Richmond Property Records

Richmond property records are managed by two city offices: the Assessor of Real Estate handles property valuations and an online property search tool, and the Circuit Court Clerk at 400 North 9th Street records deeds, plats, and all other land instruments. Richmond is an independent Virginia city with its own circuit court, not part of Henrico or Chesterfield counties. The clerk records deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and related documents for real estate within city limits. Records are public. You can search online through the Virginia courts system or the city's property search, visit the clerk in person, or send a written request by mail for copies.

Richmond Assessor of Real Estate

The Assessor of Real Estate is the office responsible for determining property values across the city. You can search the city's property database interactively using criteria such as Parcel ID, Address, Land Value, and Consideration Amount. Online forms are also available so property owners can handle many requests without visiting the office in person.

Contact the assessor's office at: Phone: (804) 646-7500. Email: asktheassessor@rva.gov. Address: 900 East Broad St, Room 802, Richmond, VA 23219. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For FOIA requests related to assessor administrative records, contact William.Simmons@rva.gov.

The interactive property search tool lets you look up any parcel by Parcel ID, address, land value, or consideration amount. A separate tool allows you to view real estate transfers from the city's property transfer database. These are useful for researching recent sale prices and tracking changes in ownership.

Richmond Property Search Online

Richmond's legacy property search system has been replaced by a new platform. The city now directs users to actdatascout.com/RealProperty/Virginia/Richmond for online property record searches. This system is sponsored by the city and allows searching by Parcel ID, Address, Land Value, and Consideration Amount.

actDataScout is a public record search tool. Real property records in the system are obtained from the Assessor's Office and commonly include ownership and property information, market and assessed values, taxes, land use, ownership transfers, and structure information. The data is compiled by city staff from various sources and is subject to change without notice. Neither the city nor DataScout makes any warranties regarding the quality, completeness, or accuracy of the data.

Update your bookmarks from any old Richmond property search address to the new actDataScout URL. The legacy search is no longer available. If you have trouble finding a parcel, call the assessor's office at (804) 646-7500 for help.

Richmond Circuit Court Clerk Records

The Richmond Circuit Court is part of the 13th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. The clerk of court is Hon. Edward F. Jewett. The clerk's office is at 400 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone: (804) 646-6505. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays.

Most records held by the Circuit Court Clerk are available to the public under section 17.1-208 of the Code of Virginia. These records include land records, will and estate records, case files, court dockets, UCC statements, assumed name information, marriage licenses, and many other categories. Records are open to public inspection during regular office hours.

Copies of public records are available for $0.50 per page. A certified copy carries an additional $2.00 fee. Copy fees must be collected in advance. Written requests for copies are accepted, provided payment is enclosed. The Clerk's Office cannot perform legal, historical, or genealogical research for members of the public, but staff is available to help citizens use the records system.

All instruments affecting title to real property in Richmond must be recorded with the Circuit Court Clerk under Title 55.1 of the Virginia Code. Recording creates constructive notice and protects ownership rights against later claims. The clerk's office is the definitive source for the legal chain of title on any parcel in the city.

Richmond Circuit Court Remote Access

The Clerk's Office does not routinely post records on the internet. However, two remote access programs are available. Officer of the Court Remote Access (OCRA) to civil and criminal case files is available to Virginia attorneys and their staff under code section 17.1-292. Secure Remote Access (SRA) to land records is available to subscribers under code section 17.1-294.

SRA lets attorneys, title companies, and researchers pull land record images remotely at any hour. To apply for SRA access, contact the clerk's office. FOIA contacts for the Richmond Circuit Court are Edward Jewett or Cecelia Hargrove, Richmond Circuit Court, 400 N 9th St., Richmond, VA 23219.

The public records exemption in the clerk's office means that administrative and budget records of the office are subject to FOIA, while the court records themselves are governed by the separate public access statute. More details are at rva.gov/office-circuit-court-clerk/records.

Richmond Assessment Appeals and Exemptions

Richmond sends reassessment notices around September 1 each year to the last known mailing address of each property owner. The notice shows the prior assessed value, the projected new value, and the calculated change in real estate taxes. The assessment is based on market conditions through August 1, with an effective value date of September 1.

Property owners with questions about their assessment can start by calling the City Assessor Front Desk at (804) 646-7500. If the owner believes a formal review is warranted after talking with the area appraiser, formal appeal steps are outlined at rva.gov/assessor-real-estate/appeal-process.

Richmond also allows certain properties to apply for exemption from real estate taxation under Article X, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia and Chapter 36 of Title 58.1-3606 of the Code of Virginia. Eligible uses include government, places of worship, public libraries, institutions of learning, and public hospitals. The application must be filed with the City Assessor no later than July 1 prior to the calendar year in which the exemption is requested. Disabled veterans with 100% service-connected permanent and total disability may also apply for full real estate tax exemption under Code of Virginia § 58.1-3219.5. Contact the assessor's office for the required application forms.