General District Court

About

There is a general district court in each city and county in Virginia. The general district court handles traffic violations, hears minor criminal cases known as misdemeanors, and conducts preliminary hearings for more serious criminal cases called felonies.

General district courts have exclusive authority to hear civil cases with claims of $4,500 or less and share authority with the circuit courts to hear cases with claims between $4,500 and $25,000, and up to $50,000 in civil cases for personal injury and wrongful death. Examples of civil cases are landlord and tenant disputes, contract disputes and suits in debt.

• General District Courts Informational Pamphlet

Contact Information

• All District Courts
• Individual General District Court Homepages
• Map of Virginia's Judicial Circuits and Districts

Case Status and Information

• Online Case Information System-Statewide Search
  New! Online access to a statewide search of criminal and traffic case information in general district courts and select circuit courts.
  Note: Payments cannot be made using this system.
• General District Court Case Information
  Online access by locality to civil, criminal, and traffic cases in the general district courts. Cases may be searched using name, case number, or hearing date. Online payments are made using this system.
• General District Court Civil Filing Fee Calculation
  Calculates the fee to file a civil action in general district court by locality
• Virginia Date of Birth Confirmation (VDBC) 
  Subscription access to criminal and traffic case information in the general district courts for the purpose of confirming an individual’s date of birth.

Forms

Pay Traffic Tickets and Other Offenses

Programs

• Domestic Violence Programs and Services
• Recovery Courts
• Foreign Language Services
• Mediation

Manuals

• Court-Appointed Counsel Procedures & Guidelines Manual
• Court-Appointed Counsel Eligibility
• District Court Judges’ Benchbook
• General District Court Manual

Resources and Reference Materials

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  Provides basic information about the requirements of the ADA as they pertain to Virginia’s Judicial System, including how to request an accommodation.
• Code of Virginia
• Commonwealth of Virginia Agency Web sites
  • Department of Motor Vehicles
  • Department of State Police
  • Indigent Defense Commission
    • Locate Certified Court-Appointed Counsel
• General District Courts Informational Pamphlet
• Licensed Property and Surety Bail Bondsmen
• Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Small Claims Court Procedures
• Virginia Courthouse Facility Guidelines