Search Botetourt County Property Records

Botetourt County property records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in Fincastle, Virginia, 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 recorded real estate documents. Assessment and tax data is maintained by the Commissioner of Revenue and the Treasurer, both also located in or near Fincastle. Online, you can search parcel and GIS data through the county's mapping tools. The Virginia courts portal at vacourts.gov gives access to recorded instruments as well. In-person visits and mail requests are both options. This page covers where to find and how to access Botetourt County property records.

Botetourt County Real Estate Tax Records

Real estate taxes in Botetourt County are assessed as of January 1 each year and billed annually. The due date is November 1. Virginia law requires that you be responsible for the timely payment of taxes on your property whether or not you receive a bill. Do not wait for a statement to arrive before paying.

A 10% late payment penalty applies if taxes are not paid on time. The penalty structure is: 2% is added at midnight five days after the due date, and an additional 8% is added on any unpaid balance 30 days later, bringing the total penalty to 10%. Failure to receive a tax bill does not excuse the penalty.

If you have a question about the amount of an assessment, contact the Commissioner of Revenue at 540-928-2050. Notify the commissioner of any ownership change or billing address update. Taxes are a lien on the property itself, not the person, so the Treasurer cannot adjust the amount shown on the tax bill.

Payment options include eChecks or credit card online, in-person at the Treasurer's Office at 57 S. Center Dr., Daleville, VA 24083 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM), by mail to P.O. Box 587, Daleville, VA 24083, at First Bank or Bank of Botetourt locations, or by automatic bank draft. The Treasurer's phone number is 540-928-2030.

The screenshot below shows Botetourt County's real estate tax payment page with due dates and penalty details.

Botetourt County Commissioner of Revenue

The Commissioner of Revenue is the chief assessing officer for Botetourt County. The office is located at 57 S Center Dr, Daleville, VA 24083. Phone: 540-928-2050. Fax: 540-473-8289. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The commissioner assesses all real estate and personal property in the county. Personal property taxes cover vehicles, boats, trailers, mobile homes, and business personal property. Vehicle assessments are based on J.D. Powers loan value as of January 1 of the tax year. If no J.D. Powers value is available, a cost depreciation method is used.

When you sell or buy a vehicle, you must contact the Commissioner of Revenue within 30 days. Notifying the DMV does not automatically update your personal property account. Personal property taxes are also due November 1. The same 10% late penalty structure applies as with real estate taxes.

Botetourt County provides a real estate tax relief program for elderly and disabled residents based on income and net worth. Applications must be filed annually with the Commissioner of Revenue by May 1 of the tax year. The Personal Property Tax Relief Act provides additional relief for qualifying passenger cars, motorcycles, and light pickup or panel trucks.

The screenshot below shows the Botetourt County personal property tax page with assessment and payment details.

Botetourt County GIS Open Data Portal

Botetourt County provides a public GIS open data portal at botetourt-county-open-data-botetourt.hub.arcgis.com, powered by ArcGIS Hub. The portal gives access to authoritative GIS datasets for the county, including property parcel boundaries, zoning, land use, and other spatial data maintained by county staff.

Users can search the data catalog, preview maps, and download files in multiple formats including shapefiles and GeoJSON for research and analysis. The site requires a modern JavaScript-enabled browser. This open data portal is a useful resource for title researchers, surveyors, real estate professionals, and anyone who needs to look at parcel boundaries and land use patterns in Botetourt County.

Keep in mind that GIS data is for general reference. For legally binding property boundary information, always rely on the recorded plats and deeds at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. The GIS portal does not replace a land survey.

The screenshot below shows the Botetourt County open GIS data catalog and property layers.

Botetourt County FOIA and Public Records Requests

You can request public records from Botetourt County under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Requests may be submitted to the FOIA Officer by mail to 57 S Center Drive, Suite 200, Daleville, VA 24083, by phone at (540) 928-2006, or using the online form on the county website.

Property records are public records under Virginia Code § 2.2-3701. This includes deeds, assessment records, tax books, and related documents held by the county. When making a request, provide as much detail as possible and describe the records you want with reasonable specificity. This cuts down on research time and keeps costs low.

No charges apply if the request can be fulfilled in under 30 minutes. For larger requests, hourly rates range from $51.67 to $74.37. If the estimated cost exceeds $200, a deposit of up to that amount is required before the county begins processing. The county must respond within five working days of receiving your request, with a possible seven-day extension for complex requests.

The screenshot below shows the Botetourt County FOIA request page with procedures, costs, and officer contact information.

Recording Deeds and Land Documents in Botetourt County

All deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, and other land instruments affecting property in Botetourt County must be recorded with the Circuit Court Clerk. Under Title 55.1 of the Virginia Code, and specifically § 55.1-600, an unrecorded deed is not valid against third parties who have no notice of it. Recording creates the public notice that protects the buyer's interest in the property.

To record a deed in Botetourt County, bring the original signed and notarized document to the Circuit Court Clerk's office. The clerk will review it for compliance with Virginia recording requirements, collect the recording fee, stamp and index it, and return the recorded copy to you or your settlement agent. The document then becomes part of the permanent land records of Botetourt County.

Land records in Botetourt County can be searched in person at the courthouse in Fincastle. Indexes are maintained by grantor and grantee name. For older records not yet digitized, in-person research at the courthouse may be necessary. Some recent records may be accessible remotely through the Virginia SRA system.