Henrico County Traffic Court Records

Henrico County traffic court records are maintained by the General District Court, one of the busiest courts in the 14th Judicial District of Virginia. If you received a traffic citation in Henrico County or need to look up a past case, you can search records online through the Virginia Judicial System or visit the courthouse in person. This page covers the court structure, how to search for Henrico County traffic court records, what those records contain, and how the court processes traffic cases.

Henrico County General District Court

The Henrico County General District Court is part of the 14th Judicial District of Virginia and is one of the most active district courts in the state. It handles traffic violations, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil claims up to $25,000. The court also conducts preliminary hearings in felony cases. Because Henrico County surrounds much of the City of Richmond, the court processes a large and steady caseload throughout the year.

The court has four active judges. Chief Judge is Hon. Lauren A. Caudill. The other judges are Hon. George Barton Chucker, Hon. Bryan Craig Dunkum, and Hon. John K. Honey Jr. Criminal cases and felony preliminary hearings are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Traffic cases are heard on a separate docket. All cases are decided by a judge. There are no juries in General District Court.

Search Henrico County Traffic Court Records Online

The fastest way to search Henrico County traffic court records is through the Virginia Judicial System's online case information tool. Go to the Henrico County General District Court page on the state courts website. From there, follow the link to the case lookup system. You can also reach it directly through the statewide case information portal at vacourts.gov. Select Henrico County General District Court from the dropdown, then search by the defendant's last name or the case number.

The case lookup system shows public information for traffic and criminal cases. This includes the charge, the court date, the assigned judge, and the outcome if the case has been resolved. You can also see whether fines were assessed and whether the case is still open or closed. The system is maintained by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia and is updated regularly. It does not require you to create an account or pay a fee to search.

If the online search does not return the record you need, try searching with just the last name and leaving the first name blank. This casts a wider net and can help when there are name variations or spelling differences. Very old records may not be in the online system. For records more than 10 years old, you will need to contact the clerk's office in person or by mail.

Note: The statewide case lookup system may show a CAPTCHA verification step before displaying results. This is normal and required by the court system to prevent automated scraping.

Henrico General District Court Case Information System

The General District Court Online Case Information System is the main public tool for searching Henrico County traffic court records. The system is provided by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. You can access it at eapps.courts.state.va.us. From the landing page, select Henrico from the list of courts and proceed to the search form.

You can search by defendant name, case number, or hearing date. Each result shows you the party names, the charge, the date of the offense, the court date, and the case status. For open cases, it shows the next scheduled hearing. For closed cases, it shows the final disposition and any penalties. If you want to mark an eligible case for online payment, the system lets you do that directly from the case detail page. A 4% convenience fee applies to credit card payments.

Non-prepayable offenses in Henrico County include DUI, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, and hit and run. For these charges, you must appear in court on your scheduled date. If you miss your court date, the court may issue a default judgment, assess additional fines, or issue a warrant for your arrest. Do not ignore a court date for these types of charges.

Henrico Circuit Court and Online Records Access

For more serious cases that go beyond the General District Court, Henrico County also has a Circuit Court. The Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located at 4309 E. Parham Road, Courthouse Building Room 240, Henrico, VA 23228. The mailing address is P.O. Box 90775, Henrico, VA 23273-0775. The Circuit Court handles felony cases, civil claims over $25,000, and appeals from General District Court decisions.

Attorneys and authorized users can access Henrico County Circuit Court records remotely through the Officer of the Court Remote Access (OCRA) system. To apply for OCRA access, you must complete the Application and Subscriber Agreement, which totals 5 pages. OCRA inquiries go to the designated court email address. This system gives registered users the ability to search civil and criminal cases filed in the Circuit Court without visiting the courthouse in person.

The county's courts page at henrico.us links to both General District Court and Circuit Court resources. You can find forms for criminal, civil, deed, and fiduciary matters on the county site. Forms can be completed and printed at home before submitting to the court. Free parking is available at the courthouse for court visitors. Public access computers at the courthouse let you search records if you prefer not to use your own device.

Henrico County Police and Traffic Enforcement

The Henrico County Police Department handles traffic enforcement throughout the county. The department runs a dedicated Traffic Unit focused on accident reduction and law enforcement on county roads. Officers use radar and LIDAR devices for speed detection. DUI enforcement is a regular priority, with checkpoints and saturation patrols conducted throughout the year. School zone speed enforcement is also active near all Henrico County Public Schools.

Traffic citations issued by Henrico Police are filed with the Henrico County General District Court. The case number on your citation is the one you use when searching the online case lookup system. The department also provides accident reports through its Records Section, and online ordering of accident reports is available for convenience. Citizens can report traffic violations through the non-emergency police line or the online reporting portal.

Red light enforcement cameras operate at select intersections in Henrico County. Violations captured by these cameras are processed and sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. These are civil violations and do not add demerit points to a driver's license, but they do carry fines. These camera violations are handled separately from standard traffic tickets issued by an officer.

The department coordinates with Virginia State Police on multi-jurisdictional enforcement efforts, especially on interstate highways that run through Henrico County. Citations from State Police issued within county boundaries go through the same Henrico County General District Court as local police tickets.

TIME TO PAY Program and Appeals

The Henrico County General District Court offers a "TIME TO PAY" program for defendants who need more time to pay their fines and court costs. Under Virginia statute, defendants normally have 30 days to pay after sentencing. The clerk's office can extend this deadline for those who need additional time. If you received a traffic conviction and are having trouble paying, contact the clerk's office to ask about this option before your payment deadline passes.

If you were convicted in General District Court and want to appeal, you must note your appeal within 10 calendar days of the conviction date. Appeals go to the Henrico County Circuit Court and are heard de novo, meaning the case starts fresh as if the first trial never occurred. The Circuit Court will schedule a new hearing. You may present new evidence and witnesses. If you win on appeal, the General District Court conviction is removed from your record.

The court provides interpreter services for non-English speaking defendants when requested in advance. Court security screening applies to all visitors entering the courthouse. If you have questions about a case or procedure, the clerk's office staff can provide general information, but they cannot give legal advice. For legal advice specific to your case, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.

Note: Court records in Henrico County are retained for 10 years after final disposition for traffic and misdemeanor cases, per Virginia's records retention schedules.

Nearby Counties

Henrico County surrounds much of Richmond and borders several other counties in the Richmond metro area. Each has its own General District Court for traffic cases.

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