RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that the Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP) has awarded more than $2.2 million in grants to localities across the Commonwealth for 2026 for the preservation of records in Virginia’s courthouses.

Administered by the Library’s Government Records Division, the CCRP provides resources to preserve and make accessible Virginia’s permanent circuit court records. Since 1992, the CCRP has awarded 2,394 preservation grants totaling over $40 million.

“Our courthouses hold records that are essential to understanding Virginia’s past,” said Librarian of Virginia Dennis T. Clark. “These grants strengthen our ability to preserve those materials and keep the Commonwealth’s history open and available to everyone.”

For 2026, the CCRP Grant Review Board approved 112 grant projects from 104 circuit courts, with most projects covering professional conservation treatment for hundreds of records that date from the 1640s to the mid-20th century. They include deed books, will books, land tax books, marriage licenses, order books and plat books housed in circuit court clerks’ offices, which suffered damage from use, age, pests, water, cellulose acetate lamination or previous nonprofessional repairs. The remaining grants fund reformatting projects.

A list of the localities and amounts each received can be found here.

The CCRP program is funded by a $3.50 recordation fee on land instruments recorded in the circuit court clerks’ offices. Five voting members comprise the CCRP Grant Review Board: three circuit court clerks appointed by the president of the Virginia Court Clerks Association and two staff members from the Library of Virginia. Board members meet once a year to evaluate grant applications. Clerks of the circuit courts are eligible to apply for funds to conserve, secure and increase access to circuit court records.

To learn more about the CCRP program, visit our website at lva.virginia.gov/services/ccrp.

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The Library of Virginia is the leading source of information on Virginia’s history, government and people. The Library’s collections, containing more than 134 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. Our online resources draw nearly 2 million website visits per year, and our onsite records, exhibitions and events bring in thousands of visitors annually. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.