Harrisonburg County Public Records

What Are Public Records in Harrisonburg County?

Public records in Harrisonburg are defined under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., as all writings, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data processing records, artifacts, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, prepared or owned by, or in the possession of a public body or its officers, employees, or agents in the transaction of public business. Harrisonburg operates as an independent city in Virginia, and its public records are maintained across several municipal and judicial offices.

Members of the public may access the following categories of records:

Court records — Civil, criminal, probate, and family court filings are maintained by the Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court and the Harrisonburg Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
Property records — Deeds, mortgages, liens, and land assessments are held by the Rockingham County Circuit Court Clerk and the City Assessor's Office.
Vital records — Birth and death certificates are issued by the Virginia Department of Health; marriage and divorce records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Business records — Business licenses, permits, and fictitious name registrations are maintained by the City of Harrisonburg Commissioner of the Revenue.
Tax records — Property tax and assessment records are available through the City Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue.
Voting and election records — Maintained by the Harrisonburg Voter Registration and Elections Office.
Meeting minutes and agendas — City Council meeting minutes, board agendas, and commission records are published by the City Clerk's Office.
Budget and financial documents — Annual budgets, audits, and financial reports are available through the City of Harrisonburg Finance Department.
Law enforcement records — Arrest logs and incident reports, where permitted by law, are maintained by the Harrisonburg Police Department.
Land use and zoning records — Zoning maps, permits, and land use applications are held by the Department of Community Development.

The City of Harrisonburg's official records portal serves as the primary access point for submitting public records requests and identifying the appropriate custodian for each record type.

Is Harrisonburg County an Open Records County?

Harrisonburg is fully subject to Virginia's open records framework. Under Va. Code § 2.2-3700, the General Assembly declares it the policy of the Commonwealth that the people have the right to be informed of the activities of their government and that the free flow of information is essential to a democratic society. This statute establishes a presumption of openness: all public records are presumed to be open unless a specific exemption applies.

Key provisions of the Virginia FOIA that govern Harrisonburg's records practices include:

Public bodies must respond to records requests within five working days of receipt.
If a response cannot be provided within five days, the public body must notify the requester and may request an extension of up to seven additional working days under specified circumstances.
Denial of access must be accompanied by a written explanation citing the specific statutory exemption relied upon.

The City of Harrisonburg currently designates a FOIA Officer — Michael Parks — who is responsible for coordinating all official public records requests and ensuring compliance with state sunshine laws. No separate municipal ordinance supersedes the state FOIA framework; the city operates in full conformance with Virginia's open government statutes.

How to Find Public Records in Harrisonburg County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain public records in Harrisonburg through the following steps:

Identify the record custodian. Determine which city or judicial office maintains the record sought. Court records are held by the Circuit Court or General District Court; property and tax records are held by the Commissioner of the Revenue or City Assessor; vital records are obtained through the Virginia Department of Health.
Submit a FOIA request. Requests may be submitted in writing by mail, email, or in person to the City's designated FOIA Officer. The public records request page provides contact details and submission instructions.
Use online portals. Certain records — including meeting minutes, budgets, and zoning documents — are available directly on the City's website without a formal request.
Visit the relevant office in person. Members of the public may inspect records during regular business hours at the appropriate office counter. Inspection of records is available at no charge.
Request court records directly. Civil and criminal case records may be accessed through the Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court clerk's counter or through the Virginia Judiciary's online case information system.
Allow the statutory response period. Under current law, the public body has five working days to respond to a written request, with a possible extension of up to seven additional working days.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Public Records in Harrisonburg County?

The City of Harrisonburg applies fees for public records in accordance with Va. Code § 2.2-3704, which governs the charges a public body may impose for responding to FOIA requests. Current standard fees are as follows:

Paper copies: Typically $0.10 to $0.25 per page for standard black-and-white reproductions, depending on the office.
Electronic records: Provided at no charge when already maintained in electronic format and transmittable by email, unless the request requires programming or customized retrieval.
Actual costs: Charges for staff time, duplication, and any other direct costs may be assessed when a request is extraordinarily large or requires significant staff resources.
Certified copies: Vital records and court documents requiring certification carry separate fees set by the Virginia Department of Health and the Circuit Court, respectively.

