Search Virginia Bankruptcy Records
Virginia bankruptcy records are federal court documents held by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court system. The state is divided between two federal districts: the Eastern District and the Western District. Together these courts handle all bankruptcy filings for residents and businesses across the Commonwealth. If you need to find a case, look up a filing, or get copies of bankruptcy documents, you work through the federal court that covers your area. PACER gives you online access to case data from both districts at any hour, and a free phone line lets you pull basic case details without a computer.
Virginia Bankruptcy Records at a Glance
Virginia's Two Federal Bankruptcy Courts
Bankruptcy cases in Virginia go through the federal court system, not state courts. Two U.S. Bankruptcy Courts divide the Commonwealth between them. Knowing which district covers your county is the first step toward finding or filing a case.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the busiest in the country. It handles filings from major metro areas including Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. The court has four divisional offices. The Alexandria Division is at 200 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314, phone (703) 258-1200. The Richmond Division sits at 701 East Broad Street, Suite 4000, Richmond, VA 23219, phone (804) 916-2400. The Norfolk Division is at 600 Granby Street, 4th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510, phone (757) 222-7500. The Newport News Division is at 2400 West Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607, also at (757) 222-7500. Counties like Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Henrico, and Chesterfield all file through the Eastern District.
The Eastern District court site at vaeb.uscourts.gov posts local rules with 17 exhibits, a forms library, PACER guides, the full fee schedule, and an unclaimed funds locator for cases closed without paying out all funds to creditors.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia covers a large area spanning much of rural and mountain Virginia. Three offices serve this district: Roanoke at 210 Church Avenue, SW, Room 200, phone (540) 857-2391; Harrisonburg at 116 North Main St., Room 223, phone (540) 434-8327; and Lynchburg at 1101 Court St., Room 166, phone (434) 845-0317 for hearings only. Western District counties include Roanoke, Montgomery, Augusta, and dozens of others stretching from the Shenandoah Valley into Southwest Virginia. The Western District offers an Electronic Self-Representation portal that helps people file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 without a lawyer, walking them through a question-and-answer form online.
The Eastern District website is the primary portal for Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond division filers.
The court's site gives direct access to local rules, forms, PACER registration, and contact details for each division's CM/ECF help desk.
The Western District website at vawb.uscourts.gov lists county filing directories so you can confirm which office handles your case before you head to the courthouse.
The site also hosts the Local Rules effective 2025 and the eSR portal link for pro se filers who need step-by-step help completing their petition.
How to Access Virginia Bankruptcy Records
You have several ways to search Virginia bankruptcy records. Online access through PACER is the most common. The free phone system is fast for basic data. In-person visits let you review the full case file and get certified copies right away.
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is the national portal for all federal court records. Registration is free online or by phone at (800) 676-6856. Once you have an account, you can search by party name, case number, or SSN. The system shows case summaries, full docket sheets, claims registers, and scanned document images. PACER charges $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. If your quarterly charges stay under $15.00, you owe nothing that quarter. Public access terminals at each courthouse let you use PACER at no cost, though printing is still $0.10 per page.
The Virginia Courts Case Information System covers state circuit and district court filings. Federal bankruptcy cases do not appear here. This free state system is useful for related civil or criminal matters at the Virginia court level, but it will not show you a bankruptcy petition or discharge.
The PACER portal serves as the gateway to all federal court records, including both of Virginia's bankruptcy districts.
From this site you can register, log in, search cases, and manage your account billing for document downloads from Virginia's Eastern and Western bankruptcy courts.
The Virginia Courts online case search gives free access to state court dockets but is separate from the federal bankruptcy system.
Use this tool if you need to check state civil or criminal records alongside a federal bankruptcy filing to get a fuller picture of a case.
Note: PACER search results go back decades. For very old closed cases, you may need to request records from the National Archives if the court transferred the files out of its system.
