FAQs • Orange County, VA • CivicEngage

What do I do if I find that my home has been broken into?: If you return home and discover that someone has entered your residence, immediately call 911 and wait for deputies to arrive. If possible, provide detailed information on anything that is out of the usual (strange cars in driveway, the direction the vehicle is traveling in, etc.) and observe the residence from a safe location if possible. Do not confront anyone who may exit your residence, just observe, take a photo with your cell phone if possible and call back to provide the new information. Do not enter the residence because the burglar could still be inside and you do not want to disturb or destroy any evidence that may aid law enforcement in identifying the perpetrator of the crime.

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Sheriff - Patrol Division

1. Can you do something about excessive noise (noise complaints)?: Orange County Sheriff’s Office will assist with noise complaints, but Orange County has no noise ordinance. Deputies may respond and ask for the noise to be reduced, but no enforcement action can be taken for the noise itself.

2. How do I obtain a copy of my incident or traffic crash report?: To obtain a copy of your incident or traffic crash report, you must contact the Sheriff's Office either by phone or in person. Please have your incident number with you if possible. Reports may be obtained Monday thru Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please allow 72 hours for the report to process before making your request. Insurance companies often contact the Sheriff's Office directly for copies of reports.

3. What do I do if I find that my home has been broken into?: If you return home and discover that someone has entered your residence, immediately call 911 and wait for deputies to arrive. If possible, provide detailed information on anything that is out of the usual (strange cars in driveway, the direction the vehicle is traveling in, etc.) and observe the residence from a safe location if possible. Do not confront anyone who may exit your residence, just observe, take a photo with your cell phone if possible and call back to provide the new information. Do not enter the residence because the burglar could still be inside and you do not want to disturb or destroy any evidence that may aid law enforcement in identifying the perpetrator of the crime.

4. Will the Sheriff's Office help me with a civil dispute?: The Orange County Sheriff's Office investigates cases that are criminial in nature. We do not investigate civil disputes. Matters involving evictions, personal property of parties living together (other than larceny), or landlord/tenant disputes must be addressed in civil court. All civil disputes should be taken to the Orange County General District Court Clerk's Office. The phone number is (540) 672-3150.

5. What do I do if I witness a crime in Orange County?: Immediately contact the Orange Sheriff’s Office at (540) 672-1200 to report what you have observed. The Sheriff’s Office prefers that witnesses to crimes provide their name and contact information so that we may follow up with you concerning your observations. Anonymous reports can also be made but the anonymity may prevent law enforcement from being able to develop the evidence needed to solve the crime.

6. Is there a way for me to discover if the firearm/item of value that I am thinking about buying is stolen?: If you are purchasing a firearm or other high value item that has a serial/VIN number or particular marking (initials that may not belong to the seller, last four numbers of a SSN etc.), please record the number before you purchase and call the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office can run the information through the national database to see if the item has been reported stolen. If you have already purchased the item but suspect due to its price etc. that it may be stolen, you can still call the Sheriff's Office to have the item checked.