Information You Submit
Search Queries
A name or place entered into a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its response. We do not keep or log those search terms on our own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to review it and respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Information Collected Automatically
When a page loads, the site's systems may receive routine technical and usage details about that visit:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring site, when one is reported
- Browser type and version
- Device category and operating system
- Pages viewed and the time spent on them
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They and analytics services help combine traffic information, such as which pages receive visits and where sessions end. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although doing so may change how some website functions behave.
How Information Is Used
Visitor information is used only for the operating purposes described here.
- Diagnosing faults and other technical problems
- Maintaining website availability and performance
- Routing a search request to the provider selected by the tool
- Measuring which pages visitors use and where content may need improvement
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal Records Database
Chesapeake Criminal History does not maintain, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general directions to Chesapeake Police Central Records, the Chesapeake Sheriff, Virginia court clerks, the Virginia Department of State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not compiled into a consumer report or a record about another person.
Outside Search Providers
Independent companies operate the search boxes shown on parts of the site. Information submitted through a tool is governed by that provider's privacy policy. We do not control its retention, processing, or disclosure rules, so review those terms before running a search.
Websites Reached by Links
Links may lead to Chesapeake government offices, Virginia court portals, state agencies, legal-aid resources, and independent search services. Once you leave this site, the destination's privacy rules apply. Read them before providing personal information.
Some advertising companies may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. That cross-site processing is controlled by those companies.
Limited Information Sharing
We do not sell personal information. Depending on how the site is used, limited data may be available to:
- Government or law-enforcement bodies when valid legal process requires disclosure
- Advertising networks serving content on the pages
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search providers processing requests sent through their tools
Protecting Visitor Information
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for information under our control. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, however, and we cannot promise that a breach or unauthorized access will never occur.
Visitors Under Age 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor submitted such data, we will remove it.
Rights Concerning Your Data
Applicable law may provide rights over personal data. Separately, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Code §§ 2.2-3700 et seq., governs access to records held by Virginia public bodies, while Code § 19.2-389 limits dissemination of criminal-history record information. Those government-record statutes do not turn this private site into a public records custodian. For visitor information held by us, you may:
- Request access to personal information we hold about you
- Ask that inaccurate personal information be corrected
- Seek deletion where retention is not legally required
- Object to certain processing when applicable law provides that choice
Policy Revisions
This policy may be revised. A replacement becomes available on this page with a new effective date, so review it periodically for changes in how information is handled.
Effective date: August 10, 2026