Rule 7A:4.Reporters and Transcripts of Proceedings in Court.
Part Seven A: General District Courts – In General · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7A:4 requires any court reporter to be sworn to transcribe proceedings faithfully and remain subject to the judge’s control, entitles any interested person to obtain a transcript on terms the judge sets, and permits proceedings to be recorded by any device the judge approves.
Full Text of Rule 7A:4
Text size
Reporters, when present, must be first duly sworn to take down and transcribe the proceedings faithfully and accurately to the best of their ability and are subject to the control and discipline of the judge.
When a reporter is present and takes down any proceeding in a court, any person interested is entitled to obtain a transcript of the proceedings or any part thereof upon terms and conditions to be fixed in each case by the judge.
The proceedings may be taken down by means of any recording device approved by the judge.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7A:4 covers how General District Court proceedings get preserved in writing when a reporter is present. Before taking down anything, a reporter must be sworn to transcribe the proceedings faithfully and accurately, and the reporter remains subject to the judge’s control and discipline throughout — the judge, not the reporter, has the final say over how the reporter’s work is conducted in the courtroom.
When a reporter has taken down a proceeding, anyone with an interest in the case can obtain a transcript of it, in whole or in part. Rule 7A:4 does not fix a price or a turnaround time; it leaves the terms and conditions for producing a transcript to the judge, decided case by case.
The rule also allows a proceeding to be recorded by any device the judge approves, rather than requiring a live reporter in every case. That lets courts rely on audio or video recording equipment as the means of preserving what happened, subject to the judge’s approval of the specific device used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a court reporter in General District Court have to be sworn in?
Yes. Rule 7A:4 requires a reporter, when one is present, to be first duly sworn to take down and transcribe the proceedings faithfully and accurately to the best of their ability.
Who controls how a reporter does their job in the courtroom?
The judge. Rule 7A:4 places reporters under the control and discipline of the judge presiding over the proceeding.
Can I get a copy of the transcript from my General District Court hearing?
If a reporter took down the proceeding, Rule 7A:4 entitles any interested person to obtain a transcript of it, or any part of it, on terms and conditions the judge fixes for that case.
Does a General District Court proceeding have to be recorded by a live reporter?
No. Rule 7A:4 allows the proceeding to be taken down instead by any recording device the judge approves.
Who decides what it costs to obtain a transcript?
The judge. Rule 7A:4 does not set a fee or timeline; it leaves the terms and conditions for producing a transcript to the judge in each case.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order dated November 23, 2020; effective March 1, 2021.
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:virginia general district court transcript requestcourt reporter rules virginia GDChow to get a transcript virginia general district courtrule 7A:4 recording proceedingsvirginia GDC audio recording court proceedings