Accepted payment methods vary by office but generally include cash, check, and money order payable to the City of Harrisonburg or the relevant court. Under current law, a public body may require prepayment of estimated costs exceeding $200 before processing a request. Fee waivers are not expressly mandated by Virginia FOIA, though individual offices retain discretion to waive fees for requests deemed to be in the public interest.

Does Harrisonburg County Have Free Public Records?

Free inspection of public records is available to all members of the public under Virginia law. Pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-3704, a public body may not charge a fee for the inspection of public records; fees apply only when copies are requested. The following government sources currently provide free access to records:

City of Harrisonburg website — Meeting minutes, agendas, adopted budgets, ordinances, and zoning documents are published online at no cost through the City of Harrisonburg official portal.
Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System — Basic civil and criminal case information for the General District Court is searchable at no charge.
Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court — Members of the public may inspect court case files in person at the clerk's counter without charge.
Virginia Department of Elections — Voter registration data and election results are available through the state elections portal at no cost.
City Assessor's Office — Property assessment data is publicly accessible through the city's online assessment database without a fee.

Who Can Request Public Records in Harrisonburg County?

Any person may request public records from the City of Harrisonburg. Virginia FOIA does not restrict access to residents of the Commonwealth; non-residents retain the same rights of access as Virginia citizens. Under current law, requesters are not required to:

Demonstrate residency within Harrisonburg or Virginia.
Provide government-issued identification when submitting a written request.
State the purpose for which the records are sought.

Certain record types carry additional access requirements. Individuals requesting their own criminal history, sealed records, or records containing protected personal information may be required to provide identification and demonstrate a qualifying interest. Attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and parties to litigation may access records subject to court order or statutory authorization not available to the general public. Requests for records pertaining to another individual — particularly records containing personal identifying information — are subject to applicable privacy exemptions under Virginia law.

What Records Are Confidential in Harrisonburg County?

Not all government records are subject to public disclosure. Virginia FOIA enumerates specific exemptions under Va. Code § 2.2-3705 et seq., which identify categories of records that public bodies are authorized — and in some cases required — to withhold. The following record types are currently exempt from mandatory disclosure in Harrisonburg:

Sealed court records — Records sealed by judicial order are not accessible to the general public.
Juvenile records — Records pertaining to juveniles in delinquency or dependency proceedings are confidential under Virginia law.
Ongoing criminal investigation records — Law enforcement records compiled for active investigations are exempt to the extent disclosure would compromise the investigation.
Personal identifying information — Social Security numbers, financial account data, and similar identifiers are withheld to protect individual privacy.
Medical and health records — Protected under both Virginia law and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Adoption records — Sealed by statute and accessible only through court petition.
Child welfare and protective services records — Records of the Department of Social Services relating to child abuse and neglect investigations are confidential.
Personnel records — Employee records are generally exempt, with limited exceptions for information such as name, position, and compensation of public employees.
Trade secrets and proprietary business information — Submitted to the city in connection with permits or procurement and designated as confidential.
Security and infrastructure plans — Documents detailing vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure are withheld in the interest of public safety.

When a public body withholds records, it must provide a written explanation identifying the specific statutory exemption. Virginia courts apply a balancing analysis in disputed cases to determine whether the public interest in disclosure outweighs the interest in confidentiality.

Harrisonburg County Recorder's Office: Contact Information and Hours

The principal offices responsible for public records in Harrisonburg are listed below with current contact information and public counter hours.

City of Harrisonburg — FOIA Officer / City Clerk 409 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 432-7701 City of Harrisonburg Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Harrisonburg Circuit Court Clerk's Office 53 Court Square, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 564-3111 Harrisonburg Circuit Court Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court 53 Court Square, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 564-3200 Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Commissioner of the Revenue — City of Harrisonburg 409 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 432-7940 City of Harrisonburg Commissioner of the Revenue Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Harrisonburg Voter Registration and Elections Office 409 South Main Street, Suite 115, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 432-7771 City of Harrisonburg Elections Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.