601 Court Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704
757-393-8973
Library Hours:
Closed during building repairs.
Monday-Thursday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday-Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Parking is free in the downtown parking garage on Saturdays.
The Portsmouth Public Law Library is located on the first floor of the Main Library and is accessible during the above library hours. Please sign in at the Reference Desk. A staff member is available Monday – Thursday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. to assist the public with their individual research of the law.
It is the “Unauthorized Practice of Law” for the staff to interpret the law or the legal resources. We may not give legal advice or opinions. We may however, show you where the books on your subject are located and how to find information in them.
Law Library materials may not be checked out, however, copy machines are available in the main section of the library. The cost is $0.25 per copy.
A typewriter is available in the Law Library for public use.
Resources to aid you in locating laws or legal information
Need a form?
LawDepot provides access to dozens of legal forms including:
Wills, Power of Attorney, Health Care Directive, Leases, Quitclaim Deed, and more.
Create an account using the barcode number from a library card for the Portsmouth Public Library.
Please note that neither the Law Library nor the Circuit Court Clerks’ Office, have ready made forms, as each persons’ circumstances are different. However, the “Virginia Forms” books are located in the Law Library and provide a general idea of how legal documents are to look and the general wording.
Portsmouth City Code (http://www.portsmouthva.gov/citycode.htm)
Code of Virginia (http://lis.virginia.gov/000/src.htm)
United States Code (U.S.C.) (http://uscode.house.gov/)
Further information regarding Virginia Courts can be found at (http://www.courts.state.va.us)
Virginia State Bar – This site contains information on Legal-Aid, the Supreme Court, VA State Bar and more…
FindLaw (http://www.findlaw.com) is also a good source for legal information.
Virginia Chamber of Commerce (http://www.vachamber.com/) has useful information for business owners, and more.
Virginia Register of Regulations (http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/register/regindex.htm) which complements and supplements the Virginia Administrative Code (http://leg1.state.va.us/000/srr.htm)
