Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 28, 2026.
South Boston, Virginia, in Halifax County, has about 7,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in South Boston starts two cases, a criminal case in the General District Court and a license case before the Department of Motor Vehicles, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: South Boston public records, Halifax County DUI, South Boston arrest records, South Boston warrants, South Boston inmate search, South Boston criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Virginia
In Virginia the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Virginia is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Virginia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in South Boston
The Halifax County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for South Boston (filed by the FBI as South Boston Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around South Boston.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Halifax County: the Halifax County State Police (state police); the Halifax County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the three agencies in Halifax County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 925 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Halifax County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in South Boston
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, held about 110 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at halifaxcountyva.gov/199/Sheriff, phone 434-476-3339. The South Boston inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from South Boston is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at halifaxcountyva.gov/178/Commonwealth-Attorney, phone 434-476-2139.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at vacourts.gov/courts/gd/halifax/home, phone (434) 476-3385.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the General District Court, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: South Boston arrest records, South Boston police reports and South Boston court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from South Boston heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at vacourts.gov/courts/gd/halifax/home.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in South Boston held?
At the county jail, run by the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Virginia?
The Department of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Virginia?
10 years.
Is this the official South Boston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.