The Norfolk General District Court opened maybe 8-10 years ago, replacing the old courthouse (which…read moreis less than a 5-minute walk from the current courthouse). This venue is obviously much nicer - climate controlled, cleaner with modern upgrades and facilities, and even a snack room (with vending machines only). I visited this facility 7 times in August/September for jury duty - even the jury waiting room is nice. It's roomier than the old courthouse's jury waiting room and the city employees I've encountered there are pleasant and helpful. If there's one complaint I have, it's the "no cellphones allowed" rule. I understand the reasons why, but maybe restricting them from just the courtrooms (this is coming from a juror's perspective, mind you) would hold better value. As a potential juror, waiting around with only HGTV on the tv is a drag. At the least, I can use my phone to read, listen to music (or podcasts), and even get some work done. I know I can bring my own reading material (which I did), but who wants to carry extra stuff to a venue when there's no immediate parking? The closest garage is MacArthur Center - the walk isn't bad at all. But I don't want to carry any more than is necessary. I ended up doing so only because I couldn't bring in my cell. There are lockers at the first floor lobby, but I never carry change. And security is inconsistent when it comes to the metal detector and what you can and cannot bring in (i.e., medication and types of water bottles). Oh well, I will chalk up my jury duty as a learning experience. I learned plenty about our justice system as well as the Norfolk General District Court. The facility is fantastic, but getting inside is an inconvenience. Luckily for me, it's not an everyday thing. JV

Horrible clerks Criminal clerks…read more Ryan bosely and devise Scott unprofessional with record keeping Lose evidence Inaccurate

Me and my husband went to get married and the line was pretty long but the clerks were all amazing!…read moreMake sure that you leave yours phones in your car! Or store them in the lockers that they have inside for a small fee!

I recently took a trip to the Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk's Office as I was in need of a passport…read more The passport office is located on the 7th floor. Things to note about the entire building: - NO phones OR even smartwatches allowed. There are tiny little lockers available for rent in the lobby for a small fee of $0.25, so bring your coins (no cards or any other form of payment is accepted). That's why there are barely any photos on this page. - security check on the main floor as soon as you walk in through the doors - street parking is pretty scarce since the building is next to a tram station. I parked in the lot behind the building across the street and walked over. It's run by the City of Norfolk, so the fees weren't bad. Things to note about the passport office: *This is the only passport office in this area that will take walk-ins. Most of all the other locations I called were appointments only. I live in Chesapeake and the one in Chesapeake City Hall didn't have an appointment until October. Thanks, but no thanks. I need to fly way sooner than that. *One of the ladies that worked the line that day was the friendliest government employee I have ever come across LOL. She was just the nicest person! Super efficient, informative and genuinely wanted to help! *You can take your passport photos here, I'm sure, for a fee. I did not know this so I just got my photos done at a Walgreens, but had I known, that would have saved me some time, especially since I was in a rush to get the passport. *Expedited service really only saves you a day or so, so the extra fee is not really worth it. *This makes me nervous, but they took the original copy of my identification which is my citizenship certificate. They say they will mail it back, which I am sure they will, but it's still nerve wrecking! *They charge fees if you pay by credit card, so if you want to save a few dollars, bring your checkbook! Stay safe, Friends!

I was pretty surprised at how fast i was able to be seen, considering how late i came in. (30…read moreminutes til closing) There was only one couple in front of me at the customer service line and they were helped pretty fast as well. The workers were very helpful with whatever questions I asked & made it a pleasant experience. I just have to say i'm pretty impressed overall. I always dread DMV visits because they take forever & the service sucks. But upon my visit, i was amazed with the options they presented such as being able to renew your registration after a couple years, to online & walk-in services, fast processing, etc. It's definitely different than back home if i do say so. I give it 5 stars! And also because they have accessible parking for families and expectant mothers (:

License up for renewal so I wanted the Real ID upgrade, a task that requires in person document…read moreverification (ie can't complete online). Trouble is, at time of need, there was only 1 area DMV open #ThanksCovid. Booked a 540p Sat appointment online; received a "1 day" email reminder/confirmation. Though it's a trek from my house, the experience was worth the drive. I was in and out in under 15 minutes. In fact, my commute took longer than the appointment. Lots of parking available. On arrival (in my Phase 2 mask, semi-weird at a DMV) employee verifies admittance based on your name matching info on clipboard. Before approaching the main info desk, another employee sprays/wipes down surfaces between EVERY CUSTOMER. I provided all requested documents upon request. Rep approved and sent me to window 13. PRO TIP1: complete the online VA DMV Real ID pre-application BEFORE your appointment. SAVES TIME AND HEARTACHE: alerts you as to which documents you'll need along with the ability for the DMV rep to print the pre-filled application. I used valid US passport, expiring VA driver's license, social security card and mortgage statement. PRO TIP2: on the app, make sure to enter your name exactly how it appears. Some of my documents had my middle, some didn't. PRO TIP3: if you've had a name change (married or divorced) you'll need the marriage cert AND social security card with the NEW NAME. After confirming my organ donor status and never having a license in another state, I signed the pre-filled application, took a brief vision exam, then stood for a new photo (mask off). That flash IS BRIGHT! Paid $42 quickly via credit card and I was on my way. DMV accepts Apple Pay! FYI, you'll leave with a temp paper license until the RealID gets mailed from Richmond (7-10 days).