Eastern District Virginia Bankruptcy Filings
The Eastern District covers the eastern half of the state. That includes its most populated areas: Northern Virginia, the Richmond metro, Hampton Roads, and the Eastern Shore. Case filings from all of these regions go through the Eastern District's four divisional offices.
The court runs its electronic filing system on NextGen CM/ECF. Attorneys must use CM/ECF for all filings. Non-attorneys can use the Eastern District's pro se portal. The court posts a complete local forms library with amendment cover sheets, archive request forms, Chapter 13 plan forms, attorney admission applications, and installment fee forms (Local Form 103A). A dedicated PACER information page for the Eastern District lists specific CM/ECF help desk phone numbers for each division. Richmond help desks are at (804) 916-2435 and (804) 916-2437. Norfolk is at (757) 222-7575. Newport News is at (757) 222-7574. Alexandria is at (703) 258-1254.
The PACER Eastern District page shows the court's software version, maximum file sizes (50 MB), and division-specific help desk contacts.
This page is the best starting point for attorneys and pro se filers who need to confirm technical requirements before submitting documents electronically to any Eastern District division.
The Eastern District also maintains local bankruptcy forms that supplement the national forms required in all federal bankruptcy cases.
The forms library is organized by category including adversary proceeding, appeal, archive, attorney admission, case filing, chapter 11, chapter 13, compensation, garnishment, and hearing procedures, so you can quickly find the form your situation requires.
Virginia Bankruptcy Filing Fees
Both Virginia bankruptcy districts use the same federal fee schedule, last updated March 3, 2025. Fees depend on which chapter you file. Chapter 7 costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 for non-railroad businesses runs $1,738. Chapter 12 is $278. Chapter 9 and Chapter 15 each cost $1,738.
Other fees come up during a case. A Motion for Relief from Stay is $199. So is a Motion for Sale of Property or a Motion to Compel Abandonment. Converting from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 costs $25. Converting from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 runs $15. Going from Chapter 7 up to Chapter 11 costs $922. Appeals and cross appeals carry a $298 fee. Complaints and removals are $350. The Eastern District posts a complete fee schedule PDF on its website. If you cannot pay the full filing fee upfront, you can request an installment plan on a 40, 80, or 120-day schedule. Fee waivers are possible for those who qualify under federal poverty guidelines.
Reopening fees also apply if your case closes and you need to reopen it. A Chapter 7 case costs $260 to reopen. Chapter 13 is $235. Chapter 11 or Chapter 9 each run $1,167 to reopen.
For copies of court documents, the Eastern District charges $0.10 per page. The Western District charges $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $11.00 per document across both districts. Searching for a specific case in person or by mail runs $31.00.
National Bankruptcy Forms for Virginia Cases
Every Virginia bankruptcy case starts with the official national forms approved by the Judicial Conference. The U.S. Courts bankruptcy forms page lets you download all of them free in PDF. You need the voluntary petition, schedules of assets and liabilities, statements of financial affairs, and the means test calculation for Chapter 7 cases.
Virginia's two federal courts add local forms on top of the national set. The Eastern District's forms cover amendment cover sheets, archive requests, Chapter 13 plan forms, attorney admission paperwork, and installment payment applications. The Western District posts Chapter 13 plan forms and administrative procedures specific to Roanoke, Harrisonburg, and Lynchburg practice. Always check the local court's forms page before filing. A national form alone may not be enough.
The Eastern District's Local Bankruptcy Rules govern practice before the court and supplement the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. The Western District's Local Rules effective 2025 include Rule 5003-2, which explains public access rights to court papers and electronic filing requirements.
Search Virginia Bankruptcy Records by Phone
The Multi-Court Voice Case Information System, known as VCIS or McVCIS, gives you free phone access to basic bankruptcy case details. No account needed. No fees.
