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 2, 2026.
James City, Virginia, has about 83,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in James City 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: James City public records, James City arrest records, James City warrants, James City inmate search, James City 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 James City
The James City County Police Department makes the DUI arrests in James City.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in James City: the James City County State Police (state police); the James City County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
The James City County Police Department reported 1,019 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for James City does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in James City
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the city jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the James City County Police Department, held about 150 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at jamescitycountyva.gov/2698/Sheriff, phone 757-564-2220. The James City inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from James City is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at jamescitycountyva.gov, phone 757-564-2395.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the city is at jamescitycountyva.gov/2817/Criminal-Cases-Hearings-Trials, phone 757-564-2242.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
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: James City arrest records, James City police reports and James City court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from James City heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the city is at jamescitycountyva.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in James City held?
At the city jail, run by the James City County Police Department, 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 James City website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.