How to Find Virginia Court Records (2026)

In person. Go to the clerk of the court that heard the case: the Circuit Court clerk for felonies, divorces, probate, and larger civil suits, or the General District/J&DR clerk for misdemeanors, traffic, smaller civil claims, and family matters. Most clerk's offices have public terminals for searching the index at no charge, and many Circuit Court clerks also record deeds and wills, so ask specifically for "court records" rather than land records. Copies are paid at the counter; card, cash, or money order is typically accepted, and a small credit-card convenience fee is common.

By mail. Write to the clerk with:

• the case number, or the full names of the parties and the approximate year filed;
• exactly which document you need (for example, "the final decree of divorce" or "the order of disposition");
• whether you need a plain or certified copy; and
• a check or money order for the fee, or a request for a fee quote and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Some Circuit Court clerks, including several of the larger ones, also accept fax or email requests for copies of specific documents — check the individual county page for what that clerk allows.

Online. Circuit Court civil and criminal case information, General District Court civil, criminal, and traffic cases, and J&DR adult-criminal cases can usually be searched for free through OCIS or the relevant court's own case-information page. These show docket entries and status, not full document images in most localities; document access still generally requires an in-person visit or a request to the clerk.

Records older than the online index. Circuit Court online indexes commonly start around 1990; General District and J&DR online records are usually more recent. Older files may be on paper or microfilm in the clerk's office or in county/city archives, and the clerk may charge a search fee to locate them.

Virginia court records are presumed open under Virginia Code § 17.1-208, which requires circuit clerks to keep records open to inspection and furnish copies on request. Several categories are not part of that presumption:

• Sealed criminal history and court records. Chapter 23.2 of Title 19.2 (the sealing statute effective
  2025. allows certain misdemeanor and some felony convictions, as well as dismissed and not-guilty charges, to be sealed after a waiting period, either automatically or by petition. Once sealed, the record is removed from public criminal-history and case-search systems and may only be disclosed for the limited purposes listed in the statute.
• Expunged records. Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2 allows expungement (not merely sealing) in narrower circumstances — acquittal, nolle prosequi/dismissal, or identity theft. An expunged record is removed from the person's criminal history rather than just hidden from the public.
• Juvenile records. Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court records involving a juvenile are confidential by statute, with access limited to the parties, their attorneys, and specified agencies.
• Family abuse and protective-order case details. Some information in protective-order and family abuse cases is restricted to protect victims, even though the case itself is not fully sealed.
• Adoption records. Adoption case files are sealed under the Code of Virginia and generally require a court order to unseal.

A judge can also seal an individual case record on a party's motion, but Virginia case law treats that as the exception, not the rule: the party seeking sealing must show a compelling interest that cannot be protected by a lesser measure such as redaction.