Giles County Court Docket Records

Giles County court docket records are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Pearisburg and fall under the 30th Judicial Circuit. Civil cases, criminal proceedings, land records, and estate matters filed in Giles County are all part of the public court docket, and you can search them free online through the Virginia Judicial System. For General District Court cases involving misdemeanors, traffic violations, and small civil claims, a separate state search tool covers those dockets as well. Both online search systems and the Clerk's Office in Pearisburg are available to help you find the Giles County court docket records you need.

Giles County Circuit Court Clerk

The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Giles County is based at the courthouse in Pearisburg. This office is part of the 30th Judicial Circuit, which serves Giles County. The Clerk is a constitutional officer elected by county voters and holds responsibility for all official circuit court records, including civil and criminal case files, land records, wills, and estate proceedings. The Clerk's staff assist the public with record requests, copy orders, and filing questions.

The Giles County Courthouse is located at 501 Wenonah Avenue, Pearisburg, VA 24134. Office hours run Monday through Friday. For current phone numbers and hours, the Giles Circuit Court page on vacourts.gov has the most up-to-date contact information along with links to the online docket search for the 30th Judicial Circuit.

The screenshot below is from the Giles Circuit Court page on the Virginia Judicial System website, which lists the Clerk's contact details and direct links to the case search portal for Giles County court docket records.

The page shows the Clerk's hours, phone number, and mailing address, along with links to the case information system covering all 30th Judicial Circuit docket records.

Searching Giles County Court Dockets

Circuit court docket records for Giles County can be searched through the Virginia Circuit Court Case Information System. Select Giles County from the jurisdiction dropdown, then search by party name, case number, or date. The system returns civil and criminal case data including docket entries, hearing dates, and case summaries. There is no cost to use this search tool, and it is available any time of day.

The General District Court for Giles County handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic matters, and civil claims of $25,000 or less. You can search General District Court dockets at the Virginia General District Court Online Case Information System. Select Giles County from the list and search by case number or party name. The screenshot below comes from the Giles General District Court page on vacourts.gov, which shows the General District Court clerk's contact information and links to case search tools.

This page lists General District Court hours, the clerk's phone number, and direct access to the GD court docket search for Giles County cases.

In-person searches are also an option. The Clerk's Office in Pearisburg has public access terminals at the courthouse. You can search the local case management system directly or ask staff to help you find a specific file. In-person access is available during regular business hours.

What Giles County Court Docket Records Cover

Court docket records in Giles County document all case activity from initial filing through final resolution. Circuit Court dockets include felony criminal cases filed by the Commonwealth's Attorney, civil suits over $4,500, divorce and equitable distribution matters, estate and probate proceedings, and land record instruments. Every event in a case gets a docket entry, including filings, hearings, motions, and orders, so the docket provides a complete timeline of a case's life in court.

General District Court dockets cover misdemeanor criminal charges, traffic cases, and civil matters valued up to $25,000. The GD Court also holds preliminary hearings in felony cases before they are certified to the Circuit Court. Each scheduled court date in a GD case appears on the docket with the case type and the name of the parties involved.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court records in Giles County are confidential by law and are not available through any public search system, online or in person. This covers all JDR matters including child custody, juvenile delinquency, and related domestic proceedings. If you need access to those records, consult an attorney who practices in Giles County.

Most Giles County circuit court records are open to the public under Virginia Code § 17.1-208. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700) also supports public access to government-held records that are not specifically exempted by statute.

Record Copy Fees for Giles County

Fees for copies of Giles County court records are governed by Virginia Code § 17.1-275. The standard copy fee is $0.50 per page for plain copies of paper or electronic image records. Certified copies require an additional $2.00 per document. If the judge's certificate is also required, that adds another $0.50 on top of the certification fee.

Recording fees for instruments like deeds and deeds of trust follow a tiered page-count schedule. Documents of 10 pages or fewer cost $18. Filings from 11 to 30 pages cost $32. Documents with 31 or more pages cost $52. Civil case filing fees at the Circuit Court depend on the dollar amount of the claim: $100 for cases under $50,000, $200 for cases from $50,000 to $100,000, $250 for cases from $100,000 to $500,000, and $300 for cases above $500,000.

Online payments for court-ordered fines and fees in Giles County cases can be made through the Virginia Judiciary Online Payment System (VJOPS). A convenience fee applies to card transactions. Cash, check, and card payments are accepted in person at the Clerk's Office in Pearisburg.

Virginia Laws on Court Docket Records

Public access to Giles County court dockets is grounded in state law. Virginia Code § 17.1-208 is the controlling statute. It requires every circuit court clerk in Virginia to allow any person to inspect any record in the clerk's office during business hours. This is a mandatory duty, not a discretionary one, and it applies to most civil and criminal case records maintained in Pearisburg by the Giles County Circuit Court Clerk.

Copy fees and the Clerk's duty to provide them are set out in § 17.1-275. Title 17.1 of the Code of Virginia as a whole covers courts of record and includes statutes on how records are created, preserved, and made available. Civil procedure rules governing docket entries come from Title 8.01, particularly the docket maintenance provisions in Chapter 10. The Virginia FOIA (§ 2.2-3700) reinforces these access rights across all branches of Virginia government.

Historical Court Records for Giles County

Older Giles County court records that predate electronic case management are available at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. The Library holds deed books, will books, chancery case files, and other historical instruments from Giles County going back to its formation. Researchers can use the Library's Chancery Records Index online to search indexed Giles County cases, or visit the reading room in person at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. The phone number is (804) 692-3888.

For current land records and recent deed searches in Giles County, the Clerk's Office in Pearisburg maintains the local index of recorded instruments. You can search this index at the courthouse using public terminals. The Circuit Court Case Information System also includes some land records data for Giles County, though older records may only be available in person at the Pearisburg courthouse or on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Certified copies of land instruments can be ordered directly from the Clerk's Office.

Note: The main Virginia court system portal at vacourts.gov links to every court in the state, including both the Giles Circuit Court and General District Court, with current clerk contact information and online search tools.

Nearby Counties

Giles County is in southwestern Virginia and sits near several counties in the New River Valley and surrounding region.