Look. If you’ve ever tried to dig up Virginia Beach police reports after a fender bender on Atlantic Avenue or a weird incident in your neighborhood, you know it’s not always a "one-click" situation. It's confusing. Honestly, the paperwork side of the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) can feel like a maze if you don't know exactly which door to knock on. Most people assume everything is just sitting there on a public website waiting to be downloaded.
It isn't.
Usually, you’re looking for one of two things: a crash report for your insurance company or a general offense report because something happened. Maybe you’re just curious about local crime trends. Either way, the process is different for each. Virginia’s FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) laws are pretty specific, and the VBPD follows them to the letter, which means there are some things you can see and a whole lot of things you can’t.
The Reality of Accessing Virginia Beach Police Reports
Getting your hands on a report depends entirely on your "standing" in the case. If you're the victim of a crime or involved in a car wreck, things move relatively quickly. If you’re just a nosey neighbor—hey, we've all been there—you’re going to hit some walls.
The VBPD Precincts—there are four of them covering the Oceanfront, Kempsville, Bayside, and Lynnhaven—don't generally just hand out paper copies over the counter to anyone who walks in. Most of the heavy lifting happens through the Central Records Unit located at the Municipal Center.
Why you can't always see everything
Virginia law (specifically VA Code § 2.2-3706) protects certain types of information. If there is an ongoing investigation, the police are not going to give you the report. Period. They won't risk compromising a case just so you can check a narrative. Also, if the report involves a juvenile, expect heavy redactions or a flat-out denial. It’s about privacy. It’s about the law.
How to Get a Crash Report Fast
Car accidents are the most common reason people search for Virginia Beach police reports. If the officer on the scene gave you a "FR-300" exchange of information form, you’re already halfway there. But that little slip of paper isn't the full report your insurance agent is screaming for.
VBPD uses a third-party system called BuyCrash (which is now part of LexisNexis).
It’s efficient. It’s also not free.
You’ll need the report number, the date of the accident, and a valid credit card. Most of the time, the report is uploaded within five to ten business days. If it’s been two weeks and you still don't see it, it usually means the officer is still finalizing the diagram or the supervisor hasn't signed off on it yet. Don't panic. Just call the precinct where the accident happened and ask for the officer by their badge number.
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Alternative: The DMV Route
If you don't want to use the online portal, you can request a copy through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. It takes longer. Sometimes much longer. But if you need an official certified copy for a court case, the DMV is often the more "official" path compared to a digital download.
Finding General Incident Reports
This is where it gets a bit "kinda" complicated. For non-accident Virginia Beach police reports, like a theft, a break-in, or a domestic dispute, you have to deal with the Central Records Unit directly.
You can do this by mail or in person at Building 11 in the Municipal Center.
Central Records Address:
2509 Princess Anne Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
You’ll need to fill out a request form. Be specific. If you just say "I want all reports from last Tuesday," they’re going to ignore you or charge you a fortune in "search fees." Provide the case number if you have it. If you don't, provide the exact address, the names of the people involved, and the approximate time.
The Cost of Information
Yes, they charge you. Usually, it’s a flat fee for the first few pages and then a per-page cost after that. It’s not a profit center for the city, but it covers the labor of the clerk who has to sit there and redact social security numbers and birthdates with a black digital marker.
Using the ePRO System for Crime Data
If you don't need a specific paper report but just want to know what's happening in your neck of the woods, the ePRO (Electronic Police Reports Online) system is your best friend.
It’s a public-facing map and database.
You can filter by date, crime type, and zip code. It’s great for seeing if that "loud noise" last night was actually a gunshot or just a transformer blowing. However, ePRO is "sanitized." You won’t see names. You won’t see specific apartment numbers. You’ll see "Block Level" data, meaning it will show an incident occurred on the "1200 Block of Pacific Ave" rather than a specific front door.
Why the data lags
The data on ePRO isn't real-time. It’s usually a few days behind. The department has to scrub the data to ensure victim privacy before it hits the public map. If you're looking for something that happened twenty minutes ago, you’re better off checking a scanner app or local "breaking news" Facebook groups, though those are notoriously filled with rumors.
Common Mistakes People Make
Most people call 911 to ask for a police report. Never do this. 911 is for life-or-death emergencies. Even the non-emergency line (757-385-5000) isn't really for requesting reports; it's for reporting new crimes. If you want a report, go to the source: Central Records.
Another mistake? Forgetting that Virginia Beach is a massive city. A report filed in the 1st Precinct (Pungo/Princess Anne) might take a different route through the system than a high-profile incident at the Oceanfront (2nd Precinct).
The "Public Record" Myth
Just because it's a "public" agency doesn't mean every word written by an officer is public. If an officer writes in their notes that they think someone looks guilty, that’s "investigative work product." You will never see that. You get the facts: the time, the location, the charges, and the names of the adults arrested.
Nuance in the System: Victim Rights
If you are a victim of a crime in Virginia Beach, you have specific rights under the Virginia Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act. One of those rights is a free copy of the incident report in many cases.
Don't let a clerk charge you the $5 or $10 fee if you're the victim of a violent crime. Mention your status. There are advocates in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office who can help you navigate this if the police department is being difficult.
Steps to Take Right Now
If you need your report today, follow this exact sequence to save yourself four hours of driving around:
- Check your paperwork. Find that Case Number (it usually starts with the year, like 2026-XXXXXX). Without this, you are invisible to the system.
- Determine the type. If it’s a crash, go straight to the LexisNexis/BuyCrash portal. It’s the only way to get it without waiting for the mail.
- Call Central Records first. Before you drive to the Municipal Center, call (757) 385-4331. Ask them if the report is "ready for release." If the detective hasn't cleared it, you’ll be making a trip for nothing.
- Bring your ID. You aren't getting anything involving a person's name without a government-issued photo ID that proves you have a right to the information.
- Be patient with the clerks. They deal with stressed-out people all day. A little bit of "please" and "thank you" goes a long way in getting them to dig a little deeper into the database for you.
Getting Virginia Beach police reports is a bureaucratic process, but it’s a manageable one. Whether you're dealing with insurance or just trying to stay informed about your neighborhood, knowing the difference between a FOIA request, a crash portal, and the ePRO map is the key to getting what you need without the headache.