Norfolk City, Virginia public records (independent city)
In Norfolk City, deeds are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court; property values come from the Office of the Real Estate Assessor; court files are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
On this page
- Where to get each record
- Deeds and land records
- Property values, owners and tax bills
- Court records: which clerk keeps which case
- Good to know about Norfolk City records
- Office addresses, phones and hours
- Records that are not online: public records requests
- Questions people ask
- Official copies vs look-alike sites
- Sources
Norfolk City is an independent city: the Census Bureau counts it as a county-equivalent that is not part of any county, governed by the City of Norfolk.1 The offices below serve the city itself; no county office keeps its records.
Where to get each record
| Record | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deeds and land records | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court4 | Search deeds2Free search, fee for copies | $0.50 per page (statewide clerk fee, Va. Code § 17.1-275)3 |
| Property values and owners | Office of the Real Estate Assessor5 | Property search6 | — |
| Property tax bills | City Treasurer7 | Tax bill search6 | — |
| Court cases | Clerk of the Circuit Court4 | Norfolk Circuit Court4 Norfolk General District Court and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court4 | Copies $0.50 per page (Va. Code § 17.1-275); certified copies stated by the city as $2.50 plus $0.50 per page3 |
| Marriage records | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court4 | — | — |
| Divorce records | Clerk of the Circuit Court4 | — | — |
| Birth certificates | Norfolk Department of Public Health - Vital Records8 | — | — |
| Death certificates | Norfolk Department of Public Health - Vital Records8 | — | — |
| Probate and wills | Clerk of the Circuit Court4 | — | — |
| Business names (DBA) | Commissioner of the Revenue9 | — | — |
Deeds and land records
Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Norfolk City are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court (land records).4
- Online search
- risweb.vacourts.gov/jsra/sra2Free search, fee for copies
- Cost
- Free index-only search; images require a paid subscription2
- Who runs it
- None (state OES system, COVERS/SRA)2
- Copy fee
- $0.50 per page (statewide clerk fee, Va. Code § 17.1-275)3
- Certified copy fee
- City page states certified copies from the Clerk's Office are $2.50 plus $0.50 per page10
- How to order
- Online Document Request Form on the Clerk's site (preferred) or in person at the Clerk's Office10
- Fraud alerts
- VA Deed Alert (state OES) linked from the city's Property Search page6
Property values, owners and tax bills
The Office of the Real Estate Assessor sets property values5; the City Treasurer bills and collects the tax7.
- Property search
- air.norfolk.gov6
- Tax bill search
- eservices.norfolk.gov/Taxes6
- Parcel map (GIS)
- norfolk.gov/…11
- Appealing a value
- Informal appeal with the Assessor by May 8; formal appeal to the Board of Review by the last business day of May12
- Due dates
- Quarterly: Sept 30, Dec 5, March 31, June 513
- Reassessment
- Annual general reassessment, effective July 15
How property tax works in Virginia
Court records: which clerk keeps which case
| Court | Cases | Records kept by | Case search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Circuit Court (4th Judicial Circuit) | Felonies, civil claims over $25,000 (shared $4,500-$25,000 with General District Court), divorce and family matters, appeals from district courts; deeds, wills, marriage licenses10 | Clerk of the Circuit Court (criminal) | eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/landing4 |
| Norfolk General District Court and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court | Misdemeanors, traffic, smaller civil claims; juvenile and domestic relations | — | eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/landing4 |
- Fees
- Copies $0.50 per page (Va. Code § 17.1-275); certified copies stated by the city as $2.50 plus $0.50 per page3
How Virginia courts keep their files
Good to know about Norfolk City records
- Norfolk is an independent city: it is not in any county, and its land, marriage, probate and court records are kept by the Clerk of the Norfolk Circuit Court14
- Norfolk reassesses all real estate every year (effective July 1) and bills real estate tax quarterly5
- Norfolk land-record indexes are free to search on the state Secure Remote Access system; images need a subscription2
- The city publishes searchable burial records for its eight city-owned cemeteries15
- The Treasurer has over 68,000 taxable parcels billed quarterly13
Office addresses, phones and hours
Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court (land records)
- Address
- 150 St. Paul's Boulevard, 7th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510-27734
- Phone
- (757) 389-89424
- Hours
- 8:45AM - 4:45PM4
- Website
- vacourts.gov/…4
Clerk of the Circuit Court (criminal)
- Address
- 150 St. Paul's Boulevard, 7th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510-27734
- Phone
- (757) 389-89424
- [email protected]4
