Alleghany County Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records

Alleghany County busted mugshots and arrest records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office and the Alleghany/Covington Regional Jail. If you want to find booking photos or look up an arrest in Alleghany County, this page covers the official local and state sources available to you. Records are public under Virginia law, and most can be requested in writing or found through online databases.

Alleghany County Sheriff Busted Mugshots

The Alleghany County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. Deputies make arrests, handle booking, and maintain records of people taken into custody. When someone is arrested in Alleghany County, the Sheriff's Office creates a booking record that includes name, charges, date, and a photograph. Those mugshots are part of the public record under state law.

The Alleghany County Sheriff's Office website at the county government portal shows agency contact information and services. You can submit a FOIA request to get arrest records or booking photos. Under Virginia Code §2.2-3706, adult arrestee photographs taken at initial intake must be released. The office has five working days to respond to any FOIA request.

The screenshot below shows the Sheriff's Office website as captured from the county portal. It is the starting point for most record requests in Alleghany County.

The Alleghany County Sheriff's Office online resource provides contact details and guidance for submitting records requests to the department.

Keep a copy of your FOIA request and note the date you submitted it. If you don't get a response within five business days, follow up in writing.

Alleghany/Covington Regional Jail Booking Records

Alleghany County inmates are housed at the Alleghany/Covington Regional Jail. The facility serves both Alleghany County and the City of Covington. Booking records at the jail include inmate photographs, charges, bond information, and custody status. If you want to know whether someone is currently in custody or recently went through the booking process, the regional jail is the place to check.

Booking happens when a person is brought in by law enforcement. Jail staff record personal information, take fingerprints, and photograph the individual. That photo goes into the inmate's file. Records can be requested through FOIA. You can also check the VINE system online at no charge to see whether someone is in custody and to sign up for notifications about release or transfers.

Alleghany Circuit Court Records

The Alleghany County Circuit Court Clerk keeps all felony criminal case records for the county. The court's website is accessible through the county's circuit court page. Records include charging documents, proceedings, and final case outcomes. Court files often contain arrest information as part of the case. You can access records in person at the courthouse or by written request.

The screenshot below shows the Alleghany County Circuit Court website, where you can find contact information and services for the clerk's office.

Visit the Alleghany County Circuit Court page for contact details, hours, and guidance on making a records request.

Most criminal case records are public. Sealed records require a court order to access and are not available to general public requests.

Misdemeanor cases go through the General District Court. Both courts maintain records, and you can search cases online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. Search by name or case number to find case status and hearing dates.

FOIA Requests for Alleghany County Records

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act gives residents the right to request public records from government agencies. In Alleghany County, the relevant law is Virginia Code §2.2-3706. Under that statute, adult mugshots taken at intake must be released. Criminal incident information for felonies is also mandatory disclosure. Agencies have five working days to respond to a FOIA request.

Records that may be withheld include active criminal investigation files, juvenile records, victim and witness identities, and confidential informant information. If disclosing a mugshot would harm an ongoing felony investigation, the agency can delay release until the investigation concludes. Once that issue is resolved, the record must be released. The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov provides guidance for requesters and agencies alike.

Starting July 1, 2021, Virginia Code §2.2-3706.1 expanded access to criminal investigative files that are no longer part of active investigations. This gives the public broader access to older case materials than was previously available.

Virginia State Police and Statewide Arrest Records

For a broader search, the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange maintains criminal history records for all of Virginia. A name-based check costs $15 using the SP-167 form. The CCRE is the official state repository and holds fingerprints, photographs, and criminal history from agencies across Virginia including Alleghany County. Requests take about 15 days to process.

The Virginia State Police also maintains the sex offender registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov. The registry includes photographs of registered offenders and is searchable online at no charge. It is updated each business day with new registrations and re-registrations from across Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator is another tool for finding individuals in state prison custody. The database includes offender photographs and shows the current facility. It only covers VADOC inmates, not county jail detainees. If someone was recently arrested and not yet sentenced to state prison, they won't appear in this system.

Expungement in Alleghany County

If you were arrested in Alleghany County and the charges were dismissed or you were acquitted, you can petition for expungement under Virginia Code §19.2-392.2. The petition is filed with the Circuit Court in Alleghany County. The prosecuting attorney gets a copy and has 21 days to respond. You must provide fingerprints to a law enforcement agency, which sends them to the Central Criminal Records Exchange. The court holds a hearing and decides whether to grant the petition.

If approved, the expungement order goes to the Department of State Police. The record is removed from public access. Expunged records are not open for public inspection, though certain authorized agencies may still see them. Virginia's new record sealing statutes, effective July 1, 2026, also allow eligible individuals with certain convictions to petition for sealing under Virginia Code §§19.2-392.5 through 19.2-392.17.

Cities Near Alleghany County

The City of Covington is an independent city adjacent to Alleghany County and maintains its own records. The City of Buena Vista and the City of Lexington are also nearby.

Nearby Counties

Alleghany County sits in western Virginia near the West Virginia border. Surrounding counties include Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, and Rockbridge.