Virginia divorce records are official documents maintained by state and local government agencies that provide legal proof that a marriage was dissolved. Whether you need these records for remarriage, name changes, legal proceedings, financial matters, or genealogical research, understanding how to access Virginia divorce records helps you obtain the documentation you need efficiently.
Virginia maintains several types of divorce-related records, each serving different purposes and containing different levels of detail.
Divorce Certificate
Divorce certificates are official documents issued by the Virginia Department of Health proving that a divorce occurred. These certificates contain basic information, including the names of both parties, the date the divorce was finalized, and the location where it was granted. Divorce certificates provide simple proof of divorce without detailed settlement terms.
Final Divorce Decree
Final divorce decrees are court orders officially ending the marriage and establishing the terms of the divorce settlement. These documents, maintained by Circuit Court clerks, contain comprehensive information including property division, spousal support arrangements, child custody and visitation schedules, child support obligations, and any name changes granted through the divorce.
Divorce Case Files
Divorce case files contain all documents filed during divorce proceedings, including the original complaint, responses, motions, financial disclosures, settlement agreements, and the final decree. These complete files provide the most detailed record of the divorce process from filing through final judgment.
What Information Do Records Contain?
The information contained in Virginia divorce records varies by document type. Divorce certificates include full names of both parties at the time of divorce, date of divorce, county or city where divorce was granted, and the certificate number.
Final divorce decrees contain all certificate information plus detailed settlement terms covering division of marital property and debts, spousal support amounts and duration, child custody arrangements, child support calculations, visitation schedules, and provisions for name changes.
Are Virginia Divorce Records Public?
Unlike some government records, Virginia divorce records are not public records available to anyone who requests them. Virginia Code § 32.1-271 restricts access to divorce records to protect the privacy of the individuals involved and any children from the marriage.
Only certain authorized individuals can obtain Virginia divorce records including the parties named in the divorce, their immediate family members (parents, siblings, children, and grandparents), and legal representatives with proper authorization.
Extended family members such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws cannot obtain divorce records even if they're related to the parties. All requesters must provide valid government-issued identification proving their relationship to the parties or their legal authority to request the records.
When Records Become Public
Virginia divorce records automatically become public records 25 years after the divorce was granted. After this time period, anyone can request copies of the divorce records for genealogical research, historical purposes, or other legitimate reasons.
This 25-year confidentiality period balances privacy protection for living individuals with eventual public access for historical and research purposes.
Where Can You Obtain Virginia Divorce Records?
The Office of Vital Records within the Virginia Department of Health maintains divorce certificates for divorces granted in Virginia from 1918 to the present. This centralized state office can provide certified copies of divorce certificates regardless of which Virginia county granted the divorce.
Contact information: Office of Vital Records, 2001 Maywill Street, Suite 101, Richmond, Virginia 23230. Phone: (804) 662-6200.
The Office of Vital Records only issues divorce certificates, not final divorce decrees or complete case files. If you need detailed settlement information, you must contact the Circuit Court clerk.
Circuit Court Clerk's Office
Each Virginia Circuit Court clerk's office maintains final divorce decrees and complete case files for divorces granted in that specific jurisdiction. You must request these documents from the clerk's office in the county or city where the divorce was finalized.
The clerk's office can provide certified copies of the final divorce decree showing all settlement terms, as well as access to complete divorce case files containing all documents filed during the proceedings.
Since each of Virginia's 120 Circuit Courts maintains its own records, you need to know which court granted the divorce before requesting records. If you don't know the location, you may need to contact multiple courts or search online court case databases.
Local Health Departments
Some local Virginia health departments can also provide certified copies of divorce certificates for divorces that occurred anywhere in Virginia. Not all local health departments offer this service, so contact your local health department to confirm availability.
Local health departments offer the same divorce certificates as the state Office of Vital Records, but may provide more convenient access depending on your location.
How Do You Request Virginia Divorce Records?
The Virginia Department of Health provides an online application form for requesting divorce certificates. Visit the VDH website and complete the divorce certificate application form, providing information including full names of both parties at the time of divorce, date of divorce (or approximate timeframe), county or city where divorce was granted, your relationship to the parties, reason for requesting the record, your contact information, and your mailing address.
After completing the online form, print, sign, and submit it along with the required fee and identification. The form cannot be submitted electronically—you must mail it or bring it in person.
Mail Requests
For mail-in requests for divorce certificates, send the completed and signed application form, a check or money order for the applicable fee payable to "State Health Department," and a photocopy of your valid government-issued ID to: Office of Vital Records, 2001 Maywill Street, Suite 101, Richmond, Virginia 23230.
Mail requests typically take two to four weeks to process. Allow adequate time when requesting records for time-sensitive purposes like court deadlines or travel plans.
In-Person Requests
You can obtain divorce certificates in person at the Office of Vital Records in Richmond or at certain local health department offices throughout Virginia. Bring your completed and signed application form, the applicable fee (cash, check, or money order), and your valid government-issued identification.
In-person requests are often processed more quickly than mail requests, sometimes the same day, depending on office workload.
