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.
Highland County, Virginia, has about 2,300 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Highland Circuit Court and the General District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Highland County public records, Highland County arrest records, Highland County warrants, Highland County inmate search, Highland County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Highland County
In Highland County, the Highland Circuit Court hears felonies, divorces, the larger civil cases and appeals from the district courts.
Below it, the General District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and smaller civil cases; the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court takes family and juvenile cases.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court, and the file stays with the Circuit Court Clerk.
The Circuit Court Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Highland County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at highlandcova.org/circuit-court (page title: Circuit Court | Highland County, VA), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The Virginia court page SearchSystems verified is at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home.
What Reaches the Court from Highland County
The Highland County Sheriff's Office reported 20 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the Commonwealth's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Highland Circuit Court or the General District Court.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Highland County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Highland County criminal records, Highland County divorce records, Highland County DUI and Highland County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Highland County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Highland County and Virginia. These court pages from its Highland County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- GENERAL DISTRICT COURT ONLINE CASE INFORMATION SYSTEM (eapps.courts.state.va.us)
Cities in Highland County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Highland Circuit Court or the General District Court.
The one city in the county is Monterey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Highland County?
Through Online Case Information System, the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Highland County?
The Highland Circuit Court, which hears felonies, divorces, the larger civil cases and appeals from the district courts. The General District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and smaller civil cases; the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court takes family and juvenile cases.
Who keeps the court records in Highland County?
The Circuit Court Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Virginia?
Yes: Online Case Information System, the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
Is this the official Highland 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.