Arlington County Criminal Court Records

Arlington County criminal court records are filed and maintained at the courthouse complex at 1425 N. Courthouse Road in Arlington. The Circuit Court handles felony cases and appeals, while the General District Court covers misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and preliminary hearings. Both courts are open Monday through Friday and provide online search access through Virginia's statewide court portals. Arlington sits just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., and is one of the most densely populated counties in Virginia. If you need to search, request, or get copies of criminal court records in Arlington County, this guide covers all of your options.

Arlington Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Arlington County Circuit Court is located at 1425 N. Courthouse Road, Suite 2400, Arlington, VA 22201. The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil cases over $25,000, and appeals from the General District Court. It also handles land records, marriage licenses, notary commissions, probate matters, and passport applications.

Criminal records maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk include indictments, warrants, arraignment orders, guilty pleas, trial transcripts, sentencing orders, and final dispositions. All of these documents are part of the public record unless a judge has ordered them sealed. Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an additional $2.00 fee. Triple-seal certifications, used when a record must be authenticated for use in a foreign country or another U.S. jurisdiction, add $2.50 to the base certified fee.

The Arlington Circuit Court website covers available services, contact information, and procedures for different types of requests. The court also offers secure remote access to land records for registered users, which is separate from the criminal records system. For online criminal case searches, use the CJISWeb system and choose Arlington County. You can search by name, case number, or scheduled hearing date. Criminal case numbers carry a "CR" prefix. Results are real-time.

Arlington General District Court

The Arlington County General District Court is in the same courthouse building, at Suite 1700. It handles traffic matters, misdemeanor criminal charges, and civil cases up to $25,000. There are three operating divisions: Traffic, Criminal, and Civil. The Criminal Division processes misdemeanor charges, sets bond, and handles initial appearances. The Traffic Division covers moving violations, fines, and license-related matters. There are no jury trials at this level.

Case information for the General District Court is searchable online through the GDC statewide system. The Arlington General District Court website also provides local court information, online case lookup, and links for online payment of fines and fees. This is one of the more tech-forward district courts in Virginia, with more online services available than many smaller counties offer.

When a person is charged with a crime that could be a felony, their first appearance is usually before the General District Court. The GDC holds a preliminary hearing to decide if there is enough evidence to send the case to the Circuit Court. If certified, the case moves up for grand jury consideration and, if indicted, a Circuit Court trial. Records from both stages are part of the public case file.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

The Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court handles cases involving juveniles, domestic violence protective orders, child custody and support disputes, abuse and neglect proceedings, and offenses committed by juveniles. This court operates separately from the General District and Circuit Courts, and many of its records are restricted from public access due to the nature of the cases and the involvement of minors.

The Court Service Unit attached to the J&DR Court provides intake screening, probation supervision, and family counseling services. If a juvenile matter is serious enough, it can be transferred to the Circuit Court for trial as an adult. In those situations, the Circuit Court record becomes public at that stage. Before transfer, records are typically not accessible to the general public.

If you need information about a J&DR case in Arlington County, contact the court directly rather than using the standard online portals. Most J&DR case data does not appear in the CJISWeb or GDC systems.

Arlington County Sheriff's Office

The Arlington County Sheriff's Office handles court security, operates the Arlington County Detention Facility, serves civil process, and maintains arrest records. If you need booking records, arrest reports, or information about someone who was held at the Detention Facility, the Sheriff's Office is the right contact. The Sheriff also serves subpoenas and court orders throughout the county.

The screenshot below shows the Arlington County Sheriff's Office website, which is the starting point for arrest-related records requests.

Visit arlingtonva.us/Government/public-safety/sheriff for contact information and directions on how to submit a records request to the Sheriff's Office. Arrest records held by the Sheriff are separate from court case files held by the Circuit Court Clerk.

Virginia State Police also maintains statewide criminal history through the Central Criminal Records Exchange. For a statewide background check, you would go through vsp.virginia.gov rather than the Arlington Sheriff's Office. The two systems are connected in that arrest and disposition data flows from local agencies to the state, but they are managed separately.

Online Search Tools for Arlington Records

Virginia maintains several statewide portals that cover Arlington County criminal court records. The Case Status and Information portal gives a quick way to check whether a case is active, scheduled, or resolved. No login is needed. You just enter the case number or party name and the court you want to search.

The OCIS 2.0 system offers a broader statewide search that covers multiple courts at once. This is helpful when a person might have cases in both Arlington and a neighboring jurisdiction like Fairfax or Alexandria. OCIS searches circuit and district records at the same time, saving you the step of checking each court system separately.

The screenshot below shows the Virginia General District Court search interface, which covers the Arlington GDC along with every other district court in the state.

Use the GDC system to search misdemeanor and traffic cases in Arlington County. Cases show party names, charge descriptions, hearing dates, and dispositions. Most results go back several years.

Record Access and FOIA in Arlington County

Court case records in Arlington County are public by default. You do not need to file a formal FOIA request to get a copy of a criminal case file from the Circuit Court Clerk. Walk in, ask, and pay the copy fee. The Freedom of Information Act, found at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37, applies more to records held by county agencies, law enforcement, and administrative offices. Under FOIA, a public body has five working days to respond. Criminal investigative files can be withheld for up to 60 additional days in active cases.

Criminal record access is also governed by Virginia Code § 19.2-389, which defines criminal history record information and sets rules for how it can be shared. Court records are treated differently from law enforcement records under this statute. The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides guidance on access disputes and can issue opinions when a request is denied. Their opinions are advisory but carry weight in practice.

Sealing Records in Arlington County

Virginia's sealing law covers dismissed charges and, starting July 2026, certain convictions. Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.1, you can petition the Circuit Court to seal a charge that was dismissed or resulted in acquittal. The petition goes to the same court that handled the case. Section 19.2-392.2 covers the process for dismissed charges. Section 19.2-392.12 lists offenses that can never be sealed, regardless of outcome.

After July 2026, the expanded law lets people petition to seal qualifying conviction records after a waiting period and if they have not committed new offenses. Arlington County residents who want to explore this option can start with the Virginia Courts Self-Help Center, which has plain-language guides on the sealing process and downloadable petition forms. You would file in Arlington Circuit Court since that is where the original conviction record sits.

Note: Sealing removes a record from public searches but does not destroy it. Law enforcement and courts can still access sealed records in certain situations.

Nearby Cities

The cities of Alexandria and Falls Church are independent jurisdictions adjacent to Arlington County. Each operates its own courts and records systems.

Nearby Counties

Arlington County borders Fairfax County and is near Loudoun County to the northwest. Criminal records for residents of those counties are handled by their respective Circuit Courts.