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 October 9, 2026.
Hanover County, Virginia, has about 115,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Hanover County 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: Hanover County public records, Hanover County arrest records, Hanover County warrants, Hanover County inmate search, Hanover County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Virginia
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Virginia, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Hanover County
The Hanover County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Ashland make the DUI arrests in Hanover County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Hanover County: the Hanover County State Police (state police); the Hanover County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the two agencies in Hanover County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,020 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Hanover County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Hanover County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Hanover County Sheriff's Office, held about 400 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at hanoversheriff.com/306/Find. The Hanover County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Hanover County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at hanovercounty.gov, phone 804-365-6185.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hanovercounty.gov/622/Courts.
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: Hanover County arrest records, Hanover County police reports and Hanover County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Hanover County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hanovercounty.gov/622/Courts.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Hanover County held?
At the county jail, run by the Hanover 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 Hanover County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.