Prince William County
Prince William County was established in 1731. It measures 348 square miles and was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. Its county seat is Manassas (North Virginia) and has a population of over 480,000 inhabitants. Prince William County is the second most populous county in Virginia.
The court structure includes the 31st Judicial Circuit Court, the 31st Judicial District Court, and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. The District Court handles civil cases (unlawful detainer actions and small claims) and criminal court cases (traffic infractions, felonies, misdemeanors, and conducts preliminary hearings). The District Court does not conduct jury trials. The Circuit Court resolves serious misdemeanor cases, disputes involving large amounts of money, divorce, and probate cases as well as issues licenses for concealed carry guns. Finally, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court handles matters that include providing support and care for children who go through child abuse and neglect. It issues protective orders, settles family disputes, and punishes juveniles/minors for curfew violations and truancies. There are no jury trials in this court.
A bunch of court records are accessible both online and in the circuit courthouse. This is based on the non-confidential status of these records. The public can view court records in the following case types:
- Civil
- Probate
- Criminal
- Traffic
- Small Claims
- Landlord/tenant
The Office of the Circuit Court Clerk houses records that have been adjudicated in court. Some of the processes of creating court records involve petitioning the court, the presentation of evidence by witnesses, the process of trials, conducting preliminary hearings, and fixing court hearing dates. Court records or documents are electronically scanned and archived for future reference.
The Supreme Court Case Management System allows you to check for court records by defendant's or plaintiff's case number or hearing date. Court records dating back to July 1, 1989, can be found on this website. If you are searching for hardcopies, you can make your way to the judicial center where you will be able to retrieve criminal records (room 310), civil records (room 314), and the Public Service Center (room 305. Dockets are provided in advance and online, in order for parties to receive notifications on the date and time that their cases will be heard. For more information about court dockets, the public can email the Circuit Court Clerk at CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org.
