Prince William County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Prince William County lies beside the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. In 2022, the county's population was estimated to be 481,114, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. It was also recorded to have the 24th highest income of any county in the United States. The county's seat is the City of Manassas, and its court system consists of the Circuit Court, the District Court, and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

The Prince William County Circuit Court is located in Manassas. It is the highest level of trial court in the county, and it hears a broad range of civil and criminal cases. The Criminal Division handles felonies and misdemeanors. The Civil Division handles civil cases such as general civil claims where the amount in dispute exceeds $4,500, divorces, adoptions, property disputes, wills, and emergency protective orders. The General District Court is also located in Manassas. The court handles criminal cases, like misdemeanors, ordinance violations, and traffic offenses. With respect to civil cases, the court has primary jurisdiction over civil claims below $4,500 and also shares jurisdiction with Circuit Courts for claims between $4,500 and $25,000. The Prince William County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court is located in Manassas and is specialized and dedicated to addressing matters involving families, children, and domestic relationships. The court handles cases related to children, including custody, visitation, support, parentage, abuse, neglect, adoption, termination of parental rights, emancipation, juvenile offenses, and mental health cases involving minors.

According to data from the Prince William Police Department, in 2022, the crime rate in Prince Williams County stood at 37.7 incidents per 1,000 residents. It is estimated that courts in Prince William County handle an average of 100,000 cases annually. The Office of the Prince William County Clerk of Court keeps records from these cases. To access these records, interested persons can visit the Office of the Clerk in person or search the records online. It is, however, important to note that records like juvenile records, adoption records, and other sealed cases are not available for public access due to the fact that they are designated as confidential.

In conclusion, the courts in Prince William County play a vital role in maintaining law and order and ensuring that disputes are resolved promptly, justly, and economically. To ensure transparency in this process of dispute resolution, the court grants members of the public access to records from court proceedings.