Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Following are some of the most frequently asked questions of the Henrico County Police Division.

Can I report a crime over the Internet? Yes and no! You may report any criminal activity by e-mail to police@co.henrico.va.us . If remaining anonymous is a concern you are encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at (804)780-1000. There is no Caller-ID or any other tracing equipment on this phone. You cannot make an "official" report of a crime through the Internet; however, if you have experienced a less serious crime like vandalism and larceny, and you do not want to see a police officer, you can call the Telephone Reporting Unit at (804)501-4810.

Where can I get information about sex offenders in Henrico County? Visit the Virginia State Police sex offender registry at http://www.vsp.state.va.us/vsp.html . Henrico does not maintain a separate registry or listing of sex offenders.

I believe I may be a domestic violence victim. What can I do?

• Call the police and make a report.
• Inquire about a protective order.
• Develop a plan to get yourself and your children to safety.
• Call your local domestic violence program for help with developing your plan.
• Ask for help from a trusted friend, co-worker, neighbor, or relative.
• Join a support group.
• Find a counselor that you can trust and openly talk with.

More information on domestic violence

 

How can I find out if Police is accepting employment applications for specific positions? An individual may call the Police Personnel Unit, (804)501-4801, or the Police Job Line 24 hours a day at (804)501-4927. The Division accepts applications for the position of police officer at all times.

How do I obtain a concealed Handgun permit? Application forms may be obtained from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the Courts Building at the County Government complex at 4301 East Parham Road. The applicant files the application and pays a $50 fee in the Clerk's Office. The Police Department will conduct a background investigation and fingerprint the applicant. Call (804)501-4202 for more information. Click here for information on other permits.

How do I obtain a criminal warrant for someone? To obtain a criminal warrant you must appear, in person, before a magistrate. There is a magistrate on-duty 24 hours a day at the County Court complex on Parham Rd.

How do I obtain various required permits, such as concealed handgun, taxi, etc. See: Fees and Services

How can I obtain a copy of my criminal record (or lack thereof) for employment purposes? See: Fees and Services

What other records can I obtain from the police? See: Fees and Services

How do I obtain a dog license? A dog license is required of all dogs over the age of four months and covers the calendar year starting in January. Dogs used to assist impaired persons (such as sight dogs) are exempt from licensing. The license fee is $10.00 and can be obtained at the main County offices at Parham and Hungary Spring Rds. You must show a current rabies certificate. For more information, click here.

Does the police department offer any kind of crime prevention/reduction service programs to the community? The Division offers the following programs for groups:

• Child safety
• Personal safety
• Rape prevention
• Armed robbery prevention and survival
• Financial crime prevention
• Neighborhood Watch
• Business security
• Traffic safety
• Tours of the Public Safety building

Additionally, the Division provides information and service on an individual basis to residents on home and business security. Representatives will meet with you at your home or business to assist in making the premises more secure and a lesser target for crime. If you leave your residence for a prolonged amount of time, the Division will make all police officers aware and they will make a special effort to pay closer attention to your residence.
You may obtain assistance with any of these issues by calling (804)501-4838.
For additional information see: Crime Prevention Services for Henrico Residents & Businesses

Can I hire an off duty officer to work a special event that I am having?

Yes. The scheduling of officers for off-duty work is handled through the Secondary Employment Unit. For additional information, click here.

How much can I drink and drive? ANY amount of alcohol consumed impairs a person's ability to drive. The legal limit in Virginia is .08% of blood-alcohol content. How much alcohol it takes to reach this point varies depending on a person's size, how much is consumed during a specific period of time, etc. There is no set rule for how much you can drink and be under the legal limit.

I have a residential alarm system. Do I have to report this to the Police? Yes, County Ordinance requires home owners to report this to Police. Usually the company that does the installation will provide the resident with a form to mail to Police. If you did not receive a form or have other questions call the Communications Section at (804)501-7133.

When do I have to obtain State and/or County vehicle licenses? You have 30 days from the time you become a legal resident to register your vehicle. Henrico does not require a County license.

