Virginia Court Docket Search
A Virginia court docket search refers to the process of obtaining information from documents filed in a court proceeding by the court and the parties involved. Dockets are filings, pleadings, briefs, declarations, exhibits, orders, and judgments, as well as court notations, such as payment of fees or date extensions, all pertaining to a civil or criminal proceeding in a Virginia state court.
Like other Virginia court records, dockets and court filings are maintained by the court clerk where the case was initially filed. These dockets are maintained throughout the duration of a pending action and after the case has been resolved. Although some court dockets and court filings are available online, not all docket information is accessible online due to the possibility that some records are sealed.
Are Court Dockets Public Record in Virginia?
Yes, Per the Virginia Code on Court records (Va. Code § 17.1-208), court dockets are public records. Also, the Virginia Public Records Act grants the public the right to access or request court records containing public information. In Virginia, interested parties can examine or copy court dockets via online channels or by physically visiting the courthouse where the case of interest was filed. The court is required to respond within five (5) business days of receiving a request. However, court dockets for cases sealed by law, court order, or court rule are not available to the public. Case parties and attorneys are the only individuals with access to the dockets of restricted cases.
Where to Find a Court Docket in Virginia
As court dockets are a type of court record in Virginia, they are stored in courthouses - typically in the Clerk’s Office. Therefore, anyone seeking a Virginia court docket can begin their search at the courthouse where the case was filed.
Requesters may be able to search online for cases heard by the State Corporation Commission using the docket search tool provided by the Commission. The SCC Docket Search enables users to review the status of any case, public filings (by date or by company), the Commission's case calendar, and selected public documents. Alternatively, the case management portals for Circuit Courts, General District Courts, Court of Appeals, and The Supreme Court to obtain specific case information from these court divisions.
Some private aggregate websites provide access to some court dockets, for example, for cases of public interest. For websites that publish court dockets, care should be taken to validate case information or documents against the official dockets maintained by the relevant court clerk (where the case was filed). This ensures the accuracy and completeness of case information retrieved from third-party websites.
How to Conduct a Virginia Court Docket Search
The public may conduct a Virginia court docket search through the state court with jurisdiction over a given case. Generally, courts in Virginia provide access to dockets in both physical and digital formats.
A person who chooses electronic access should check the website of the presiding court or clerk of court for a secure online portal that provides access to the court's case management database. The search will require specific keywords, such as the case party's name, case number, attorney's name, judge's name, or filing date. For example, individuals looking for the Fairfax County Circuit Court docket can access the court's Case Search Tool. However, some courts simply redirect requesters to the statewide central case access tool utilized by courts in the same division.
Although some Virginia courts provide a secure online court docket portal, interested parties may also visit the courthouse to examine dockets. The clerk may charge for the actual costs of searching for and copying the requested records, as well as any other costs directly associated with providing the requested records. A price estimate may be requested in advance. If the estimated cost exceeds $200.00, the clerk may require a deposit prior to fulfilling the request.
Using Third Party Sites for a Virginia Court Docket Search
Certain private aggregate websites also disseminate court dockets, e.g., for cases of public interest. When using third-party sites for a Virginia court docket search, care should be taken to verify case information or documents obtained against the official dockets maintained by the applicable court clerk's office (where the case was filed). This way, a researcher can guarantee the accuracy and completeness of case information retrieved from third-party sites.
What is the Purpose of a Court Docket in Virginia?
The court docket is a brief log of case proceedings and contains all case-related activities such as filings and orders. The docket also serves as the official court schedule, informing the court of all upcoming hearings or events in each case. Overall, a court docket facilitates case management, case tracking, and timely hearings. In Virginia, case parties, attorneys, and members of the public can view the court docket to find out case information like the court documents created or filed, the date and location of a hearing, the judge presiding over a case, and the outcome of a proceeding.
When an individual files a lawsuit in a Virginia court, the court clerk assigns the case a docket number (also known as a case number) and adds it to the court's docket. Every case is assigned a unique docket number, which requesters can use to access information such as the parties' names, dates of court appearances, and a summary of the claims or charges. A docket is also useful for identifying court filings, which are the underlying case documents (pleadings, motions, briefs, etc.). Among other information, such as a schedule of upcoming court proceedings, the docket typically includes the names of parties involved in a court case, the case number, and court appearance dates.
What Do Court Dockets Contain in Virginia?
Virginia court dockets contain the following information:
- The abbreviated name of the suit or action
- The names of the attorneys
- The nature of the suit or action
- The date and case file number of the filing.
Additionally, the docket may include the following information pertinent to a particular case, if deemed appropriate by the court:
- The parties' names
- The date of the issuance of process
- A memorandum of the service of process
- A memorandum of the orders and proceedings in the case
- The hearing dates and types of hearings conducted on such dates.
The clerk may record the case's clerk's fees on the docket instead of the fee book.
The aforementioned information is required to be in a docket by law. However, court dockets may contain different information depending on the specifics of a case. Consequently, some dockets contain only a subset of the information listed above, while others may provide additional case information.
What is a Court Docket Number in Virginia?
A court docket number in Virginia is the tracking number for a case within the court system. Each newly-filed case is assigned a docket number, which is usually denoted by the year the case was filed, and followed by a reference number, which is usually sequentially assigned and generally includes letters or numbers indicating the type of suit (criminal, civil, family, etc.) and the location of the filing, and/or the initials of the judge assigned to the case. Typically, the terms "docket number" and "case number" are interchangeably used. In Virginia, the Court Docket number being a unique number appears on all court-related documents, and it can be used to retrieve case information and court documents.
How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in Virginia
A court docket number is a necessary information required for checking court records in Virginia, regardless of which court created the record. By using the court docket number for a search, the public can easily locate information and documents filed in a court case that isn’t sealed. However, in a situation where the requester is not a case party (the plaintiff or defendant), the case party's attorney, or a close relative, or if the case is not of public interest, it may be difficult to lookup a case's docket number. Nonetheless, when a court docket number is unknown, the search tool for cases can utilize alternative keywords to simplify the search process and facilitate the recovery of case records.
Anyone interested in conducting a court docket number lookup in Virginia should possess the last name of a case party, the name of the case attorney, or the name of the presiding judge, depending on the available search options provided by the relevant court. The individual can then input the keywords into the court's online docket search system to obtain the docket number assigned by the court.
Individuals who do not have access to an internet-enabled device or cannot locate a court's docket search portal on the internet, may visit the court clerk's office during open hours to search via a search terminal at the court (if that option is available), or may call the court clerk’s office for the information. Similar to requests made on a court's online docket search portal, a person requesting a court docket number lookup in person must provide additional search terms (such as a case party's last name and filing date) to aid the court staff's search.
It is important to note that the court may charge a fee for researching a person's records. The clerk may charge for the actual costs of searching for and copying the requested records, as well as any other costs directly associated with providing the requested records. A price estimate may be requested in advance. If the estimated cost exceeds $200.00, the clerk may require a deposit prior to fulfilling the request.
