Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Roanoke County, Virginia, has about 97,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Roanoke 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Roanoke County public records, Roanoke County arrest records, Roanoke County warrants, Roanoke County inmate search, Roanoke County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Roanoke County
In Roanoke County, the Roanoke Circuit Court 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.
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 Roanoke County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at roanokecountyva.gov/447/Search-Court-Cases-Online (page title: Court Cases | Roanoke County, VA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
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 Roanoke County
The Commonwealth's Attorney decides which arrests in Roanoke County become cases in the Roanoke Circuit Court or the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at roanokecountyva.gov/2555/Commonwealths-Attorney (page title: Commonwealth's Attorney | Roanoke County, VA), phone 540-387-6174, 305 E. Main Street, Room 202 Salem, VA 24153, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Roanoke County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Roanoke County criminal records, Roanoke County divorce records, Roanoke County traffic tickets, Roanoke County DUI and Roanoke County property records.
Cities in Roanoke County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Roanoke Circuit Court or the General District Court.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Roanoke County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Vinton (8,059)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Roanoke County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at roanokecountyva.gov. Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Roanoke County?
The Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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.