Central Virginia Regional is a county detention facility at 13021 James Madison Hwy, operated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or serving a sentence under one year. This is not a prison - stays are typically days or months, not years. Information on this page was last verified August 2026.
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If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Orange County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches by name across Virginia facilities.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they are somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Central Virginia Regional at 540-672-3222.
Most people booked at Central Virginia Regional appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets bail - or denies it - based on the charges, history, and flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or through a bail bondsman who typically charges 10 percent as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or unaffordable, they remain at Central Virginia Regional until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide covers every option including what to do when you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest your family member goes through intake - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
Phone access and visitation are typically unavailable during the first 24 to 48 hours while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit those channels open. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide walks through the full intake process step by step.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them.
Calls from Central Virginia Regional go through the facility's contracted phone provider. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page to find the current provider for this facility and get your account set up before the first call.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside.
Visitation at Central Virginia Regional is subject to the facility's current schedule, which can change without notice. Before making the trip, call 540-672-3222 to confirm current hours, any registration requirements, and what you can bring. Showing up without confirming first is the most common mistake families make - it results in a wasted trip and a missed visit.
General rules across most Virginia county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements. Read InmateAid's visitation guide for a full pre-visit checklist.
Central Virginia Regional Jail - Visitation
Official Visitation - Attorneys, clergy, probation and parole officers, bona fide social workers, members of recognized community service agencies, members of the medical profession, and police officers will be allowed to visit with prior approval during the following times:
- 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Non-Official Visitation (Inmate Visitation)
- Visits are non-contact
- Visiting hours are daily Monday through Friday
- Times vary depending on the cell block
- Visits are limited to thirty (30) minutes
- You must be on the inmate's visitor list
GUIDELINES
- No food or drinks are allowed in the visitation area, including baby bottles, sippy cups or any container containing fluid.
- All Visitors must be on the Inmate's visitor list or you will not be allowed to visit. There are no exceptions.
- All visitors must register fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of visitation and must show a valid Picture ID at the time of registration.
- All personal belongings (i.e., Handbags, Cell Phones, Baby Carriers, Strollers, Cigarettes, Lighters, Pocket Knives, and Metallic Items) are to remain in your vehicle. The Central Virginia Regional Jail is not responsible for any property left in the lobby during visitation.
- Wallets that can fit in the palm of your hand or that can be placed in a pocket are allowed in the visitation area. Any wallets that are connected to a chain, the chain must be removed and left in your vehicle. Keys will be left with the Visitation Officer.
- Only three (3) adult visitors are allowed to visit an Inmate. Everyone must be present together and will go back together for the visit as a single group. Children under the age of eighteen (18) can visit if accompanied by an adult visitor that is on the Inmate's Visitor List.
DRESS CODE
All visitors must be properly dressed as deemed appropriate by the visitation officer on duty. The following dress code WILL NOT be allowed:
1. All See-Through Clothing: Definition of see-through clothing is any piece of clothing that is very thin and you can see other clothes or the body under it.
2. All Revealing Designer Clothing: Definition of revealing designer clothing would be any garments that have openings that reveal the body. (Example: tops with open sleeves; Jeans with holes fashioned as being ripped).
3. No Tank Tops, Halter Tops, Bathing Suits, Tube Tops, Low Cut Blouses or Muscle Shirts. All tops and shirts for both Men and Woman shall have at least A Three (3) inch cap that covers the arm.
4. Shorts, Dresses, and Skirts, must be no shorter than the longest fingertip rule (middle finger) with the arms fully extended at the side.
5. Pants must be worn above the hips with no undergarments showing.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It directly affects their daily comfort and ability to stay connected.
Steps to send money to Central Virginia Regional:
1. Go to InmateAid's send money page to find the approved deposit method for this facility
2. Have your family member's full legal name and booking number ready
3. Choose online deposit, phone deposit, or facility kiosk
4. Use the name and number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error will delay or reject the deposit
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people on the outside appreciate.
Central Virginia Regional accepts mail addressed to your family member at 13021 James Madison Hwy. Include their full legal name and booking number on every piece. Standard rules at most Virginia county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Standard print-size photos only, nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and they may not notify you. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service prints and mails on approved stock from your phone or computer. Formatting rejection is not a risk.
Books and magazines must be ordered new from the publisher or an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything from a personal address will be rejected.
Visitation rules, phone access, bail processes, inmate search tools, and what happens at release all vary by state. InmateAid's Virginia prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Virginia system.
Have a specific question from someone who has been through it? Browse questions and answers at InmateAid Virginia Q&A.
Frequently Asked Questions about Central Virginia Regional
How long does county jail booking take?
Booking at a county jail typically takes between 2 and 8 hours depending on how many people are being processed at the same time. During that window your family member may not appear in the inmate search system and phone and visitation access will not yet be available.
What is the difference between county jail and state prison?
County jails are short-term facilities operated by the county sheriff, holding people awaiting trial or serving sentences under one year. State prisons are operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections for sentences of one year or more. Central Virginia Regional is a county jail - your family member may not have been convicted yet and could be released before trial if bail is posted.
Can I receive calls from someone in county jail?
No. Calls from county jail are outbound only - your family member calls you from the facility phone. You cannot call them directly. Set up an account with the phone provider before the first call so it connects immediately.
How long can someone be held in county jail without being charged?
In most states police have 48 to 72 hours to formally charge someone or they must be released. After charges are filed your family member remains in custody until bail is posted or the case resolves. Timelines vary by state and charge - InmateAid's bail and bond guide has state-specific information.
What can I bring when visiting someone in county jail?
Most county jails permit only valid government-issued photo ID for visitors. Leave your phone, wallet, keys, and personal items in your car or facility lockers. Call Central Virginia Regional at 540-672-3222 before your visit to confirm current rules - they vary by facility and change without notice.
County jail time is hard in a specific way. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - is its own kind of weight. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this moment. Use us.