Falls Church Criminal Records
Falls Church criminal records are maintained by the city's own court system, which operates independently from any surrounding county. As one of the smallest independent cities in the United States, Falls Church has its own Circuit Court, General District Court, and Police Department that generate and store criminal case files. You can search Falls Church criminal cases online through the Virginia OCIS system, or visit the Circuit Court Clerk at 300 Park Avenue in person. The Virginia State Police CCRE also holds criminal history for Falls Church arrests dating back many years. This page covers every way to find and access Falls Church criminal records.
Falls Church Overview
Falls Church Circuit Court Records
The Falls Church Circuit Court Clerk holds all felony criminal records for the city. This includes indictments, arrest warrants, plea agreements, trial transcripts, sentencing orders, and final judgments. The Clerk is part of the 17th Judicial Circuit, which Falls Church shares with Arlington County. That shared circuit means some cases may involve Arlington judges, but the Falls Church Clerk's office keeps its own separate files and dockets.
Felony charges in Falls Church go through the Circuit Court. Class 1 through Class 6 felonies all land here. Convictions, acquittals, and dismissed felony charges are all on file with the Clerk. You can ask the Clerk to search by defendant name or case number. Copies of court documents cost $0.50 per page under Virginia Code § 17.1-275. Certified copies carry an additional fee.
| Office | Falls Church Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 |
| Website | fallschurchva.gov |
| Judicial Circuit | 17th (shared with Arlington County) |
| Copy Fees | $0.50 per page under § 17.1-275 |
Note: Falls Church is a very small city with a compact court system. In-person visits to the Clerk's office are usually quick, and staff are familiar with the local case load.
Search Falls Church Cases Online
The Virginia OCIS system at eapps.courts.state.va.us provides free online access to Falls Church criminal case records. You can search Falls Church Circuit Court and General District Court records by name or case number through OCIS.
The OCIS tool covers both court levels for Falls Church. For the General District Court, you can look up misdemeanor cases, traffic offenses, and preliminary hearings on felony charges. The system shows party names, hearing dates, charges, and case status. It does not charge any fee to use. You will need the person's full name or a case number to run a search.
The Falls Church General District Court handles all misdemeanor criminal cases. These include Class 1 and Class 2 misdemeanors, traffic crimes, and local ordinance violations. The General District Court is part of the 17th Judicial District. OCIS gives you basic case data online. For full file access, you need to go to the court in person or make a written FOIA request.
Falls Church Police Records and FOIA
The Falls Church Police Department at fallschurchva.gov/government/police is responsible for arrests and incident reports within city limits. The Department maintains its own records separate from the court files. Arrest records, incident reports, and mugshots generated by Falls Church police are available through a FOIA request to the city.
Virginia's FOIA law, explained at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov, governs how Falls Church responds to public records requests for criminal cases. Falls Church offices must respond to FOIA requests within five business days under Virginia Code § 2.2-3704.
To request police records from Falls Church, submit your request in writing to the city's FOIA officer. Include the date range, type of record, and the name or case number if you have it. The city may charge reasonable fees for staff time and copying. Some records may be withheld if they relate to an open investigation or contain information protected by law. The Falls Church city website lists contact information for FOIA requests. Virginia Code § 2.2-3706 addresses which law enforcement records can and cannot be disclosed.
Expunging Falls Church Criminal Records
Virginia law allows certain criminal records to be expunged under § 19.2-392.2. If your Falls Church case was dismissed, you were acquitted, or a nolle prosequi was entered, you may be eligible to file a petition for expungement. The petition goes to the Falls Church Circuit Court since that is where the case was disposed.
To file, you need the date of arrest, the name of the arresting agency (Falls Church Police Department), the specific charge, the date the case closed, and your date of birth. The petition must be served on the Falls Church Commonwealth's Attorney. The Commonwealth's Attorney has 21 days to respond. If no objection is filed and you have no prior record, you are generally entitled to expungement for misdemeanor charges. Felony expungements require more review by the judge.
If the court grants the expungement, the Falls Church Circuit Court Clerk, the Police Department, and the Virginia State Police CCRE all remove the record. An expunged record is not visible in public court searches or standard background checks. The process can take several months from petition to final order.
Note: Convictions generally cannot be expunged in Virginia unless the conviction is later overturned or the governor grants a pardon.
Legal Help in Falls Church
Falls Church is a small city, and residents often look to the broader Northern Virginia area for legal aid resources. Several organizations serve people in this region with free or low-cost legal help for criminal matters.
The Legal Services of Northern Virginia at lsnv.org provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents in the Falls Church area. While they focus on civil matters, they can help with record-clearing and related issues. The Virginia State Bar's lawyer referral service at vsb.org can help you find a criminal defense attorney licensed in Virginia. The Virginia FOIA Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov offers free guidance to people who want to request public records from Falls Church government offices. Virginia Legal Aid at valegalaid.org also has resources for those seeking help with expungement petitions.
The Virginia State Police CCRE handles background checks through the SP-167 form. You can get the form at vsp.virginia.gov/forms. A name search costs $15. A combined criminal history and sex offender registry search costs $20. This is useful if you want to see what your own record shows before going to court or applying for a job.
The Virginia Sex Offender Registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov is free to search. You can look up registrants by name. Falls Church residents who are required to register must do so with the Falls Church Police Department within three days of establishing residency in the city.
Falls Church and Arlington County
Falls Church is an independent city and does not belong to any county. However, it shares the 17th Judicial Circuit with Arlington County. If your search involves nearby Arlington records or cases that overlap with surrounding areas, the Arlington County criminal records page has more detail on that court system.
Nearby Cities
These Virginia cities near Falls Church also maintain independent criminal court systems.