How to Look Up Eviction Records in Virginia 2026
Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for Virginia
Where to Search Virginia Eviction Records
Online portal: Virginia Courts Case Information
Certified copy fee: $0.50/page
In Virginia, an eviction (called an unlawful detainer) is filed and decided in the General District Court for the city or county where the rental sits, and the record is reachable from anywhere. Virginia is one of the more open states for this kind of search: a single statewide case-search system, the Virginia Courts Case Information portal, lets you look up a tenant's civil filing without driving to a courthouse. You can also request certified copies in person at $0.50 per page.
The harder reality is on the back end. Virginia has no statutory right to expunge or seal a residential eviction record, so once an unlawful detainer is on file, it generally stays on the public docket and can keep surfacing in tenant-screening reports. That cuts both ways: landlords get durable visibility, and renters carry filings that may not even reflect a loss. Below, the Eviction Risk Map research team walks through how to find a Virginia record, how to read it correctly, and what the absence of a sealing law means for screening decisions.
How to look up a Virginia eviction record
Start online. The Virginia Courts Case Information portal carries civil cases statewide, so you can search the General District Court dockets for any city or county from one place. Search by the tenant's name or, if you have it, the case number, then confirm you've matched the right person by checking the property address and parties listed on the case.
If you need a document you can rely on rather than a screen view, ask the clerk of the General District Court that handled the case for a copy. Certified copies are $0.50 per page, payable at the courthouse counter. Certified copies matter when you need proof for a dispute, an appeal, or a screening file that has to withstand challenge. For a quick eligibility read on an applicant, the free online portal is usually enough.
How to read what you find
The single most important habit when reading a Virginia case: a filing is not a judgment. An unlawful detainer entry only means a landlord started a case. Look at the disposition before you draw any conclusion. The case may have been dismissed, settled, decided for the tenant, or never served at all, and none of those outcomes is a tenant 'losing.'
Read the docket line by line. Note whether a judgment for possession was actually entered, whether money damages were awarded, and the date of the final order. A case that was nonsuited or dismissed tells you the dispute existed but resolved without an eviction judgment against the renter. Treating every filing as if it were a loss is both inaccurate and, when it drives an adverse decision, legally risky for a landlord. The disposition is the fact that matters; the filing alone is just context.
Expungement, sealing, and what it means for screening
Virginia currently provides no statutory mechanism to expunge or seal a residential eviction record. Unlike states with a sealing law, a Virginia unlawful detainer generally remains part of the public court record indefinitely, which is why these filings keep appearing in commercial tenant-screening databases.
For landlords, that openness comes with federal duties. Tenant-screening reports are consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so if a record contributes to a denial you owe the applicant an adverse-action notice and a chance to dispute. Use the actual disposition, not the bare filing. Do not deny an applicant solely because an eviction was filed when the case was dismissed or decided in the tenant's favor. Even though Virginia has no sealing statute to honor, screening still has to be accurate and defensible. Pair the court record with the applicant's full picture rather than treating one docket line as the whole story.
The tenant's side: what you can and can't do
If you're a Virginia renter with a record on the General District Court docket, be realistic: because the state has no eviction-record expungement or sealing law, there's generally no court process to erase the filing. What you can do is make sure it's accurate and that context travels with it.
Pull your own case through the Virginia Courts Case Information portal and read the disposition. If it shows the case was dismissed, nonsuited, or decided in your favor, that is your strongest defense when a landlord or screening company surfaces only the filing. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you can dispute inaccurate or outdated entries directly with the screening company that reported them. A certified copy of the final order, available from the clerk at $0.50 per page, is useful evidence when you need to correct the record a screener is relying on.
Step-by-Step: How to Search Virginia Eviction Records
- Go to Virginia Courts Case Information. Open https://www.courts.state.va.us/caseinfo/home.html in your browser.
- Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
- Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
- Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
- Check the filing date. Consider how old the record is, most tenant-screening best practices recommend discounting records older than 5-7 years.
- Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the General District Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $0.50/page.
Reviewed by the Eviction Risk Map research team against the Supreme Court of Virginia / Office of the Executive Secretary court system that operates the General District Courts and the statewide Virginia Courts Case Information portal. Virginia provides no statutory eviction-record expungement or sealing right as of this writing. Last reviewed June 2026. This is general information about public records and tenant screening, not legal advice; consult a licensed Virginia attorney or your local General District Court clerk for guidance on a specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up an eviction record in Virginia?
Search the statewide Virginia Courts Case Information portal, which carries General District Court civil cases for every city and county. Look up the tenant by name or case number and confirm the match using the property address and parties. For an official document, request a certified copy from the clerk of the General District Court that heard the case at $0.50 per page.
Are Virginia eviction records public?
Yes. Unlawful detainer cases are heard in the General District Court and are part of the public court record, searchable statewide online through the Virginia Courts Case Information portal. Because Virginia has no eviction-record sealing law, these filings generally stay public, which is also why they appear in tenant-screening reports.
Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in Virginia?
Generally no. Virginia has no statutory right to expunge or seal a residential eviction record, so there is usually no court process to remove an unlawful detainer filing. A renter's best options are to confirm the disposition is accurate and, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, dispute any inaccurate or outdated entry with the screening company reporting it.
How much does a certified copy of a Virginia eviction record cost?
Certified copies cost $0.50 per page, requested at the counter of the General District Court clerk that handled the case. The free Virginia Courts Case Information portal is enough to view a case online; the certified copy is what you'd want for an appeal, a dispute, or a screening file that needs to hold up.
Related Virginia Landlord Guides
Court portal information sourced from the Virginia court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Virginia statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.