Henry County Property Records

Henry County property records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in Martinsville, Virginia, who serves as the official keeper of all real estate instruments for the county. Deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and land records are recorded and held at the clerk's office. Search GIS parcel maps and assessment data online through county tools. The Commissioner of Revenue and Real Estate Department manage property valuations separately. In-person visits to the courthouse let you look up deed history and title records directly. Mail requests for certified copies of documents are also accepted. This page covers the key resources for finding Henry County property records.

Henry County Real Estate Department and Property Records

The Real Estate Department in Henry County is responsible for maintaining ownership and assessment records for all real property in the county. Transfer of ownership is updated from deeds, wills, and other related documents recorded in the Henry County Circuit Court Clerk's office. Tax maps showing a basic outline of each parcel of land are maintained and updated from surveys recorded and splits by deeds.

A Real Estate Land Book is created each year listing all land records and taxes. The land books, ownership assessment records, and tax maps are available to the public. The county also offers a computer terminal in the office for public use. Property details, owner info, and parcel numbers can be viewed by searching by name or parcel number and clicking "View Bill" to access the property card and assessments.

The current tax rate is 0.555 per $100 of assessed value (55.5 cents per $100). This rate is set by the Board of Supervisors. The Commissioner of Revenue assesses the value, and the Treasurer collects the payment.

The screenshot below shows the Henry County Real Estate Department page, covering ownership records, tax maps, and land use programs.

Property owners who disagree with their assessed value may request a hearing before the Board of Equalization. The process is explained on the county website and through the Commissioner of Revenue's office.

Henry County Commissioner of Revenue: Property Assessment

The Virginia General Assembly created the constitutional office of Commissioner of the Revenue in 1786 with the goal of creating uniform tax assessments throughout localities. The Commissioner is elected every four years to serve as the chief assessing officer. The Commissioner's office and assessors fairly and equitably assess real estate in Henry County every four years on over 38,000 parcels.

All real estate assessments must be based on fair market value as of January 1 of the assessing year. The Commissioner's office assesses new construction and changes to improvements on real estate between general reassessments. This keeps the tax books current even in years when no full reassessment is conducted.

Business taxes administered by the Commissioner include business licenses, business personal property, machinery and tools, and excise taxes. Personal property assessed includes cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, and boats. The commissioner assesses over 150,000 items in Henry County each year using NADA or J.D. Power pricing guides.

The Commissioner also administers Real Estate Tax Relief for elderly and permanently and totally disabled residents, Veteran Tax Relief Exemption, Land Use program, and Bank Franchise Tax. Contact the Commissioner of Revenue at (276) 634-4690 for details on any of these programs.

The screenshot below shows the Henry County Commissioner of Revenue page, covering assessment responsibilities for real estate, personal property, and business taxes.

For questions about your real estate assessment, contact the Commissioner of Revenue at the county administration building. For questions about paying your bill, contact the Treasurer.

Henry County Circuit Court Land Records and E-Recording

The Henry County Circuit Court Clerk's office handles land records recording. Recording hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As of July 1, 2018, the county no longer accepts Tax Map Numbers on the first page of documents for land records. Instead, provide the 9-digit Parcel ID Number/Account Number, which can be obtained from the county GIS website.

Recording requirements per Code of Virginia 17.1-223 include: the 9-digit Parcel ID or Account Number, assessed and consideration values, any exemption codes claimed clearly stated on the face of the document, each page numbered consecutively, who prepared the document on the first page, attorney's bar number, name of the title insurance underwriter, type of document, legal descriptions on all deeds and deeds of trust, and proper signatures and notarization.

E-recording is available through Simplifile, CSC, or ePN for qualified submitters who want to record documents electronically without visiting the office. This service is especially useful for title companies and attorneys who record documents frequently.

Secure Remote Access (SRA) is available for online research of land records. To subscribe, visit the SRA website and select the "subscribe online" option for Henry County. SRA lets subscribers search indexes and view document images from any location at any time.

All recorded land documents in Henry County are governed by Title 55.1 of the Virginia Code. Deeds must be recorded under § 55.1-600 to be effective against third parties who lack notice of the transfer.

Henry County Property Tax Rates and Payment Due Dates

Henry County taxes cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor homes, trailers, boats, and aircraft. Real estate tax rate is 55.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. Personal property tax rate is $1.55 per $100 of assessed value. These rates are set by the Board of Supervisors and may change annually.

Motor Vehicle License Fees are also required in Henry County: cars and trucks cost $20.75, trailers cost $12, and motorcycles cost $12. This fee has been in place since 2017 and replaced the old decal system.

Business licenses in Henry County have a minimum cost of $30 annually. Contact the Commissioner of Revenue at (276) 634-4690 for more details on business license requirements and fees.

Dog tags are purchased at the Treasurer's Office in the County Administration Building or by mail. Lifetime dog tags cost $20 per tag. The Treasurer's Office handles collection of all taxes assessed by the Commissioner of Revenue.

Henry County Real Estate Tax Relief Programs

Henry County offers real estate tax relief for elderly and permanently disabled residents. To qualify, you must be 65 years old or totally and permanently disabled as of January 1 of the assessing year. Gross household income from all sources cannot exceed $24,000. Net financial worth cannot exceed $50,000. The application due date is May 1 of the assessing year.

When applying for real estate tax relief, applicants must supply their SSA/SSI 1099 for the previous tax year, all bank account statements from December of the previous tax year, and IRA, pension, or retirement statements if applicable.

Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Relief: For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, the real property of any Veteran who has a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability is exempt from taxation. This exemption applies to the real property occupied by the Veteran as their primary place of residence, including the qualifying dwelling and up to one acre of land.

When applying for the veteran's exemption, bring an approved and original letter of disability issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, photo identification, and voter registration card as proof of occupancy. These documents must be originals, not copies. Contact the Commissioner of Revenue's office for application forms and deadlines.