from the surrounding county, you would need to check with the Pittsylvania County Circuit Court. Cases from the city stay in the Danville court system regardless of where someone lives.
State Resources for Danville Arrest Records
The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange holds the official statewide criminal history database. All Danville arrests are submitted to the CCRE. Name-based searches cost $15 using the SP-167 form and take about 15 days. Payments must be by certified check, money order, business check, or credit card. Returned payments incur a $50 handling fee under Virginia Code §2.2-4805.
The sex offender registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov includes photographs of registered offenders from Danville and across Virginia. The registry is free to search online by name, city, or zip code. It is updated every business day with new registrations and changes. This is one of the few places where offender photographs are available without a formal records request.
The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides free guidance on public records requests. If you have trouble obtaining Danville arrest records, the council can help you understand your rights. Contact them at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810. They publish opinions on specific FOIA issues including access to law enforcement records and booking photos.
Expungements of Danville arrest records follow Virginia Code §19.2-392.2. If your charge was dismissed or you were acquitted, you may petition the Danville Circuit Court for expungement. The petition must be served on the prosecuting attorney, fingerprints must be submitted to the CCRE, and a hearing is held. If approved, the record is removed from public access. Virginia's 2021 record sealing law, effective July 1, 2026, will allow some criminal convictions to be sealed for the first time.
Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23, all Virginia law enforcement agencies including the Danville Police Department and Sheriff's Office are required to submit criminal history records including photographs to the Central Criminal Records Exchange. These records become part of the statewide database maintained by the State Police. Understanding this structure helps you know where to look for older arrest records that may no longer be at the local agency.
Nearby Cities
These Virginia cities are near Danville in the Southside region. Each is an independent city with its own police, jail, and court system.