I have called Chesapeake home for over 40 years and in all of that time, I've never found a better…read moreplace to live, raise a family or to call my home. Taxes are a necessary part of life but the City of Chesapeake has been a good steward of our tax dollars over the years. They provide us with the essential services that we need and they have a great track record of educating our children. The police and fire departments are consistently ranked among the best in the country.

NOTE: This review is for the City Clerk's Office/Passport Application Processing office located at…read moreCity Hall of Chesapeake. I was at City Hall this week for an appointment, and while I was waiting, I was chatting it up with the friendly security guard and we got on the topic of passports, as I needed some for my children. He informed me that I could go up to the first floor at the City Clerk's Office to obtain an appointment. I remembered this from last year when I had to obtain one to go back home to Canada, that it was appointment only based, but I remembered the office being at least 4 months out. I ended up walking in at the Norfolk courthouse because I needed it ASAP (only place in the area who processes passport applications in person, on a walk in basis FYI). I was expressing my dread of potentially finding out how far out the appointments were, but with his encouragement, I went up to the first floor to ask. Plus, it's way more convenient for me to process them at City Hall in Chesapeake than in Norfolk. With parking, tight security and the lack of patience of children, City Hall in Chesapeake was a better option for me. Lo and behold, the nice lady told me that they had one in the coming days!! *Things to note (info current as of June 15/23)* - appointment only, no walk-ins - appointments can be made by calling the City Clerk's office (located on the 1st floor) at 757-382-6151 - appointment slots are available on Mondays from 9:00 am - 11:30 am & Thursdays from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ONLY - for your appointment, present yourself at the little office in the corner on the left hand side of the security desk on the ground floor. Top flap of the door will be open if they are open to process applications - if you are applying for minors, BOTH parents and/or all guardians must be present. If one parent cannot be present, you must obtain some other letter/form that must be notarized - for the actual application fees, you must have a cheque or money order (US Dept of State) - you can pay the processing fees by either cheque or card (City of Chesapeake) - all card transactions will be charged a 2.2% transaction processing fee - as of this writing, the processing time for the passport is 10-13 weeks for regular processing and 7-9 weeks for expedited (obvi with extra fee). The clerk let me know that the processing center has been especially busy this year with more and more people coming out of the pandemic funk and the eagerness to travel again. - come prepared with your documents filled out in advance (you can either fill it out online and print) or they do have paper applications right by the processing office - unlike the Norfolk office, they do not provide photos here, so be sure to obtain those in advance at your nearest pharmacy. We got them done at Walgreens on Hanbury - just an FYI, in case you didn't know, but this is very stressful for me, but they take the original document of the individual (especially if it's your first passport). They took my ORIGINAL citizenship certificate last year and it didn't come for weeks until after my passport arrived solo. Very nerve wracking too, just waiting....my citizenship certificate eventually showed up in a FedEx envelope, with no note, nothing. Just the certificate all by its lonesome. After losing a small fortune on 3 passport applications (my husband decided to get his done too since his had been expired also), processing fees and the photos, the clerk processed them quickly and efficiently. So now we wait. Not sure where we'll end up, but at least we'll be ready to go, once we receive their passports... HUGE shout out to the security guard for the recommendation and encouragement, and to the clerk for being so kind in trying her hardest to find an appointment that best suited our schedule and circumstance. She ended up being the one to process the applications a few days later. She set me up for success from the get go (she had provided me a small paper with a list of all the reqs and docs I needed at the time of making my appointment). They were both so nice, friendly and so helpful! If you live in Chesapeake and you need a passport, go to City Hall! But think ahead and make that appointment now! Stay safe, Friends, and safe travels!

I had an amazing experience at this post office. It was clean, well organized, and the employees…read morewere all very friendly. As soon as I stepped into the post office, I was looking for a box so I could send some items to a friend. It was a jacket so it was a little bulky, and it look like I didn't know what I was doing. Immediately, the employees at the post office stepped in to help me find a suitable box. Let me borrow some tape and a scissors and we're very kind helpful impatient with me during the whole process. It was only right then I left them a five star review. Thanks again !

Replace my medicine day very bad service from office they lost my medicine twice. My home carrier…read moreis very nice

I went to City Hall to pay a bill and vote early. The lobby was clean and the staff were welcoming…read more Even the folks working at DMV were cheerful and had jokes about the weather. It is easy to park and come into city hall. The area around the building is always clean and tidy. Inside the building is clean and the floors are shining. I hope more Portsmouth citizens take advantage of visiting their City Hall. I found that the workers love to interact with people in person and it helps me explain what I am here for with visual clues. People are better than clicks on a computer. My visit was short but I accomplished everything I came in to do.

Caught Office of Permits and Inspections trying to ticket my car on October 31, 2025…read more Car had November 2025 tags and November 2025 State Inspection. Insurance card was in plain view, along with receipt from DMV for renewal of plates, acting as proof of renewal. Second time Permits and Inspections has tried to ticket this car, the first was for "LEAF LITTER" on the hood, car was licensed, inspected and insured at this time, as well. Proved the car ran and drove, when I drove away. Not the first problem I have had with this Office, they contine to target me due to my race, and gender