Prince Edward County Property Records

Prince Edward County property records are filed with the Clerk of Circuit Court in Farmville, Virginia, the official custodian of all land instruments recorded in the county. Deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and other real estate documents are public records kept at the courthouse. You can search online through the SRA system at vacourts.gov, visit the clerk's office in Farmville during business hours, or send a mail-in request. Real estate assessments, ownership data, and tax maps are maintained by the Commissioner of the Revenue at 124 North Main St. Parcel information is also searchable through the county's GIS portal. This page covers how to find and request Prince Edward County property records.

Commissioner of the Revenue

The Commissioner of the Revenue is a state constitutional officer as set forth in the Constitution of Virginia and serves as the chief assessing officer of the local government. It is an elected position for a four-year term. Crystal M. Hensley was duly elected as Commissioner of the Revenue on November 7, 2023.

The Commissioner handles a wide range of duties. These include maintaining real estate ownership records, assessing all personal property, qualifying vehicles for the Personal Property Tax Relief Act, and overseeing the filing process of Virginia State Income Tax for Prince Edward County residents.

The office also assists with assessments for businesses and individuals, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, motor vehicle license taxes, machinery and tool tax, merchant's capital, and the filing of State Income Tax returns, refunds, tax due, and estimated tax.

Office address: 124 North Main St., 2nd Floor, Farmville, VA 23901
Phone: (434) 392-3231
Fax: (434) 392-7696

The Commissioner's office is the first stop for most property record questions. Staff can pull ownership history, provide assessment cards, and explain how values were set. You can reach them by phone during normal business hours.

The Commissioner of the Revenue office page lists contact information, program details, and taxpayer services for Prince Edward County.

Real Estate Assessments and New Construction

When citizens and businesses complete new construction or additions to a residential or commercial structure during a tax year, that property will receive a field visit from an assessor from Vision Government Solutions, Inc. The visit is for the purpose of determining the value of the new construction for tax purposes.

The county follows the reassessment cycle mandated by Virginia law. General reassessments are conducted periodically to ensure that assessed values reflect fair market value. Under Title 55.1 of the Code of Virginia, all real property must be assessed at 100% of fair market value.

Errors in property records can happen. The County Assessor, under the authority of § 55.1-600 and related code sections, can make corrections when factual errors exist. Owners should examine their property record cards and report errors promptly to the Commissioner's office.

If you believe your property is assessed at more or less than its fair market value, you can file an appeal. The process starts with the Commissioner's office and may proceed to the Board of Equalization if needed. Property owners should gather comparable sales data and any third-party appraisals to support their case.

GIS Parcel Viewer and Online Mapping

Prince Edward County offers two online mapping options for property research. The first is an ArcGIS Experience Builder portal linked directly from the county homepage. The second is an InteractiveGIS portal at princeedwardcova.interactivegis.com. Both tools let you search parcels and view property boundaries on a map.

The ArcGIS Experience Builder portal is the county's primary public mapping tool, built on Esri's platform and linked from the official homepage.

The ArcGIS experience allows users to search parcels by address, owner name, or parcel ID and toggle layers such as zoning, floodplains, and aerial imagery. The county homepage links to this experience under its mapping and GIS quick-links section. It is the current authoritative online mapping portal for Prince Edward County.

Both GIS portals carry an important disclaimer: all map layers and data on these sites are for general reference only. When researching real estate, recorded plats and deeds are the authoritative source for determining legal acreage and ownership. The data in the InteractiveGIS portal was last updated on 9/22/2025.

If you need parcel information for legal purposes, you must use recorded documents from the Circuit Court Clerk's office. GIS maps are useful for location and general reference, but they are not legal documents.

Land Use Program and Tax Relief

Prince Edward County administers a Land Use Program that allows qualifying agricultural, horticultural, forest, and open space properties to be taxed at use value rather than fair market value. This can result in a lower tax bill for landowners whose property meets the criteria set out in the Code of Virginia.

The county also provides tax relief for the elderly and disabled. Owners who meet the required criteria of age or disability and have household income and net worth below the established thresholds may qualify for a reduction in real estate taxes. Contact the Commissioner's office to get an application and learn the current limits.

The county offers high mileage adjustments for personal property in accordance with § 58.1-3503(B) of the Code of Virginia. The office uses the most recent J.D. Power Official Used Car Guide high mileage deduction for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. To apply, you need the vehicle year, make, model, VIN, current mileage, and engine size for motorcycles. Support documentation must be third-party such as a state inspection receipt or a service center repair receipt on company letterhead. Odometer photographs are not acceptable documentation.

Circuit Court Land Records

Deeds, deeds of trust, plats, and other recorded land documents for Prince Edward County are on file with the Circuit Court Clerk. These are the official, legally binding records of property ownership and encumbrances. For any legal transaction involving real property, you must rely on these recorded documents rather than GIS data or tax records.

The Circuit Court Clerk's office is located in the courthouse in Farmville. You can search the land records index in person or through Virginia's Secure Remote Access (SRA) system, which provides online access to indexed court documents for subscribers.

Under Title 55.1 of the Code of Virginia, real property transfers must be recorded with the Circuit Court Clerk to be effective against third parties. Recording fees are set by state law and are collected at the time of filing. The Clerk's office can provide copies of recorded documents for a fee.

Property owners researching their chain of title, checking for liens, or verifying easements should start with the Circuit Court Clerk's land records index. Staff at the Clerk's office can guide you through the search process and help you find the right document books and page numbers.

Property Tax Rates and Payments

Real estate tax rates in Prince Edward County are set by the Board of Supervisors. The rate applies to each $100 of assessed value. Tax bills are sent out based on the assessed value determined by the Commissioner of the Revenue, and payments are made to the County Treasurer.

Property taxes fund local services including schools, roads, public safety, and county government operations. Taxes are due on dates set by the county. Late payments may incur penalties and interest under state law.

The Transient Occupancy Tax is a separate levy. Effective July 1, 2021, a seven percent transient occupancy tax applies to lodging at hotels, motels, campgrounds, and other facilities offering lodging within the county and outside the Town of Farmville. This is reported to the Commissioner of the Revenue on or before the last day of the following calendar month.

For questions about tax bills, payments, or delinquent accounts, contact the County Treasurer. For questions about how your property was assessed, contact the Commissioner of the Revenue. The two offices handle different aspects of the property tax process.

How to Access Property Records

There are several ways to get Prince Edward County property records. The fastest way for basic ownership and assessment data is through the county's online GIS portal. You can search by address, parcel ID, or owner name and view property details on an interactive map.

For more detailed information such as property record cards, assessment methodology, or tax relief programs, contact the Commissioner of the Revenue by phone at (434) 392-3231 or visit the office at 124 North Main St., 2nd Floor, Farmville during business hours.

For official recorded documents including deeds, deeds of trust, and plats, visit the Circuit Court Clerk's office or use the SRA system for indexed access. These records go back many decades and are the authoritative source for ownership and encumbrance information.

Researchers, attorneys, title companies, and real estate professionals often use a combination of the GIS portal for quick location data and the Circuit Court records for legal documentation. Both sources are free to access for basic queries.