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.
Nelson County, Virginia, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Nelson 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: Nelson County public records, Nelson County arrest records, Nelson County warrants, Nelson County inmate search, Nelson County 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 Nelson County
The Nelson County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Nelson County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Nelson County: the Nelson County State Police (state police); the Nelson County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the two agencies in Nelson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 171 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Nelson County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Nelson 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 Nelson County Sheriff's Office, held about 18 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at nelsoncounty-va.gov/government/nelson-sheriff. The Nelson County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Nelson County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at nelsoncounty-va.gov, phone 434-263-7010.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nelsoncounty-va.gov/government/courts.
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: Nelson County arrest records, Nelson County police reports and Nelson County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Nelson County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Nelson County held?
At the county jail, run by the Nelson 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 Nelson 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.