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Privacy Policy

This policy describes the information collected during a visit, the purposes for which it is used, and the limited circumstances in which another party may receive it. By continuing to use Albemarle County Criminal History, you acknowledge the practices stated in this policy.

Data You Give Us Directly

Search Queries

A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. We do not retain or record those search terms on our systems.

Messages and Contact Submissions

We retain a message sent to us as needed to respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a legal duty.

Data We Gather Automatically

Our servers automatically receive basic technical information when a page loads:

  • Page-view dates and times
  • The referring website, when available
  • Pages viewed and the time spent on them
  • Device category and operating system
  • Browser name and version
  • The device's assigned IP address

Cookies and Analytics

The site uses cookies, which are small files placed on a device. They help us understand traffic patterns, including frequently visited pages and points where visits end. Analytics providers combine this usage information for us. You can block cookies through browser controls, although doing so may change how some site functions behave.

What We Do With This Data

  • Routing a submitted search to the provider selected by the visitor
  • Maintaining site availability, speed, and operation
  • Finding and resolving errors or other technical faults
  • Understanding which material visitors use and where revisions may help
  • Displaying advertising that may reflect a visitor's interests

No Criminal-Record Data on File

We do not build, keep, or sell a database containing personal criminal records. Albemarle County guidance identifies official custodians such as ACPD, ACRJ, the Albemarle court clerks, Virginia State Police CCRE, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. Government access to records is governed in part by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, while Virginia Code §19.2-389 limits dissemination of CCRE criminal-history information. Neither law turns this private site into a records custodian. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor data is not used to create consumer reports or third-party criminal files.

Third-Party Search Partners

Outside companies operate the search boxes. Information submitted through a box is subject to that provider's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider chooses its retention and disclosure practices, which we cannot control. Read the applicable provider policy before entering a query.

Links to Other Websites

Links may lead to Albemarle County offices, Virginia court systems, state agencies, legal resources, and outside search services. Once you follow a link, the destination's privacy rules apply. Review them before providing personal information.

Some advertising providers may use cross-site activity to select targeted ads. That collection occurs through the provider's systems.

Who Might See Your Data

Personal information is not sold. It may be disclosed to these limited recipients:

  • A government body or law-enforcement agency when a valid legal order compels disclosure
  • Advertising networks that deliver ads
  • Analytics vendors that measure site traffic and performance
  • Search providers that process queries a visitor chooses to submit

How We Protect Your Data

We use customary safeguards for the information collected. No internet-connected service can guarantee complete security, however, so we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.

Users Under 18

The site is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such information, we will remove it.

Your Data Rights

Your rights may vary based on where you live. The Albemarle research identifies VFOIA as Virginia's public-records law and §19.2-389 as a criminal-history dissemination statute; neither is presented here as a general consumer privacy statute governing this private site's visitor data. Regardless of location, you may:

  • Object to certain forms of data processing
  • Request deletion of personal information we retain
  • Ask us to correct inaccurate personal information
  • Request a copy of personal information we hold about you

Updates to This Policy

We may revise this policy. Any replacement will be posted here with a new effective date, so visitors should review the page periodically for changes.

Effective date: August 10, 2026