Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside company operating that tool. The partner processes the query and supplies its result. Portsmouth City Criminal History does not keep or log those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to respond and maintain the related correspondence. It is not shared outside the organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the server can collect routine technical details about that visit:
- The IP address assigned to your device
- Which browser you are using and its version
- Your device type and operating system
- The pages you visited and how long you stayed on each
- The site that sent you here, if any
- Timestamps for each page view
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files stored on a device. They and analytics services help show aggregated traffic patterns, such as popular pages and exit points. Browser controls can block cookies, although doing so may change how some features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Operating the site and maintaining page performance
- Routing a submitted query to the selected search partner
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Measuring which resources visitors use
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Portsmouth City Criminal History does not host, compile, or sell a database of personal criminal records. Its content identifies official routes through Portsmouth Police, the Sheriff, the General District Court clerk, the Circuit Court clerk, the Virginia Department of State Police, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. Visitor data is not assembled into a consumer report or a file about another person, and this site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Their privacy terms, retention periods, and sharing rules apply to information submitted through those tools. Review the selected partner's policy before running a query because this policy does not govern that processing.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Portsmouth offices, Virginia courts, state agencies, legal resources, and outside search tools. Once a visitor leaves this site, the destination's privacy policy controls. Read it before providing personal information.
Advertising companies may use their own systems to track activity across sites and select targeted ads.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to:
- Search partners that handle queries you run on our site
- Analytics services we use to track traffic and performance
- Ad networks that place ads on our pages
- Law enforcement or government bodies when a valid legal order requires it
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used to protect collected data. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, however, and this site cannot promise that a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
This resource is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. A verified notice that a minor supplied such data will be handled through deletion.
Your Data Rights
Applicable law may provide added rights. Virginia's Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., governs qualifying public records held by public bodies, while Va. Code § 19.2-389 limits dissemination of central criminal-history information. Those laws do not turn this private site into a government records custodian. Subject to applicable law, a visitor can:
- Ask for a copy of what we have on file about you
- Have us fix information that is wrong
- Request that we erase your data
- Opt out of certain kinds of data processing
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. A changed version will be posted here with a new effective date, so visitors should review it periodically.
Effective date: August 10, 2026