Access Amherst County Property Records

Amherst County property records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk, who is the official record keeper for all land instruments in the county. The clerk's office holds deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and other real estate documents. Assessment and tax data is handled by the Commissioner of the Revenue at 100 Goodwin St., Amherst, VA 24521. Online, you can search parcel and GIS data through the county's mapping portal. The Virginia court system at vacourts.gov also lets you look up recorded deeds and related instruments. In-person and mail requests are both accepted. This page covers where to search and how to get copies of Amherst County property records.

Amherst County Commissioner of Revenue

The Amherst County Commissioner of the Revenue is a locally elected Constitutional Officer who administers all local taxes and is the chief FOIA officer for the office. The Commissioner is responsible for accurately assessing all tangible personal property -- both personal and business -- and for maintaining real estate ownership records and updating tax maps.

The Commissioner's office is located at P.O. Box 719, Amherst, VA 24521. Physical address: 100 Goodwin St., Amherst, VA 24521. Phone: (434) 946-9310. Fax: (434) 946-9312. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For questions about paying taxes -- due dates, payments received, or amounts owed -- contact the Treasurer's Office separately at (434) 946-9318. The Amherst County Commissioner of the Revenue page lists contact information, tax programs administered, and the types of property assessments handled by the office.

For 2025, the Personal Property Tax Relief discount was set at 26.40% on qualifying vehicles, with a maximum discount of $182.16. Only vehicles used for personal use qualify. If you have questions about personal property tax relief, call Jane Irby at 434-946-9310. Real estate records are a separate function from personal property, though both are managed by the same Commissioner's office.

Real Estate Assessments and Tax Maps

The Amherst County Real Estate and Mapping Division is part of the Commissioner of the Revenue's office. This division handles real estate assessments, tax maps, and the Land Use Program. All real estate is subject to taxation unless specifically exempted by the Virginia Constitution. Property is assessed as of January 1 each year. Tax bills are due June 5 and December 5. The Real Estate and Mapping Division page explains reassessment cycles, land use programs, tax relief for elderly and disabled residents, and the roll-back tax that applies when qualifying land changes use.

Under Virginia Code § 58.1-3252, Amherst County -- which has a population of 50,000 or less -- can conduct general reassessments at five or six-year intervals by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. Between reassessments, the Commissioner adds new construction and additions to the rolls each year. If you remodel or add to a structure, the new value will be assessed in the next cycle.

Tax maps are available for viewing in the Real Estate and Mapping Division. These maps tie parcel IDs to physical locations on the ground and are updated to reflect new construction, subdivision, and rezoning. If you need a copy of a tax map for a specific parcel, contact the Commissioner's office.

Land Use and Tax Relief Programs

Amherst County has a Land Use Program that allows qualifying agricultural, horticultural, forest, and open space land to be assessed at use value rather than market value. This can significantly reduce the tax burden on working farms and forest land. The minimum parcel size is 5 acres for agriculture or horticulture and 20 acres for forest use. Land must be in actual production. Sign-up runs from September 1 through November 1 each year at the Commissioner's Office.

If land that qualifies under the Land Use Program is later converted to a non-qualifying use or rezoned at the owner's request, the roll-back tax applies. This tax recaptures the difference between the use-value assessment and what the market-value assessment would have been for up to five prior years. Property owners must report any change in use, acreage, or zoning to the Commissioner's office within 60 days of the change.

Tax relief for elderly and handicapped residents is also available in Amherst County. To qualify, you must be 65 or older as of January 1 of the tax year (or 100% disabled), earn less than $50,000 from all income sources, and have a net worth under $150,000. Applications must be filed annually between January 15 and March 31 with the Commissioner of the Revenue. Call (434) 946-9310 for an application or to ask questions about eligibility.

GIS Mapping and Online Parcel Search

Amherst County's GIS property lookup portal was historically hosted at amherstgis.timmons.com, developed by Timmons Group. That application was retired on December 31, 2025, and replaced by a newer MapInsights application. Users with bookmarks to the old Timmons GIS portal should update their links to the new MapInsights system. Contact the Commissioner of the Revenue's office for the current URL or check the county website for the updated link.

The Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CVPDC) mapping resources page provides links to GIS parcel data for member localities including Amherst County. The CVPDC serves several counties in the central Virginia region and lists parcel data portals that include addresses, owner names, sale dates, sale prices, assessments, and other property details. This regional resource can be useful if you're researching properties across multiple central Virginia counties.

The statewide property search directory lists the Amherst County Commissioner's contact information and links to free GIS parcel searches by owner name, address, tax map number, or GPIN number. These searches pull from the assessment database and give you the basic property record data you'd find at the assessor's office.

Recorded Land Records and Circuit Court Deeds

Deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, and other instruments affecting Amherst County real property are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk. Under § 55.1-600 of the Code of Virginia, the circuit court clerk for the county records properly acknowledged writings affecting real property located in that jurisdiction. Recording provides public notice to all subsequent purchasers and creditors.

All recorded documents must comply with the physical and format standards in § 55.1-606. Documents must be originals or first-generation printed copies and must be legible. The clerk can decline to record noncompliant documents, but a document accepted despite a technical defect is still legally recorded. Title 55.1 of the Code of Virginia is the comprehensive statutory framework that governs all of these requirements statewide.

For remote access to Amherst County land records, use the Virginia Court System's SRA portal at vacourts.gov. Registration is free, and basic index searching is available without a paid subscription. To view document images remotely, a paid subscription is required. In-person access at the courthouse is free. Document copies cost $0.50 per page, and certified copies add $2.00 per document.

If there is an error in a recorded deed -- for example, a wrong lot number or an incorrect legal description -- the corrective affidavit process under § 55.1-609 provides a way to fix it. An attorney must prepare and serve notice on all parties, wait 30 days for objections, and then record the affidavit if no dispute arises. Once recorded, the affidavit corrects the record back to the original recording date.