Search Virginia Court Dockets
Virginia court dockets are public records that log the activity in every civil and criminal case filed across the state. You can search them online at no cost through the Virginia Judicial System's case information portals. General District Court dockets are searchable statewide. Circuit Court dockets vary by county. For cases not yet in an online system, the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county or city where the case was filed keeps the full record and can help you search by name or case number. This guide covers how the system works and where to begin your search.
Virginia Court Docket Overview
How to Search Virginia Court Dockets Online
The Virginia Judicial System gives you two main portals for searching court dockets online. The first covers General District Courts statewide. The second covers Circuit Courts, court by court. Both are free to use and require no account. Start at vacourts.gov/caseinfo to find links to both systems. You can search by name, case number, or hearing date in either portal. Results load quickly and show current case status.
The General District Court Case Information System is the faster option when you don't know which specific court handled a case. Pick the district and type in a name. The system returns matching cases with case type, charge or claim, hearing date, and status. You can also make payments through this system for fines and costs in courts that have that feature enabled. The Virginia Judicial System website at vacourts.gov is maintained by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) of the Supreme Court of Virginia, located at 100 North North Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
Sessions time out when left inactive. Write down any case numbers you find before closing the browser. The system warns you about this on the terms page each time you log in.
The Virginia Judicial System's main portal at vacourts.gov is the best place to begin any court docket search in Virginia. The screenshot below shows the portal's main page, which links to all online search tools, court directories, local court pages, forms, and fee information for every court in the Commonwealth.
The portal is maintained by the OES and updated regularly. Links to individual court homepages, the circuit court directory, and self-help resources are all accessible from this main page.
The case status and information page at vacourts.gov is where you find direct links to every online court docket search tool available in Virginia, including both the statewide General District Court system and the court-by-court Circuit Court case information portal. The screenshot below shows that page directly.
From this page, you can also access the Virginia Date of Birth Confirmation subscription service and find links to online payment options for general district court fines.
Note: Online case information may lag slightly behind the official paper record. For the most current case status or to confirm a recent filing, contact the clerk's office directly.
Virginia General District Court Dockets
Virginia has a General District Court in every county and independent city. These courts handle traffic violations, misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings for felony cases, and civil disputes with claims up to $25,000. The court has exclusive authority over civil claims of $4,500 or less. For claims between $4,500 and $25,000, it shares authority with the Circuit Court. Common cases include landlord and tenant disputes, contract claims, and suits for debt. Small claims fall under this court when the amount is $4,500 or below. The General District Court information page at vacourts.gov covers procedures, ADA accommodations, and resources in detail.
Searching the General District Court case information system is free. No account is needed. Go to the system, pick a court location, and search by name, case number, or hearing date. Results show the case status, party names, charge or claim type, and all scheduled hearing dates. Payments for eligible fines can be made directly through the system at courts that have enabled online payments.
The General District Court information page at vacourts.gov explains what types of cases these courts hear and how the public can access case records. The screenshot below is taken directly from that page.
The page also includes resources for small claims procedures, licensed bail bondsmen information, and the Code of Virginia links relevant to general district court practice.
The General District Court's online case search system at eapps.courts.state.va.us is one of the most widely used tools for Virginia court docket lookups. The screenshot below shows the system interface.
The system supports searching by name, case number, or hearing date. It covers civil, criminal, and traffic cases in General District Courts across the entire state, and it is the primary statewide portal for Virginia court docket searches at the district court level.
Circuit Court Dockets Across Virginia
Circuit Courts are Virginia's trial courts of general jurisdiction. They handle felony criminal cases, civil cases with claims over $4,500, divorce proceedings, probate and estate matters, and appeals from the General District Court. Virginia has 120 circuit courts organized into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit covers one or more counties and cities. The Clerk of Circuit Court in each jurisdiction maintains the official case dockets and all court files. That clerk's office is where you go for certified copies, docket searches, and in-person records requests. The circuit court directory at vacourts.gov lists every court with links to local pages, phone numbers, and office hours.
