How to Find Henrico County Arrest Records
Arrest information lives in three different places, and each one answers a different question. The Sheriff's jail inmate search shows current custody and booking data. The court systems show charges, hearings, and dispositions. State and police records may hold incident reports and criminal history, but many of those are exempt or controlled. Start with the jail search for a recent arrest, then move to court records for the case outcome.
Have a full legal name ready, since the jail search works by last name.
- Open the Henrico Sheriff inmate search to check current custody.
- Search by last name or use the alphabet buttons.
- Note the booking date, facility, and inmate ID from the result.
- Move to the Virginia case systems to find charges and disposition.
- For older or sealed matters, contact the appropriate court clerk.
The full roster details sit on the Henrico County inmate records page.
Arrest Record vs Criminal Court Record
People often expect a jail record to show charges and outcomes. In Henrico it does not. The Sheriff keeps booking data, while the courts keep the case. This comparison keeps the two straight.
| Aspect | Arrest / Jail Record | Criminal Court Record |
|---|---|---|
| Kept by | Henrico Sheriff's Office | Circuit or General District Court |
| Shows | Booking date, facility, inmate ID | Charges, hearings, disposition, sentence |
| Proves guilt? | No | A conviction shows the outcome |
| Where to look | Sheriff inmate search | Virginia case systems or the clerk |
So a jail booking is a starting point, not the whole story of a case.
The Henrico Sheriff Jail Booking Record
The Sheriff's public inmate search is a custody locator, not a criminal-history report. Its result table lists first, middle, and last name, suffix, booking date, facility, and inmate ID. It does not list charges, bond, the next court date, or any disposition. The site also excludes juvenile offenders.
The Sheriff is clear about what the tool is for.
Its disclaimer states that an arrest is not an indication of guilt, that all defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty, and that charge and disposition questions must go to the charging agency or the court clerk.
Important: The Henrico inmate table shows identity, booking date, facility, and inmate ID only. Charge and disposition research must be done through the court clerk, not the jail search.
Charges vs Convictions
A charge and a conviction are different things, and the difference matters for anyone reading an arrest or court record. A charge is an accusation. A conviction is a court finding of guilt. An open charge proves nothing about the final outcome.
| Charge | Conviction |
|---|---|
| An accusation brought by the Commonwealth | A court finding of guilt after trial or plea |
| Appears at arrest or filing | Appears once the case is decided |
| Not proof of guilt | The final result on the record |
| May be dismissed or nolle prossed | Stays unless sealed or expunged |
Read the disposition field before drawing any conclusion from a record.
Henrico Criminal Court Records by Level
Criminal cases split by severity. Misdemeanors and traffic offenses are heard in the General District Court, which also holds felony preliminary hearings. Felonies move to the Circuit Court for trial, plea, and sentencing after they are certified or indicted. The J&DR court handles juvenile delinquency and family-related adult criminal matters, with confidentiality limits.
For full case history, the court records page is the right tool.
A criminal case in Henrico may begin with a magistrate or in General District Court, pass through a preliminary hearing, then be certified to Circuit Court or indicted by a grand jury. The Henrico County court records page explains the search systems for each level, and the court dockets page covers hearing schedules.
Commonwealth's Attorney and Prosecution Records
Virginia calls the county prosecutor the Commonwealth's Attorney. Henrico's is Shannon L. Taylor, who has held the office since January 2012. The office presents criminal cases in Circuit, General District, and Juvenile courts, advises law enforcement, and runs a Victim and Witness Unit. It is located on the first floor of the Courts Building in Room 170.
The office page describes its duties and victim services.
The Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney page outlines the prosecutor's role, the Victim and Witness Unit, and contact details.
One common mistake is asking the prosecutor for police reports.
The Commonwealth's Attorney FOIA page explains that the office is not the custodian of Henrico Police records and describes its FOIA response choices.
For police incident or accident reports, the request goes to the Police Division, covered on the public records page.
Virginia State Criminal History and CJIS
A statewide criminal history is separate from any Henrico court file. The Virginia State Police run the Criminal Justice Information Services division, which maintains state criminal information systems and the Sex Offender Registry. A formal criminal history record check follows state rules and is not the same as a free county case search.
The state police page identifies these systems.
The Virginia State Police CJIS page describes the criminal information systems and the Sex Offender Registry it operates.
The registry is a state notification tool, not a jail roster or proof of current custody.
Mugshots and What Is Public
Henrico's official inmate search does not publish mugshots in its public result table. Booking photos may exist in law-enforcement files, but they are not part of the public custody locator. Treat mugshot sites with caution, since many are unofficial aggregators that charge removal fees and do not reflect the current record.
Stick to official sources for arrest data.
If you need to confirm a current booking, the Sheriff's inmate search is the official source, and case outcomes come from the court clerk. Do not rely on a third-party mugshot or warrant site.
Arrest Records and Background Checks
An arrest record is not a background check, and the two should not be confused. A jail booking shows custody on a date. A formal background check pulls criminal history from state systems under specific rules. Employers, landlords, and licensing bodies must follow legal limits on how arrest and conviction data may be used.
People often want a list of recent Henrico arrests. The Sheriff's inmate search shows who is currently in custody, but it is not a daily arrest blotter with charges. To learn why someone was booked, check the court case once it is filed, since the charge and disposition live with the court, not the jail.
For a record someone can rely on officially, a certified court record from the clerk or a state criminal history check is the proper source, not a screenshot of a jail search or an unofficial mugshot site.
Sealed vs Expunged Records in Henrico
Some criminal records can be removed from ordinary public view. Adult expungement is mainly a Circuit Court process under Virginia law. It usually follows an acquittal, a dismissal, a nolle prosequi, or identity misuse. Virginia's expungement and sealing law has a version effective July 1, 2026, so eligibility and procedure may differ depending on the filing date.
| Sealed | Expunged |
|---|---|
| Record kept but restricted from general public access | Eligible police and court records sealed from ordinary public dissemination |
| Limited official access may remain | Granted by court order after a petition |
| Shaped by the July 1, 2026 statute changes | Often follows acquittal, dismissal, or nolle prosequi |
The governing statute is online and was recently updated.
Va. Code § 19.2-392.2 sets adult expungement eligibility and procedure, with a version effective July 1, 2026.
Check the current statute and court forms before filing, since the rules changed in 2026.
Juvenile Arrest Records
Juvenile records are not open like adult arrest and court records. Juvenile court files are confidential under Virginia Code § 16.1-305, and juvenile law-enforcement records are restricted under § 16.1-301. Access is generally limited to parties, attorneys, certain agencies, and people the law authorizes. The Sheriff's inmate search also excludes juvenile offenders.
For overlapping DUI and DWI matters that touch the traffic system, see the Henrico County traffic court records page, and for active-warrant questions, see the warrant records page.