Call 1-866-222-8029 to reach VCIS. Press 863 for the Eastern District of Virginia. Press 864 for the Western District. The system runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can search by the debtor's last name and first name, by case number, by Social Security number, or by corporation name. VCIS tells you the debtor's name, filing date, chapter type, attorney, trustee name, date and time of the Section 341 meeting of creditors, discharge date, case closing date, and general case status. It also confirms whether the case has assets for creditors and whether the filing was voluntary or involuntary. More details are available at pacer.uscourts.gov.
The VCIS information page at the PACER website explains the phone system and lists all court extensions.
VCIS is ideal when you need to confirm whether someone filed for bankruptcy, check a case number, or get a hearing date without logging into PACER.
Note: VCIS gives case status only. For full docket sheets and filed documents, you need PACER or a courthouse visit.
Older Virginia Bankruptcy Case Files
Bankruptcy case files do not stay at the courthouse forever. Older closed cases move out of the court system and go to the National Archives. All Virginia bankruptcy files sent to the archives land at the National Archives at Kansas City, 400 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, phone (816) 268-8000, email kansascity.archives@nara.gov. The Philadelphia Federal Records Center at 14700 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154, phone (215) 305-2000, also holds some Virginia records.
To order an archived case file, start at the clerk's office where the case was filed. Ask for the transfer number, agency box number, and location number for the specific case. Then download NATF Form 90 (Bankruptcy Cases Order Form) from the NARA website. Mail, fax, or email the completed form with payment to the right federal records center. Reproduction fees apply. This process works for long-closed cases that the court no longer holds in its own system.
The National Archives court records page explains how to order copies of old federal court cases including bankruptcy files from Virginia.
The page also covers the NATF Form 90 process and lists contact information for all federal records centers that may hold Virginia case files.
Free Legal Help for Virginia Bankruptcy
Virginia Legal Aid provides free civil legal help to low-income individuals and families across the state. Their website has guides on the bankruptcy process, self-help resources, and links to local legal aid offices. Services vary by area, so check the site or call to confirm what is available near you.
The Western District's eSR portal helps pro se filers complete Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 petitions step by step at vawb.uscourts.gov. The system asks questions and builds your petition from your answers. After submission, you must follow up with a wet signature and the filing fee. The Eastern District also provides a guide titled "Filing Without An Attorney" as part of its forms library. The Virginia State Bar at vsb.org can connect you with bankruptcy attorneys through its lawyer referral service.
Virginia Legal Aid's website connects residents with free civil legal services and self-help tools for debt and bankruptcy matters.
The site organizes help by legal topic and county, so you can find the closest office or online resource for your situation without making multiple calls.
Public Access to Virginia Bankruptcy Records
Federal bankruptcy records are public. Anyone can look up a case through PACER or by visiting the court clerk's office. You do not have to be a party to the case. You do not need to give a reason.
Some records are sealed by court order. Financial documents with sensitive personal data may be redacted. Social Security numbers and account numbers are not visible in public filings under federal privacy rules set out in the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. But the core case documents, docket entries, and court orders are open for anyone to review. The Western District's Local Rules Rule 5003-2 spells out that public records are open for inspection during business hours and that the clerk will furnish copies on request with payment. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act at Virginia Code ยง 2.2-3700 governs access to state public records. Federal bankruptcy records fall under federal court rules, not state FOIA, but the same spirit of open access applies. Free public terminals at each courthouse let you use PACER at no cost.
The Virginia FOIA statute governs access to state public records, a useful reference when dealing with any related state-level filings alongside a federal bankruptcy case.
The law requires a 5-working-day response to records requests, with an optional 7-day extension, and applies to state public bodies rather than federal courts.
Browse Virginia Bankruptcy Records by County
Virginia's 95 counties are split between the Eastern and Western Districts. Select a county below to find the local court division, clerk contact info, and other resources for bankruptcy records in that area.
Virginia Bankruptcy Records by City
Virginia has 39 independent cities, each served by one of the two federal bankruptcy districts. Pick a city to find specific court division information and local resources for bankruptcy records in that area.