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The Clerk of the Circuit Court is a state constitutional officer who is elected to serve an eight year term. The Clerk is responsible for the proper management, as custodian, of records and documents recorded and filed, and serves as the administrative officer for the Circuit Court. Lancaster County records date back to 1652.

Some of the duties performed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and staff are:

• Properly filing and perserving all original suit papers
• Summoning witnesses for criminal and civil cases
• Preparing all cases appealed to either the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Recording deeds and other land transactions
• Recording wills/Qualification of Estates
• Issuing marriage licenses
• Docketing Judgement
• Recording financing statements, termination statements, etc.
• Microfilming all records, etc.
• Recording service discharge papers
• Jury mangement

The Clerk attends all court trials, maintains all court files and records, prepares court orders and assesses court costs and processes notices of fines and costs due.

The Code of Virginia lists over 800 separate responsibilities of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Clerk and staff also spend many hours assisting the citizens of the county and others who come into the office.

Circuit Court Clerks in Virginia perform duties that in many states are divided among three or four separate offices. In keeping with tradition, therefore, Virginia has saved its citizens significant tax dollars by combining judicial and administrative functions into a single office.