(a) Definition of and Criteria for Specialty Dockets. — (1) When used in this Rule, the term “specialty dockets” refers to specialized court dockets within the existing structure of Virginia's circuit and district court system offering judicial monitoring of intensive treatment, supervision, and remediation integral to case disposition. (2) Types of court proceedings appropriate for grouping in a “specialty docket” are those which (i) require more than simply the adjudication of discrete legal issues, (ii) present a common dynamic underlying the legally cognizable behavior, (iii) require the coordination of services and treatment to address that underlying dynamic, and (iv) focus primarily on the remediation of the defendant in these dockets. The treatment, the services, and the disposition options are those which are otherwise available under law. (3) Dockets which group cases together based simply on the area of the law at issue, e.g., a docket of unlawful detainer cases or child support cases, are not considered “specialty dockets.”
Rule 1:25.Specialty Dockets.
Part One: General Rules Applicable to All Proceedings · Last amended 2024 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1:25 defines what qualifies as a “specialty docket” in Virginia’s courts, recognizes recovery court, veterans, and behavioral health dockets as the only current types, and sets the authorization, oversight, financing, and evaluation process a circuit or district court must follow to start or continue one.
Full Text of Rule 1:25
(b) Types of Specialty Dockets. — The Supreme Court of Virginia currently recognizes only the following three types of specialty dockets: (i) recovery court dockets as provided for in the Recovery Court Act, § 18.2-254.1, (ii) veterans dockets, and (iii) behavioral health dockets as provided for in the Behavioral Health Docket Act, § 18.2-254.3. Recovery court dockets offer judicial monitoring of intensive treatment and strict supervision in drug and drug-related cases. Veterans dockets offer eligible defendants who are veterans of the armed services with substance dependency or mental illness a specialized criminal specialty docket that is coordinated with specialized services for veterans. Behavioral health dockets offer defendants with diagnosed behavioral or mental health disorders judicially supervised, community-based treatment plans, which a team of court staff and mental health professionals design and implement.
(c) Authorization Process. — A circuit or district court which intends to establish one or more types of these recognized specialty dockets must petition the Supreme Court of Virginia for authorization before beginning operation of a specialty docket or, in the instance of an existing specialty docket, continuing its operation. A petitioning court must demonstrate sufficient local support for the establishment of this specialty docket, as well as adequate planning for its establishment and continuation.
(d) Expansion of Types of Specialty Dockets. — A circuit or district court seeking to establish a type of specialty docket not yet recognized under this rule must first demonstrate to the Supreme Court that a new specialty docket of the proposed type meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this Rule. If this additional type of specialty docket receives recognition from the Supreme Court of Virginia, any local specialty docket of this type must then be authorized as established in subsection (c) of this Rule.
(e) Oversight Structure. — By order, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may establish a
Specialty Docket Advisory Committee and appoint its members. The Chief Justice may also establish separate committees for each of the approved types of specialty dockets. The members of the Veterans Docket Advisory Committee, the Behavioral Health Docket Advisory Committee, and the committee for any other type of specialty docket recognized in the future by the Supreme Court will be chosen by the Chief Justice. The Recovery Court Advisory Committee established under Code § 18.2-254.1 constitutes the Recovery Court Docket Advisory Committee.
(f) Operating Standards. — The Specialty Docket Advisory Committee, in consultation with the committees created under subsection (e), will establish the training and operating standards for local specialty dockets.
(g) Financing Specialty Dockets. — Any funds necessary for the operation of a specialty docket will be the responsibility of the locality and the local court, but may be provided via state appropriations and federal grants.
(h) Evaluation. — Any local court establishing a specialty docket must provide to the Specialty Docket Advisory Committee the information necessary for the continuing evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of all local specialty dockets.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1:25 defines and regulates “specialty dockets” — specialized court dockets that offer judicial monitoring of intensive treatment, supervision, and remediation as part of how a case gets resolved. To qualify, a category of case must require more than deciding discrete legal issues, share a common underlying dynamic, need coordinated services and treatment, and focus on remediating the defendant using treatment and disposition options already available under the law. Dockets that group cases by subject area — unlawful detainer cases, or child support cases, for example — do not count as specialty dockets.
The Supreme Court of Virginia currently recognizes three types: recovery court dockets under the Recovery Court Act for drug and drug-related cases, veterans dockets for eligible veteran defendants with substance dependency or mental illness, and behavioral health dockets for defendants with diagnosed behavioral or mental health disorders under the Behavioral Health Docket Act. A circuit or district court that wants to start, or continue, one of these recognized dockets must petition the Supreme Court for authorization and show local support and adequate planning. A court that wants to create a type of specialty docket not yet recognized must first show the Supreme Court that the proposed type meets the rule’s criteria before seeking authorization for a local docket of that type.
The rule also builds an oversight structure: the Chief Justice may create a Specialty Docket Advisory Committee, along with separate committees for each recognized type, and those committees set training and operating standards. Funding responsibility falls on the locality and local court, though state appropriations and federal grants may help. Any local court running a specialty docket must report the information the Advisory Committee needs to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of specialty dockets statewide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a court docket a “specialty docket” under Virginia rules?
Under Rule 1:25(a), it must involve more than deciding discrete legal issues, share a common underlying dynamic among the cases, require coordinated services and treatment, and focus on remediating the defendant — not group cases by subject area like unlawful detainer or child support.
What types of specialty dockets does Virginia currently recognize?
Three: recovery court dockets under the Recovery Court Act, veterans dockets, and behavioral health dockets under the Behavioral Health Docket Act, as listed in Rule 1:25(b).
How does a local court start a recovery court or veterans docket?
It must petition the Supreme Court of Virginia for authorization before beginning operation, and must demonstrate sufficient local support and adequate planning for establishing and continuing the docket, under Rule 1:25(c).
Can a court create a new type of specialty docket that is not yet recognized?
Yes, but only after first demonstrating to the Supreme Court that the proposed new type meets the criteria in Rule 1:25(a); once recognized, a local docket of that type still needs authorization under Rule 1:25(c).
Who pays for a local specialty docket?
The locality and the local court are responsible for funding, though Rule 1:25(g) allows funding through state appropriations and federal grants as well.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order date June 21, 2024; effective August 20, 2024.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia, published by the
Supreme Court of Virginia. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: specialty docket Virginia courtsrecovery court docket Virginiaveterans docket Virginiabehavioral health docket VirginiaRule 1:25 Virginia