deedplatState guides / Virginia / Richmond city
Richmond city property data
Where Richmond city's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map.
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in Richmond city, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
Clerk of the Richmond Circuit Court. Deeds, judgments, financing statements and wills back to 1782 are online only through Secure Remote Access, which costs $50 per month per user, paid six months in advance.
Owners and values
Richmond Assessor of Real Estate. The Assessor's Property Search gives owner, parcel and sales data, and the Assessor GeoHub offers maps and data.
Tax sales
Richmond Department of Finance and City Attorney's Office. The Real Estate Tax Sale Program page explains the process and posts updates; properties that receive a Notice of Intent are published by the City Attorney's Office.
Foreclosure sales
Clerk of the Richmond Circuit Court (trustee deeds recorded). Trustee sales are private auctions advertised in the newspaper; the resulting trustee deeds are recorded with the Circuit Court Clerk and searchable by SRA subscription.
Parcel maps
Richmond Assessor GIS and Mapping. The Assessor's GIS and Mapping page links to the city's mapping apps, the Assessor GeoHub and sales dashboards; official tax maps can be requested from the office.
How property is sold here
Richmond city follows Virginia's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Virginia guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
Virginia does not sell tax liens; Richmond sells the property itself through court-ordered judicial sales once taxes are two calendar years delinquent (one year for blighted, derelict or nuisance property). The city paused its Real Estate Tax Sale Program in January 2023, is relaunching it in November 2026, and expects the first new sale in the second half of 2027. Cases go to the city's contracted law firm, a lawsuit is filed in Circuit Court with notices in local newspapers and on the city website, and a court-appointed Special Commissioner runs the public auction.
Foreclosure sales
Most Richmond mortgage foreclosures are trustee sales held without a court case under a deed of trust, with notice of sale published in a local newspaper before the auction. The trustee's deed is then recorded with the Clerk of the Richmond Circuit Court.
Assessed values
The Richmond Assessor of Real Estate reassesses every property each year at market value.
Transfer tax
Virginia charges a state recordation tax of $0.25 per $100 of value paid by the buyer and a grantor tax of $0.50 per $500 paid by the seller, and cities such as Richmond may add a local recordation tax of up to one-third of the state rate; the Clerk points buyers to the Supreme Court of Virginia's deed calculator for exact amounts.
Land bank
The Richmond Land Bank, run by the Maggie L. Walker Community Land Trust, takes vacant and city surplus property and returns it to use, with affordable housing as its top priority.
Worth knowing
Richmond is an independent city, so the Circuit Court Clerk at the John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North 9th Street, records deeds and the city's own Assessor and Finance Department handle values and taxes.
Worth knowing
No Richmond tax sales have been held since January 2023; the relaunched program is expected to bring its first auctions in the second half of 2027.
Worth knowing
Deed records go back to 1782 for property north of the James River and 1874 for the former City of Manchester south of the river.
Every town in Richmond city
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Richmond city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in Richmond?
Deeds are recorded by the Clerk of the Richmond Circuit Court at the John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North 9th Street. Online access to deed images is through the Clerk's Secure Remote Access subscription at $50 per month.
When is the Richmond tax sale?
Richmond's tax sale program has been paused since January 2023. It relaunches in November 2026, and the first new sale is expected in the second half of 2027, with updates on the city's Real Estate Tax Sale Program page.
How do I find who owns a property in Richmond?
Use the Richmond Assessor of Real Estate's Property Search, which shows owner, parcel details and sales. The deed itself is with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Are Richmond property records online?
Yes. Owner and assessment data and parcel maps are on the Assessor's website, and deed images are online through the Clerk's paid Secure Remote Access.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- rva.gov/office-circuit-court-clerk/deeds
- rva.gov/office-circuit-court-clerk/sra
- rva.gov/assessor-real-estate
- rva.gov/assessor-real-estate/about
- rva.gov/assessor-real-estate/gismapping
- rva.gov/finance/richmonds-real-estate-tax-sale-program
- rva.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/Maggie%20L.%20Walker%20Community%20Land%20Trust%20-%20
Every parcel in Richmond city, on one map
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