Judgments and decrees rendered in the circuit court of appeals or a district court of the United States within this Commonwealth may be docketed and indexed in the clerks' offices of courts of this Commonwealth in the same manner and under the same rules and requirements of law as judgments and decrees of courts in this Commonwealth.
§ 8.01-447.Docketing of judgments and decrees of United States courts.
Chapter 17. Judgments and Decrees Generally · Article 5. Keeping of Docket Books; Execution Thereon; Disposal of Exhibits · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceJudgments and decrees rendered by a circuit court of appeals or a federal district court within Virginia may be docketed and indexed in the clerks’ offices of Virginia courts the same way, and under the same rules, as judgments and decrees rendered by Virginia’s own courts.
Full Text of § 8.01-447
Plain-English Summary
A federal judgment does not automatically reach a debtor’s real estate in Virginia — it needs to enter the state’s judgment lien system the same way a state-court judgment does. Section 8.01-447 makes that possible, allowing judgments and decrees from the circuit court of appeals or a federal district court sitting within the Commonwealth to be docketed and indexed in a Virginia clerk’s office.
Nothing about that process differs from docketing a Virginia judgment. The same manner, the same rules, and the same requirements of law apply, so a federal creditor follows the identical steps — an authenticated, legible abstract delivered to the clerk — that a Virginia judgment creditor would use under § 8.01-446.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a federal court judgment be docketed in a Virginia clerk’s office?
Yes, if it was rendered in the circuit court of appeals or a district court of the United States within the Commonwealth.
Does docketing a federal judgment follow different rules than docketing a Virginia judgment?
No. Section 8.01-447 requires the same manner and the same rules and requirements of law that apply to Virginia judgments and decrees.
Does this section cover federal courts located outside Virginia?
By its terms, it applies to the circuit court of appeals or a district court of the United States within this Commonwealth.
Why would a creditor want to docket a federal judgment in a Virginia clerk’s office?
Docketing it creates the same judgment lien effect on the debtor’s real estate that docketing a Virginia judgment would create.
Does indexing apply to these federal judgments too?
Yes, the section allows both docketing and indexing in the same manner as Virginia judgments and decrees.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-375; 1977, c. 617.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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