Most of Virginia's 120 circuit courts use the Supreme Court Case Management System, which means their dockets are accessible online through the Circuit Court Case Information portal. Go to the portal, select the county or city, choose criminal or civil, and search by name, case number, or hearing date. Case results include party names, filing date, case type, all hearings, and a tab for pleadings, orders, and service information. The system is real-time, so what you see reflects what the clerk sees when you call.
Some circuit courts do not use the statewide online system or use a different platform. For those courts, you need to go directly to the local government's clerk website or call the court. The self-help page at vacourts.gov explains which courts are online and how to handle courts that require an in-person visit. Many clerks' offices also provide public access computer terminals inside the courthouse where you can look up records at no cost.
What Virginia Court Dockets Contain
A court docket is the official log of every action taken in a case from the moment it is filed. When a case is opened, the clerk creates a docket and assigns a case number. From that point on, every filing, motion, order, and hearing is recorded there. The docket is not the full case file. Think of it as a timeline or index that tells you what happened and when, without showing you the actual documents unless you request them.
In Virginia's online search systems, docket entries typically show the names of all parties, the case number, the case type and court division, the date the case was filed, all scheduled and past hearing dates and courtroom locations, the charges or civil claim type, and the current case status. In the Circuit Court system, each case has tabs for the name list, pleadings and orders, and service information. Service codes used in the system include BU for business, CN for cancelled, CS for certificate of service, FM for family member, IP for in person, MA for mailed, NF for not found, NS for not served, OP for order of publication, and PO for posted. These codes tell you how the defendant or respondent was notified of the case.
The docket chapter of the Code of Virginia is found under Title 8.01, sections 8.01-331 through 8.01-335. These sections set the procedures courts must follow when maintaining their dockets. The screenshot below shows the Title 8.01 page at the Virginia Law Information System, which covers civil remedies and procedure including the docket rules.
Chapter 10 of Title 8.01, covering dockets at sections 8.01-331 through 8.01-335, sets out the specific legal procedures courts must follow when maintaining civil dockets in the Commonwealth.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court case dockets are not available online or to the public. Virginia law keeps those records confidential to protect the privacy of children and families involved in those proceedings.
Virginia Court Dockets and Public Access
Court records in Virginia are generally open to the public. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act at section 2.2-3700 of the Code of Virginia ensures that public records are available for inspection and copying upon request. The law states that all public records shall be presumed open unless a specific exemption applies. The General Assembly enacted this law to ensure that citizens have ready access to the records of government and free entry to meetings where public business is conducted.
Under Virginia Code section 17.1-208, records maintained by the Clerks of Circuit Courts are open to public inspection during regular business hours. Any person can inspect them. The clerk must provide copies at fees set under section 17.1-275. Requests for copies of nonconfidential court records in individual case files go to the clerk of the circuit court where the case was filed. Requests for reports of aggregated, nonconfidential case data go to the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. Such reports cannot include a party's name, date of birth, or social security number.
The Virginia FOIA page at law.lis.virginia.gov makes the full text of the statute available. The screenshot below shows that page.
The law requires that exemptions be narrowly construed. No record can be withheld unless it is specifically made exempt under this chapter or another provision of Virginia law.
Virginia Code section 17.1-208 and the public records inspection rules are shown at the screenshot below, taken directly from the Virginia Law Information System.
Clerks must provide access to nonconfidential records during regular hours and can furnish copies at the fees established under section 17.1-275 of the Code.
Some records have restricted access. Adoption files are sealed and require a court order to view. Records from the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are confidential under Virginia Code section 16.1-302. Courts can also seal civil or criminal files when a party shows good cause and the judge finds that privacy interests outweigh the public's interest in access. These sealings are not common. Most civil and criminal case files remain open to anyone who asks.
Note: The Office of the Executive Secretary makes no warranties about the accuracy of online case information. The official record is always the paper record maintained by the clerk of the court where the case was filed.
