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 4, 2026.
Washington County, Virginia, has about 54,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Washington 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: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County inmate search, Washington 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 Washington County
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Abingdon, Glade Spring and Damascus make the DUI arrests in Washington County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Washington County: the Washington County State Police (state police); Virginia Highlands Community College and Emory and Henry College (campus police); the Washington County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the four agencies in Washington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,420 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Washington County does not break DUI out.
The Saltville Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Washington County, so its arrests are not broken out for Washington County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Washington 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 Washington County Sheriff's Office, held about 740 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at news.washeriff.net/divisions/bookings. The Washington County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The Commonwealth's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at washcova.com/commonwealths-attorney, phone (276) 676-6291.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
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: Washington County arrest records, Washington County police reports and Washington County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Washington County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Washington County held?
At the county jail, run by the Washington 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 Washington 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.