To check code violations at a Norfolk, Virginia address, search the address in the City’s Violations dataset on data.norfolk.gov, which lists each notice of violation with its ordinance, status, the date it was written and the date it was corrected. The matching Complaints dataset shows what neighbors reported and whether an inspector found anything. Of 14,859 violations Norfolk wrote in 2024, half were corrected within 15 days, but property maintenance code violations (roofs, walls, interiors, electrical) took a median 174 days.
We analyzed the 11,245 complaints and 14,859 violations created in 2024, using both datasets as updated October 24, 2026. Neighborhood Services, through its Division of Neighborhood Quality, writes nearly all of them; City Planning wrote the remaining 6% of violations since 2023.
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Where to look | Violations and Complaints datasets on data.norfolk.gov, searchable by address or GPIN |
| Complaints in 2024 | 11,245; 41.0% closed as unfounded; half closed within 8 days, 90% within 40 days |
| Violations in 2024 | 14,859 at 4,320 properties; median 15 days from notice to correction |
| Yard, vehicle and trash violations | About 82–85% corrected, median 12–15 days; the City towed or cut in 10–13% of cases |
| Property maintenance code violations | 2,829; 70.4% corrected, median 174 days; 12.4% still open in October 2026 |
| Work-without-permit complaints | 392; a stop work order in 11.5%, a permit obtained in 11.2% |
| Penalties | Up to $2,500 per day and/or 12 months in jail; unpaid abatement costs can become a lien |
| To report or ask | Norfolk Cares, (757) 664-6510, or the myNorfolk app |
How to look up code violations at a Norfolk address
- Open the Violations dataset and filter address by the street address as the City writes it (for example, E LITTLE CREEK ROAD). The gpin column matches the parcel number on the City’s real estate records, which helps when an address is written differently.
- Read ordinance (what was cited), status, created_date, abatement_date (the compliance date on the notice) and corrected_date.
- Use complaint_id (for example, C24-04549) to find the original report in the Complaints dataset, where status shows outcomes such as Closed – Unfounded or Stop Work Order Issued.
- For the inspection history behind a case, the Neighborhood Quality Code Enforcement Cases dataset lists each inspection with its complaint type and violation status.
- The Violations dataset is published as a rolling three years of records. For older cases or case files, ask Neighborhood Services through Norfolk Cares.
The dataset’s disclaimer says a record shows only that a notice of violation was issued, not a City finding that the property actually violates the law.
What Norfolk residents reported in 2024, and how much was unfounded
Almost every complaint (99% since 2023) came through Norfolk Cares; staff reported the rest. Inspectors closed 41.0% of 2024 complaints as unfounded.
| Complaint type (2024) | Complaints | Unfounded | Median days to close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuisance (vehicles, grass, trash, parking) | 8,658 | 45.2% | 8 |
| Housing and structures | 1,249 | 28.7% | 8 |
| Property use (home business, rooming house) | 517 | 44.9% | 6 |
| Working without a permit | 392 | 0.3% | 6 |
| Short-term rental | 206 | 26.2% | 4 |
| Property line | 129 | 38.0% | 6 |
Among the largest subtypes, abandoned vehicle reports were unfounded 37% of the time, tall grass 45%, trash and debris 53% and parking in a yard 63%. Interior housing complaints were unfounded 25% of the time, and only 2% of the 139 unsafe or unfit structure complaints were unfounded.
How fast Norfolk violations get corrected, by type
“Corrected” below means a status of Closed – Corrected or Closed – Permit Issued. The compliance window is the median number of days between the notice and the compliance date written on it.
| Violation group (2024) | Violations | Corrected | City tow or contractor | Still open | Median days to correct | Compliance window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles and parking | 5,602 | 82.3% | 12.7% towed | 1.4% | 12 | 7 days |
| Weeds and grass | 3,791 | 84.7% | 11.6% cut by contractor | 1.0% | 12 | 7 days |
| Property maintenance code | 2,829 | 70.4% | 0.4% | 12.4% | 174 | 31 days |
| Trash, debris and verge | 1,235 | 82.1% | 10.4% by contractor | 1.4% | 15 | 7 days |
| Zoning | 629 | 79.3% | 0.2% | 9.2% | 49 | 30 days |
| Unsafe or vacant structures | 599 | 66.6% | 7.3% by contractor | 13.9% | 129 | varies |
The property maintenance code is the Virginia Maintenance Code, so the ordinance column shows section numbers. The most common 2024 citations were 103.2.3 (owner responsibility, 603), 305.3 (interior surfaces, 255), 304.7 (roofs and drainage, 179) and 304.2 (exterior protective treatment, 149). Section 106 citations (unsafe structures, including 106.4 orders to vacate, 207) carry the most weight for a buyer.
Of the 3,428 property maintenance and unsafe-structure violations, 306 (8.9%) closed with the status Closed – Ownership Changed, meaning the case ended when the property changed hands; check that condition yourself. Court shows up in a small share: 50 dismissed, 14 convicted, 32 continued and 16 awaiting a magistrate summons.
Penalties, liens and derelict buildings in Norfolk
Norfolk’s Code Enforcement page lists three tools when education fails: the City abates the nuisance and unpaid costs can become a property lien, criminal prosecution, and a notice of violation carrying penalties of up to $2,500 per day and/or 12 months in jail. A Neighborhood Quality overview from November 2025 describes the derelict structure program: when a building has been vacant, boarded and off utilities for more than six months, the owner must submit a plan to rehabilitate or demolish it, or the City can demolish it. Vacant buildings are registered through the Vacant Building Registry form.
Work without a permit: what Norfolk complaints led to
The 392 work-without-permit complaints in 2024 were mostly building work (304), with 43 electrical, 26 mechanical and 19 plumbing. Inspectors issued a stop work order on 45 (11.5%); the owner obtained a permit on 44 (11.2%); 20 (5.1%) needed no permit; and in 45 (11.5%) the inspector could not get access. To see whether a permit followed, search the same address in the City’s permit data, covered in our Norfolk building permit search guide.
Checklist before buying a Norfolk property
- Violations with status New, Work in Progress, Not Corrected, Extension Granted or a court status: these are still open.
- Any section 106 (unsafe structure) or Open and Vacant citation in the last three years.
- Violations closed as Ownership Changed: the condition may still be there.
- Repeat yard, vehicle or trash violations, which can mean City abatement charges.
- Work-without-permit complaints, and whether a permit was issued and finaled afterward.
- For older plans and permits, the steps in our Norfolk older plans guide.
About the Norfolk code enforcement data
We counted complaints and violations by their created date in calendar year 2024 and grouped violations by the ordinance text. Days to correction use corrected_date, the date the City recorded the correction, usually at a reinspection. These are our calculations from City data. For how other cities handle the same kind of records, see our code violation lookup comparison and, elsewhere in Virginia, our Richmond permit history guide.
Short-term rental complaints and zoning violations are handled by City Planning; see our Norfolk short-term rental rules and violations guide.
City of Norfolk code enforcement pages and open data checked October 25, 2026.