- Hours
- 8:45AM - 4:45PM4
- Website
- vacourts.gov/…4
Clerk of the Circuit Court (civil, divorce)
- Address
- 150 St. Paul's Boulevard, 7th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510-27734
- Phone
- (757) 389-89424
- [email protected]4
- Hours
- 8:45AM - 4:45PM4
- Website
- vacourts.gov/…4
Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate/wills)
- Address
- 150 St. Paul's Boulevard, 7th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510-27734
- Phone
- (757) 389-89424
- Hours
- 8:45AM - 4:45PM4
- Website
- vacourts.gov/…4
Office of the Real Estate Assessor
- Address
- Norfolk City Hall (check in with Security on the first floor)5
- Phone
- 757-664-47325
- [email protected]5
- Hours
- 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM daily except holidays5
City Treasurer
- Address
- 810 Union St, First Floor, Norfolk, VA 235107
- Phone
- (757) 664-7849 (real estate)7
- Hours
- Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.7
Commissioner of the Revenue (personal property, business licenses, fiduciary taxes)
- [email protected]9
- Hours
- DMV Select: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 3:45 PM9
Norfolk Office of Elections (General Registrar)
- Address
- City Hall Building, 810 Union Street, Suite 100, Norfolk16
- Phone
- 757-664-435316
- Hours
- Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.16
- Website
- norfolk.gov/…16
Norfolk Sheriff's Office
- Address
- 811 E. City Hall Avenue, Norfolk, VA 2351017
- Phone
- (757) 664-470017
- Website
- norfolk-sheriff.com17
Norfolk Department of Public Health - Vital Records (Virginia Department of Health)
- Address
- 830 Southampton Avenue, Norfolk, VA 235108
- Phone
- 757-683-28008
- [email protected]8
- Hours
- Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm8
- Website
- vdh.virginia.gov/norfolk8
Geographic Information Systems
- Address
- 800 E City Hall Avenue, First Floor, Norfolk, VA 2351011
- [email protected]11
- Hours
- Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.11
- Website
- norfolk.gov/…11
Records that are not online: public records requests
- Request page
- norfolk.justfoia.com/…18
- Where to send it
- [email protected]; FOIA Request, Norfolk City Hall, 810 Union Street, Suite 409, Norfolk VA 2351018
- Copy fees
- 15 cents per black-and-white copy; 25 cents per color copy; $1 per CD; $10 per flash drive; plus staff time at actual cost18
- Response time
- Five business days (extension of seven business days possible)18
How to write a public records request
Questions people ask
How do I get a copy of a deed in Norfolk City?
The Clerk of the Circuit Court, Norfolk Circuit Court (land records) keeps deed records. To order copies: Online Document Request Form on the Clerk's site (preferred) or in person at the Clerk's Office. Plain copies: $0.50 per page (statewide clerk fee, Va. Code § 17.1-275). Certified copies: City page states certified copies from the Clerk's Office are $2.50 plus $0.50 per page.4103
Can I search Norfolk City land records online for free?
Yes, searching is free; copies cost extra. Free index-only search; images require a paid subscription. The official search: risweb.vacourts.gov/jsra/sra2
How do I look up who owns a property in Norfolk City?
Use the property search of the Office of the Real Estate Assessor: air.norfolk.gov6
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Norfolk City office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Other counties and independent cities in Virginia with a full guide: Albemarle County, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Chesapeake City, Chesterfield County, Fairfax County, Hampton City, Loudoun County, Newport News City, Prince William County, Richmond City, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, Virginia Beach City. Every county and independent city in the state: Virginia county and independent city list.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 19 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
- Secure Remote Access - Available CourtsSupreme Court of Virginia, Office of the Executive Secretary
- Code of Virginia § 17.1-275Virginia General Assembly (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Norfolk Circuit CourtSupreme Court of Virginia (vacourts.gov)
- City of Norfolk: assessorCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: propsearchCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: treasCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- Norfolk Department of Public HealthVirginia Department of Health
- City of Norfolk: corCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: courtsCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: gisCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: appealCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: retaxCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- Circuit Courts DirectorySupreme Court of Virginia, Office of the Executive Secretary
- City of Norfolk: burialCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- City of Norfolk: voterCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- Norfolk Sheriff's Office
- City of Norfolk: foiaCity of Norfolk, Virginia
- County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau