James City County
James City County was created in 1634 as James City Shire by King Charles I and later renamed James City County. Its land area is about 142.3 square miles, with an estimated population of 78,818. The county seat is the city of Williamsburg.
James City County's court structure consists of a Circuit Court, a General District Court, and a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. The Circuit Court has jurisdiction over felony, probate, and civil cases in which the amount in contention is more than $25,000. It hears appeals from the General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, and administrative agencies. The General District Court hears all misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and civil cases involving $25,000 or less. The court also has a small claims division that deals with civil actions when the amount claimed does not exceed $5,000. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court handles domestic relations, juvenile, and cases involving family matters such as custody, support, and visitations.
James City County public court records include filed documents, exhibits, instructions, judgments, depositions, maps, memoranda, and transcripts received or created during court proceedings. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is charged with the custody, safekeeping, and proper indexing of court records in the county, which includes:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Family law records
- Probate records
The Code of Virginia, Title 17.1-208, allows the public to access the court records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. To access these records, anyone may send their request through email or visit the Circuit Court Clerk's office at:
5201 Monticello Avenue Suite 6
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Phone: (757) 564-2243
Fax: (757) 564-2329
According to Title 17.1-275 of the Code of Virginia, obtaining copies of court records costs a $0.50 fee per page and an additional $2 per document for certified records. Certified copy requests for civil and criminal records may be accessed through the Check Order Status Portal. The Virginia Judicial Branch allows the public to search for court case information through the Online Case Information System for Circuit Court and General District Court records. James City County Circuit Court dockets are publicly available on the record search portal.
