Terms of Use

1. What This Website Is

This is a private reference site that operates independently of government. It does not hold official criminal records and cannot retrieve a file, conduct an official background check, or submit paperwork for a visitor.

Its function is to identify custodians of Botetourt County criminal records, including the Sheriff's Office, the courts in Fincastle, the Virginia Department of State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. Some pages also connect readers with outside research tools.

2. Rules for Using This Site

As a condition of access, you must not:

• Use bots, scraping software, or other automated systems against the pages
• Interfere with site performance or another person's access
• Attempt unauthorized entry into any account, server, or system
• Use site information to threaten, stalk, or harass a person
• Rely on site content for employment, housing, credit, or insurance decisions
• Violate any applicable local, Virginia, or federal law

3. No Harassment, Stalking, or Discrimination

No one may use information from this site or a linked service to stalk, harass, intimidate, threaten, or discriminate against another person. Such conduct may also be criminal. Virginia Code § 9.1-918 restricts unauthorized use of the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and makes willful intimidation or harassment a Class 1 misdemeanor. Registry publication supports lawful public-safety awareness, not vigilantism, employment blacklisting, or housing discrimination.

4. We Are Not a Consumer Reporting Agency

Botetourt County Criminal History is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and does not prepare background checks, credit reports, or any other consumer report. Neither the site nor its advertising partners offers a service designed to evaluate applicants, renters, insurance risk, or creditworthiness. Site or linked-tool data must not be used to:

• Make any other decision governed by the FCRA
• Assess eligibility for a permit, license, or government benefit
• Set insurance terms or evaluate creditworthiness
• Screen a renter or housing applicant
• Make a hiring or termination decision

A lawful check for a regulated purpose must be obtained from the Virginia Department of State Police through the authorized channel or from a screening provider that complies with the FCRA.

5. No Legal Advice

Site content is informational and does not constitute legal advice. General descriptions of Botetourt County records cannot determine how a warrant, charge, conviction, sealing rule, or expungement law applies to a particular person. Consult a Virginia-licensed lawyer for that advice.

6. No Warranties

All content and services are supplied "as is." No guarantee is made that:

• A partner search result will be complete or correct
• Pages will have no error, bug, or security weakness
• The site will remain available without interruption
• Information will always be accurate, complete, and current

Charges, dismissals, sealing orders, and expungements can change the status of a criminal record. Although content is updated, omissions and delays can occur. No page should be treated as an official statement from the Botetourt County Sheriff, a court, Virginia State Police, or any other public office.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

Links may open sheriff, court, Virginia agency, legal-aid, or outside search websites that are not controlled by this site. Responsibility is disclaimed for an external service's content, availability, data practices, and fees. Review the destination's terms before using it.

8. Intellectual Property

Botetourt County Criminal History or its content partners own the site's text, code, logos, and graphics. Written permission is required before copying, distributing, adapting, or creating derivative material from that content.

9. Limits on Our Liability

To the maximum extent allowed by law, the site is not liable for any damage arising from its use, including a decision based on information obtained here or through an external service.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold the site harmless from a claim, demand, or action caused by your use of the site or violation of these terms, including related legal costs and attorney fees.

11. Governing Law

Virginia law governs these terms. Any dispute tied to site use must be brought in a court located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Official criminal-record access remains subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., and Central Criminal Records Exchange dissemination limits in Virginia Code § 19.2-389 where those laws apply.

12. Changes to These Terms

These terms may be revised at any time. A revision becomes effective when the updated language is posted on this page.

13. Cutting Off Access

Access may be restricted or ended at any time, with or without notice and for any reason.

14. Severability

If a court finds one provision invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions continue in force. The affected language will be modified only to the extent needed for enforcement.

15. Questions

Questions about these conditions may be submitted through the Contact page.