Fees for Virginia Court Docket Copies
Virginia Code section 17.1-275 sets the fees that Clerks of Circuit Courts may charge for copies and services. For a plain copy, the fee is $0.50 per page. For an electronic record, the fee is also $0.50 per image. Certified copies cost $2.00 per document plus $0.50 per page. Attaching the judge's certificate adds another $0.50. Recording fees for instruments follow a tiered schedule: $18 for documents of 10 pages or fewer, $32 for 11 to 30 pages, and $52 for 31 pages or more. These fees apply statewide, though clerks may have minor local variations within the rules set by the Code.
To get copies of court docket records or filings, contact the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county or city where the case was filed. You can visit in person, send a written request by mail, or in some courts submit requests electronically. Many clerks' offices provide public access terminals where you can view electronic records on screen at no charge. Printing copies involves the per-page fee. Some courts accept credit cards; others require cash or check. Call the specific court before you go.
The public records request page at vacourts.gov covers the judicial branch's policy on record access. Records that are open to inspection can be reviewed at the clerk's office during regular business hours. The policy notes that many clerks' offices provide public access terminals where individuals can search for and view case information on screen without needing to request a copy.
Virginia's Court System and Docket Structure
Virginia organizes its courts in a four-level hierarchy. The Supreme Court of Virginia sits at the top as the highest appellate court. The Court of Appeals of Virginia is the intermediate appellate court below it. At the trial level, Circuit Courts and District Courts handle most cases. District Courts are split into two types: General District Courts and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. Every county and independent city in Virginia has all of these courts. The state has a total of 120 circuit courts, one for each city and county, organized into 31 judicial circuits.
Title 17.1 of the Code of Virginia governs all courts of record in the Commonwealth. It sets out the structure, authority, and records requirements for every court at every level. The screenshot below shows the Title 17.1 page at the Virginia Law Information System.
Title 17.1 is organized into chapters covering general provisions, clerks and clerk office records, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, costs, judicial oversight bodies, the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission, and court reporters.
The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court exists in every county and city. These courts handle all matters involving juveniles, family abuse cases, child custody and support cases, and criminal cases where the defendant and alleged victim are family or household members. Records from JDR courts are not public. Access is restricted to the parties involved, their attorneys, and certain authorized agencies. Part 8 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia specifically addresses proceedings in these courts.
Criminal history record information rules are set at Virginia Code section 19.2-389. This section governs who can get criminal history record information and under what conditions. Arrest records with no recorded disposition and no active prosecution cannot be released to non-criminal justice agencies after one year has passed. Defendants in felony cases can request criminal records relevant to their case through a court order.
Historic Virginia Court Records
The Library of Virginia is the state's official archives and holds extensive collections of court records from across the Commonwealth. The Library is at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone is (804) 692-3888. Collections include over 100 digital collections, maps, photographs, the Virginia Chronicle newspaper archive, and the Chancery Records Index. That index covers equity cases from Virginia's circuit courts involving disputes over property, debts, and estates dating back hundreds of years. The Chancery Records Index was built through archival processing projects overseen by the Library and funded in part by the Virginia Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.
The Library of Virginia's collections and online search tools are shown in the screenshot below, taken from the Library's main page at lva.virginia.gov.
The Library also supports records management for state and local governments through its Records Analysis Services section, State Records Center, and Imaging Services. Some historic court records in its collection date back to the colonial period.
For genealogical research or old cases that predate online systems, the Library is often the best starting point. Its online collections are free to search. Physical records are available in person at the Library in Richmond. Contact the Library for guidance on what is available for a specific county or court.
Browse Virginia Court Dockets by County
Each of Virginia's 95 counties has its own Circuit Court and General District Court. The Clerk of Circuit Court in each county maintains the official docket and all case files for that jurisdiction. Pick a county below to find local contact info, court addresses, and resources for searching court dockets in that area.
Court Dockets in Virginia Cities
Virginia has 39 independent cities, each with its own Circuit Court and General District Court. Independent cities are not part of any county. Their courts handle all cases filed within the city and maintain separate dockets from any surrounding county. Select a city below to find local court information and docket resources.