Augusta County Court Docket Records

Augusta County court docket records are maintained by the Clerk of the 25th Judicial Circuit Court at the Augusta County Courthouse in Staunton, Virginia. The Clerk's Office keeps filings for civil cases, felony criminal proceedings, divorce matters, probate cases, and land records going back to the 18th century. You can search Augusta docket records free through the Virginia Judicial System's online case portal or visit the courthouse during business hours to use public access terminals. The office serves a large county in the Shenandoah Valley with records that span some of the oldest land transactions in western Virginia.

Augusta Circuit Court Clerk

The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Augusta County is Hon. R. Steven Landes (email: rlandes@vacourts.gov). The Clerk's Office is located at Augusta County Courthouse, 1 East Johnson Street, Staunton, VA 24401. The mailing address is P.O. Box 689, Staunton, Virginia 24402-0689. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The main phone number is (540) 245-5321 and the fax is (540) 245-5318. Full contact information and links to online resources appear on the Augusta Circuit Court page at vacourts.gov.

The Clerk's Office handles all records filed with the Augusta Circuit Court. These include civil complaints and orders, felony criminal case files, land instruments, divorce decrees and domestic relations orders, wills, estate filings, and marriage licenses. The office processes payments in cash, check, or credit card. Public access terminals in the Clerk's Office allow any member of the public to search docket records and view case information during regular business hours. The Clerk uses Commissioners in Chancery for certain equity matters as authorized by state law.

The image below was captured from the Augusta Circuit Court page on the Virginia Judicial System website, showing clerk contact details and online search links for Augusta County docket records.

This page lists clerk hours, the courthouse address in Staunton, and links to the case information portal for Augusta County circuit court docket searches.

How to Search Augusta County Court Dockets

To search Augusta County docket records online, use the Virginia Circuit Court Case Information System. Select "Augusta County Circuit" from the jurisdiction dropdown. You can then search by party name, case number, or hearing date. The portal is free and reflects real-time data from the Clerk's Office. Results show case type, party names, filing date, upcoming hearings, and disposition for closed cases.

For General District Court dockets in Augusta County, use the separate Virginia General District Court Online Case Information System. That portal covers misdemeanor criminal matters, traffic violations, and civil claims up to $25,000 filed in the district court. Both systems are free and available to the public without registration or login. If you prefer an in-person search, the Clerk's Office has public access terminals available during the 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM business hours.

Note: The online case system works best with a modern browser that has cookies and JavaScript enabled.

Augusta General District Court Dockets

The General District Court serving Augusta County handles traffic violations, misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings for felony matters, and civil cases with claims up to $25,000. Small claims of $4,500 or less are heard in the district court under a simplified procedure. The court is located in Staunton and can be reached through the Augusta General District Court page on vacourts.gov.

The screenshot below was taken from the Augusta General District Court page, which shows court hours, contact information, and links to docket search tools specific to the district court.

District court dockets are separate from circuit court records and are searchable through the General District Court online portal listed above.

General District Court decisions can be appealed to the Augusta Circuit Court. When an appeal is filed, the case moves to the circuit court and a new docket entry is created there. The Circuit Court may then hold a trial de novo, hearing the matter fresh rather than reviewing what the district court did.

What Augusta County Docket Records Contain

Court docket records in Augusta County are a running log of every action in a case. Criminal dockets show the charging document, arraignment date, bond status, motions filed, trial scheduling, verdict, and sentencing. Civil dockets record the complaint, service of process, responsive pleadings, motions, court orders, and final judgment. When a property is foreclosed or a judgment lien is entered, that also appears in the Clerk's records and becomes part of the public docket.

Land records are indexed separately in the Clerk's system. They include deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, liens, easements, and subdivision plats. Augusta's land records date back to the 18th century, making this one of the oldest continuous land record archives in western Virginia. These early records cover the original settlement of the Shenandoah Valley and include instruments from pioneer families who established farms and communities in the region before and after the Revolutionary War. Staff can help you navigate the grantor-grantee index to locate older instruments that predate computerized records.

Most docket records in Augusta County are open to the public under Virginia Code § 17.1-208, which requires all records of the Circuit Court to be available for inspection during business hours.

Public Access and FOIA for Augusta Records

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, § 2.2-3700, establishes the default rule that public records are open to any person who asks. You do not need a reason to request court records in Augusta County. For routine docket records, the public terminals in the Clerk's Office and the online portal are the easiest ways to access information without any formal process.

For records that are not immediately available, including sealed orders or confidential filings, you can submit a written public records request. The Virginia courts public records page explains how the judicial branch handles these requests and what the response timeline looks like. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court records are sealed by statute and cannot be obtained through a FOIA request. The Clerk must respond to any written request within five business days, either by providing the record, denying it with an explanation, or notifying you that more time is needed.

Copy Fees for Augusta Court Records

Copy fees in Augusta County follow the statewide schedule set by Virginia Code § 17.1-275. Standard paper or electronic image copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an additional $2.00 per document. If a judge's certificate must be attached, that adds another $0.50. These fees apply to all records from the Augusta Circuit Court, including case files, land instruments, and probate documents.

Recording fees for land instruments follow a page-count tiered schedule. Documents of 10 pages or fewer cost $18 to record. Instruments running 11 to 30 pages cost $32. Documents with 31 or more pages carry a $52 recording fee. Civil case filing fees depend on the amount sought. Cases under $50,000 carry a $100 clerk's fee. Cases between $50,000 and $100,000 carry $200. The office accepts cash, check, and credit card. Bringing exact change or a check can speed up the process at the counter.

Historic Records and the Augusta County Archive

Augusta County has land records dating back to its formation in 1738, making the Clerk's archive one of the most extensive in Virginia. Early deed books and will registers in the office document the original grants and transfers of land in the Valley, including records from the colonial and early American periods. These records have been preserved and indexed, and many are available for research in the public records room at the Staunton courthouse.

For older materials or supplemental collections, the Library of Virginia in Richmond holds microfilm and digitized versions of many Augusta County records, including chancery case files from the equity courts that preceded the modern circuit court system. The Library's Chancery Records Index includes Augusta cases and is searchable online through the Library's website. Researchers can also visit the Library in person at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Staff there can help trace records through boundary changes and court reorganizations that affected Augusta County in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The full legal framework governing how the Clerk must maintain and preserve court records is set out in Title 17.1 of the Code of Virginia, which applies to all circuit courts in the Commonwealth including Augusta.

Nearby Counties

Augusta County sits in the central Shenandoah Valley and borders several counties and independent cities, each served by their own circuit court clerk offices.