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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69430</law_id><section_number>17.1-513</section_number><catch_line>Jurisdiction of circuit courts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="17.1">Courts of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Circuit Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Establishment; Jurisdiction; Etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">courts</span> shall have jurisdiction of proceedings by quo warranto or information in the nature of quo warranto and to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> <span class="dictionary">writs</span> of mandamus, prohibition and certiorari to all inferior tribunals created or existing under the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth, and to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> <span class="dictionary">writs</span> of mandamus in all matters of proceedings arising from or pertaining to the action of the boards of supervisors or other governing bodies of the several counties for which such <span class="dictionary">courts</span> are respectively held or in other cases in which it may be necessary to prevent the failure of justice and in which mandamus may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> according to the principles of <span class="dictionary">common law</span>. They shall have <span class="dictionary">appellate jurisdiction</span> in all cases, civil and criminal, in which an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> may, as provided by law, be taken from the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> or proceedings of any inferior tribunal.
		They shall have original and general jurisdiction of all civil cases, except cases upon claims to recover personal property or money not of greater value than $100, exclusive of interest, and except such cases as are assigned to some other tribunal; also in all cases for the recovery of fees in excess of $100; penalties or cases involving the right to <span class="dictionary">levy</span> and collect toll or taxes or the validity of an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or bylaw of any corporation; and also, of all cases, civil or criminal, in which an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> may be had to the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span>.
		They shall have jurisdiction to hear <span class="dictionary">motions</span> filed for the purpose of modifying, dissolving, or extending a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Protective order in cases of family abuse" href="/16.1-279.1/">16.1-279.1</a> or <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a> if the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> issued such <span class="dictionary">order</span>, unless the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> remanded the matter to the jurisdiction of the juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">court</span> in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Final judgment; copy filed with juvenile court; proceeding may be remanded to juvenile court" href="/16.1-297/">16.1-297</a>. They shall also have <span class="dictionary">original jurisdiction</span> of all <span class="dictionary">indictments</span> for felonies and of <span class="dictionary">presentments</span>, informations and <span class="dictionary">indictments</span> for <span class="dictionary">misdemeanors</span>. They shall also have jurisdiction for <span class="dictionary">bail</span> <span class="dictionary">hearings</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Petition for writ of actual innocence joined by Attorney General; release of prisoner; bond hearing" href="/19.2-327.2_1/">19.2-327.2:1</a> and <a class="law" title="Petition for writ of actual innocence joined by Attorney General; release of prisoner; bond hearing" href="/19.2-327.10_1/">19.2-327.10:1</a>.
		Upon certification by the district <span class="dictionary">court</span> of any <span class="dictionary">felony</span> charge and ancillary <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> charge or when an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> of a <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> in district <span class="dictionary">court</span> is noted, jurisdiction as to such charges shall vest in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>, unless such case is reopened pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Reopening case after conviction" href="/16.1-133.1/">16.1-133.1</a>; a final <span class="dictionary">judgment</span>, <span class="dictionary">order</span>, or <span class="dictionary">decree</span> is modified, vacated, or suspended pursuant to Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia Rule 1:1; or the <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> has been withdrawn in the district <span class="dictionary">court</span> within 10 days pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Withdrawal of appeal" href="/16.1-133/">16.1-133</a>.
		They shall have <span class="dictionary">appellate jurisdiction</span> of all cases, civil and criminal, in which an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, <span class="dictionary">writ</span> of error or supersedeas may, as provided by law, be taken to or allowed by such <span class="dictionary">courts</span>, or the <span class="dictionary">judges</span> thereof, from or to the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> or proceedings of any inferior tribunal. They shall also have jurisdiction of all other matters, civil and criminal, made cognizable therein by law and when a <span class="dictionary">motion</span> to recover money is allowed in such tribunals, they may hear and determine the same, although it is to recover less than $100.
		While a matter is pending in a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>, upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> seeking to decrease the amount of the claim to within the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction of the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> as described in subdivision 1 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Civil jurisdiction of general district courts; amending amount of claim" href="/16.1-77/">16.1-77</a>, the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> transfer of the matter to the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> that has jurisdiction over the amended amount of the claim without requiring that the case first be dismissed or that the <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> suffer a <span class="dictionary">nonsuit</span>, and the tolling of the applicable <span class="dictionary">statutes</span> of limitations governing the pending matter shall be unaffected by the transfer. Except for good cause shown, no such <span class="dictionary">order</span> of transfer shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> unless the <span class="dictionary">motion</span> to <span class="dictionary">amend</span> and transfer is made at least 10 days before <span class="dictionary">trial</span>. The <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> shall pay filing and other fees as otherwise provided by law to the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to which the case is transferred, and such clerk shall process the claim as if it were a new <span class="dictionary">civil action</span>. The <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> shall prepare and present the <span class="dictionary">order</span> of transfer to the transferring <span class="dictionary">court</span> for entry, after which time the case shall be removed from the pending <span class="dictionary">docket</span> of the transferring <span class="dictionary">court</span> and the <span class="dictionary">order</span> of transfer placed among its records. The <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> shall provide a certified copy of the transfer <span class="dictionary">order</span> to the receiving <span class="dictionary">court</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 5890, &#xA7; 17-123; 1928, p. 1164; 1973, c. 544; 1977, c. 624; 1998, c. 872; 2005, c. 681; 2012, cc. 152, 261; 2015, c. 66; 2020, c. 903; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 187, 489.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