How much over the speed limit do I have to go before I will get a speeding summons? Virginia law DOES NOT specify a specific amount over the speed limit. ANY speed above the posted limit is speeding.

Is it against the law to operate a vehicle while not wearing shoes? No - there is no such specific code in Virginia.

What happens if I refuse to sign a traffic summons? When you sign a traffic summons, you are only making a written promise to appear in court - it has nothing to do with guilt or innocence. If you refuse to sign and the offense carries a possible jail sentence, you will be arrested and carried before a magistrate who will determine if bond is warranted. If an officer cannot verify your identity, you may also be carried to a magistrate.

Can I drive my vehicle with an expired inspection or rejection sticker? You may drive a vehicle with an expired inspection sticker directly to an inspection station only if you have made an appointment to get it inspected. You may do the same with a rejection sticker; additionally, you may drive it to a shop for the purpose of having it repaired. You can however be charged with the equipment violation that caused it to be rejected. In either case you CANNOT operate the vehicle for other purposes (pleasure, going to work, etc.).

Do you sell or give away your shoulder patch? Division patches are the property of the County of Henrico, therefore, we do not sell patches, nor are we able to fulfill patch requests.

 

Is it against the law for persons to allow their dogs to run loose?
The answer to that question as well as some others is found below:

Sec. 5-34. Unlawful acts generally; animals running at large. 

The following shall be deemed unlawful acts and constitute a class 4 misdemeanor:

1. Diseased dogs or cats off of owner's premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat with a contagious or infectious disease to permit such dog or cat to stray from his premises if such disease is known to the owner.
2. Female dogs in season off of owner's premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any female dog to permit such dog to stray from his premises while such dog is known to such owner to be in season.
3. Removing license tag. It shall be unlawful for any person, except the owner or custodian, to remove a legally acquired license tag from a dog.
4. Concealing unlicensed or rabid dog. It shall be unlawful for any person to conceal or harbor any dog on which the license tax has not been paid, or to conceal a mad dog to keep it from being destroyed.
5. Poisoning, injuring or killing dogs. It shall be unlawful for any person, except the owner or his authorized agent, to administer poison to any dog under four months of age or any dog licensed pursuant to this article, or to expose poison where it may be taken by any such dog, or to injure, disfigure or kill any such dog except as otherwise provided in this article.
6. Permitting vicious or destructive dog to run at large. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any vicious or destructive dog to allow such dog to run at large within the county.
7. Dogs running at large generally. It is prohibited for any dog to run at large within the county at any time during any month of the year. For the purposes of this subsection, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming, running or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian and not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control. Any owner who permits his dog to run at large in the county shall be deemed to have violated the provisions of this subsection.

Dog License

Henrico County dog tags are issued as permanent tags. The numbered tag you receive at the time of purchase will be kept throughout the life of your dog unless it is lost, stolen or destroyed. When your dog's rabies vaccine expires you will be paying to renew your permanent numbered tag. The license expiration will run concurrent with the rabies vaccine.

1 year or less $10.00
Multiyear $15.00

*The tag and license are not prorated, non-transferable and non-refundable

What happens to animals picked up while roaming free? The Shelter's adoption policy is first come, first served. We can not hold any animal for anyone. The fee for adoption is $10.00 per animal and an adoption contract has to be signed by the new owner stating that they will have the animal sterilized within 30 days and a copy of the contract returned to us as soon as the sterilization is completed.
If we pick up an animal and it is returned back to the owner there is a pick up fee of $25.00 plus $5.00 per day board fee after the first 24 hours.

When an animal is picked up and brought to the shelter and it does not have any collars or ID, by law we are required to hold the animal 5 full days. We hold it 7 full days and put it up for adoption on the 8th day. If the animal bears a collar and no ID, by law we are required to hold the animal for 10 full days. We hold it 12 days and put it up for adoption on the 12th day.

For more animal information, click here.