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.
Highland County, Virginia, has about 2,300 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Every warrant for Highland County comes from a judge of the Highland Circuit Court or the General District Court, is served by whichever agency finds the person, and is recorded in the court file of the case it was issued in. This guide says who issues and serves warrants here, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one and how one is cleared.
This guide covers who issues warrants, who serves warrants, after a warrant arrest, checking for a warrant, clearing a warrant, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Highland County public records, Highland County arrest records, Highland County inmate search, Highland County criminal records, Highland County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Highland County
In Virginia an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Highland County that means the Highland Circuit Court, which hears felonies, divorces, the larger civil cases and appeals from the district courts; the General District Court issues its own warrants on the cases before it.
When a defendant misses a court date the judge issues a bench warrant, and either kind of warrant lives in the court file of the case, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
For Highland County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county 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.
Who Serves Warrants in Highland County
The Highland County Sheriff's Office serves warrants in Highland County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Highland County: the Highland County State Police (state police); it serves warrants on its own ground.
The agency that serves a warrant from Highland County is whichever one finds the person; a Virginia warrant is valid across Virginia.
The Highland County Sheriff's Office reported 20 arrests to the FBI for 2025; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Each agency and what it reported is in Highland County arrest records.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Highland County Is Held
A person arrested on a warrant and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Highland County Sheriff's Office, held about 6 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at highlandcova.org/sheriff%E2%80%99s-office. The Highland County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
A person arrested in Highland County on a warrant from another county is held at the same jail until that county takes custody.
How to Check for a Warrant in Highland County
The place to check for a warrant from Highland County is Online Case Information System, the Virginia courts' free statewide case search, for a case whose register of actions shows a warrant.
The statewide criminal history kept by the Virginia State Police is not open to the public in Virginia, so it is not a route to a warrant check on someone else.
Clearing a Warrant from Highland County
A warrant is recalled by the court that issued it, so clearing one from Highland County starts with the Circuit Court Clerk: the case goes back on the calendar and the judge recalls the warrant when the person appears.
A missed date in a case before the General District Court is handled by that court, not by the Highland Circuit Court.
More Official Wanted and Warrant Pages for Highland County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Highland County and Virginia. These wanted and warrant pages from its Highland County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Most Wanted, Virginia Department of Corrections (vadoc.virginia.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Highland County?
Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search, and a case whose register of actions shows a warrant is the record of it. The court that issued it keeps the record; ask the Circuit Court Clerk.
Who serves warrants in Highland County?
The Highland County Sheriff's Office, and the agency that reports for the city where the person is found; a Virginia warrant is valid anywhere in the state.
Where is a person arrested on a warrant in Highland County held?
At the county jail, run by the Highland County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Highland County cleared?
By appearing before the court that issued it; the judge recalls the warrant in court. The case is put back on the calendar through the Circuit Court Clerk.
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.