Requesting Court Records
To obtain final divorce decrees or case files, contact the Circuit Court clerk's office where the divorce was granted. Procedures vary by jurisdiction, but most require written requests, including the case number or docket number if known, year of divorce, full names of both parties, your relationship to the parties, and the reason for your request.
Some Virginia courts offer online portals for requesting court records. For example, Fairfax County provides online access to divorce records through the Circuit Court clerk's website. Check with your specific court to determine available options.
What Are the Costs?
The Virginia Office of Vital Records charges $12 for each certified copy of a divorce certificate. This fee covers the search for the record and one certified copy. Additional certified copies of the same record ordered at the same time also cost $12 each.
Payment must be by check or money order made payable to "State Health Department." Some locations may accept credit cards for in-person requests.
Court Fees
Virginia Code § 17.1-275 provides that the first certified copy of a final divorce decree is free to the parties named in the divorce. Additional certified copies and copies provided to other authorized requesters are subject to fees that vary by jurisdiction.
Court fees typically range from $2 to $5 per page for certified copies beyond the first free copy. Some courts charge additional processing or certification fees. Contact your specific Circuit Court clerk's office for exact fee information.
Third-Party Service Fees
Third-party services like VitalChek offer expedited processing and delivery of vital records, including divorce certificates. These services charge convenience fees and shipping costs in addition to the state's $12 certificate fee.
While more expensive, third-party services may provide faster delivery through next-day shipping options and simplified online ordering processes.
Who Can Access Divorce Records?
Virginia law strictly limits who can obtain divorce records. Authorized requesters include both parties named in the divorce, immediate family members of the parties (parents, siblings, children, and grandparents), and attorneys or legal representatives with written authorization.
All requesters must provide valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. The identification must show the requester's relationship to the parties or their legal authority.
Proving Your Eligibility
To prove your relationship to the parties, your identification should show your name matching the party's name (if you're one of the divorced individuals) or documentation establishing your family relationship, such as your birth certificate showing the divorced individual as your parent, or other family documentation.
Legal representatives must provide documentation of their authority, such as a power of attorney, a court order appointing them as guardian or executor, or written authorization from one of the parties.
Restrictions and Denials
Requests may be denied if you cannot prove you're an authorized requester, provide insufficient identification, fail to include the required fee, or provide incomplete or inaccurate information preventing the office from locating the record.
If your request is denied, the office will typically explain why and give you an opportunity to provide additional information or documentation.
Can You Seal Virginia Divorce Records?
Virginia law allows divorce records to be sealed by court order even beyond the standard 25-year confidentiality period. Virginia Code § 20-124 permits parties to file motions requesting that their divorce records be sealed from public access permanently.
Sealing motions can be filed during divorce proceedings or after the divorce is finalized. The court must find good cause to grant sealing requests, such as protection of children from harm, prevention of damage to individuals from disclosure, protection of privileged information or trade secrets, or prevention of dissemination of false information.
Access to Sealed Records
Even when divorce records are sealed, they remain accessible to the parties named in the divorce, their attorneys, and any other persons the court specifically authorizes. Sealed records do not become public after 25 years—they remain confidential indefinitely unless the court later orders them unsealed.
What If You Don't Know Where the Divorce Occurred?
If you don't know which Virginia court granted a divorce, online court case search systems can help locate the records. The Virginia Judiciary provides online case information through its Case Status and Information system at vacourts.gov.
You can search by party names to identify which court handled the divorce case. Once you identify the correct court, contact that specific Circuit Court clerk's office to request records.
Statewide Search Limitations
Unlike divorce certificates, which can be obtained from the centralized Office of Vital Records, final divorce decrees and case files are maintained only by individual courts. There is no centralized database providing access to all Virginia divorce decrees.
If online searches don't locate the divorce, you may need to contact multiple Circuit Court clerks in jurisdictions where the parties lived or where you believe the divorce might have been granted.
How Long Does It Take?
Processing times for Virginia divorce records vary by request method and office workload. Mail requests to the Office of Vital Records typically take two to four weeks from when your request is received until the certificate is mailed to you.
In-person requests can often be processed the same day, though busy offices may require you to return later or have the certificate mailed.
Court record requests vary widely by jurisdiction. Some courts can provide records within a few days, while others may take several weeks depending on how busy the clerk's office is and whether the records are easily accessible or require retrieval from archives.
Expedited Services
For faster service, consider in-person requests when possible, third-party services offering expedited processing and shipping, or online portals in jurisdictions that offer them for immediate digital access to certain records.
Moving Forward with Virginia Divorce Records
Virginia divorce records provide essential documentation of marriage dissolution, serving legal, financial, and personal purposes for the parties involved and their families.
Knowing who can access these records, where to request them from the Virginia Department of Health or specific Circuit Court clerks, how much they cost, and what information you need to provide streamlines the process of obtaining your divorce documentation. Whether you need simple proof of divorce for remarriage or detailed settlement terms for legal proceedings, Virginia's vital records system provides multiple access points for authorized individuals to obtain necessary documentation.
From online application forms to mail-in and in-person requests, from immediate family member access to the 25-year public access timeline, Virginia divorce records balance privacy protection with legitimate needs for documentation, ensuring that authorized individuals can access the records they need while protecting sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure.