Arlington County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Arlington County are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk, the General District Court, and the Arlington County Police Department, all based in Arlington, Virginia. Arlington is unique in Virginia because it is a county with no incorporated towns or cities within its borders. If you need to find criminal records in Arlington County, you can search the Virginia Judiciary case portal online, request documents directly from the courthouse, submit a FOIA request, or check the Police Department's records unit. This page explains how each source works and how to use them.

Circuit Court Criminal Records in Arlington County

The Arlington County Circuit Court Clerk maintains all official felony criminal records for the county. The Clerk's Office is at the Arlington County Courthouse at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, Virginia 22201. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Clerk's page at arlingtonva.us provides contact information and guidance on record requests.

Felony criminal records at the Circuit Court include indictments, motions, orders, judgments, and sentencing documents. All are public unless a judge has ordered them sealed. The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System provides electronic access to case records for participating courts. Use the Virginia Courts case portal to search by name, case number, or hearing date. You can also see case status, scheduled hearings, and disposition records online.

Copy fees apply per page under Virginia Code section 17.1-275. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. The Clerk also maintains land records, marriage licenses, and probate records. The Clerk is an elected constitutional officer serving an eight-year term. The office provides notary services and administers oaths for court proceedings.

Arlington County is part of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. The Circuit Court hears felony criminal cases, civil matters over $25,000, family law cases, and appeals from lower courts. Arlington sees a high volume of criminal cases due to its dense population in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

General District Court Records

The Arlington County General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony charges. It is part of Virginia's Seventeenth Judicial District. Cases are heard by a judge without a jury. The court is located in the Arlington County Courthouse complex at 1425 North Courthouse Road.

General District Court records include warrants, summonses, judgments, and sentencing orders for misdemeanor offenses. These records are public information. The Virginia Judiciary online case portal provides electronic access with search capabilities by name, case number, or hearing date. Online payment options are available for certain traffic and criminal case types. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

For certified copies or a full file review, contact the General District Court Clerk at the courthouse. Copy fees apply for all document reproduction. If you only need case status or hearing dates, the online portal is the most efficient option.

Arlington County Police Department Records

The Arlington County Police Department provides primary law enforcement for Arlington County. The Department is headquartered at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, Virginia. It maintains arrest records, incident reports, accident reports, and investigative files for crimes occurring within the county. The Department also operates the Arlington County Detention Facility for pretrial detainees.

The Police Records Unit processes requests for incident reports, accident reports, and other law enforcement records. You can submit requests online, by mail, or in person. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, basic arrest and incident information is public. Records linked to active investigations, juvenile matters, or confidential sources may be withheld. The Department reports arrests to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange.

The image below links to the Arlington County Police Department website, which is the primary source for arrest records and incident reports in Arlington County.

The Arlington County Police Department handles records requests for arrest information, incident reports, and accident reports for crimes that occurred within Arlington County. Online request options make the process more accessible than many smaller counties.

The Department also provides various online services including crime mapping, crime statistics by neighborhood, and online reporting for certain incident types. Inmate information for the Arlington County Detention Facility is available through the Department's website and by phone.

Requesting Criminal Records in Arlington County

Arlington County has thorough FOIA procedures. The Arlington County FOIA page lays out the process for requesting public records, including criminal records held by county agencies. The County Attorney's Office oversees FOIA compliance, and individual departments have their own FOIA officers.

The image below links to the Arlington County FOIA page, which is the best starting point for submitting a records request to any Arlington County agency, including the Police Department.

Arlington County's FOIA portal at arlingtonva.us/foia provides online request forms, fee information, and instructions for requesting criminal records and other public documents from any county agency.

Arlington County must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. The county provides online FOIA request forms and accepts written requests. Fee schedules are set for document reproduction. If a large request will cost more than a set threshold, the county must provide a fee estimate before proceeding. If records are withheld, the county must state which exemption applies.

For court records specifically, contact the Circuit Court Clerk or General District Court Clerk at the courthouse on North Courthouse Road. For law enforcement records, submit a request through the Police Department's records request system. For a full statewide criminal history, use the Virginia State Police.

Virginia Criminal History Records

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange holds statewide criminal history data that includes Arlington County arrests and convictions. Arlington County agencies report to this database as required by Virginia Code section 19.2-390. A state-level criminal history check is more thorough than a search limited to Arlington County alone, because it covers all jurisdictions in the commonwealth.

The Virginia State Police Criminal History Records page explains how to request a statewide criminal history. Individuals can request their own record. Authorized agencies can request records for others under specific rules set by state law. This is useful when you need to know if someone has criminal records anywhere in Virginia, not just in Arlington.

Arlington's criminal records are governed by Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23, which sets rules for how records are collected, maintained, and shared across the state. The same laws that apply in rural Virginia counties apply in Arlington County.

Public Access and Expungement

Most criminal records held by Arlington County agencies are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. You can request court records, arrest records, and incident reports without giving a reason. Arlington County responds to FOIA requests within five working days. Fee schedules apply for searching and copying.

Some records are exempt from public access. Active investigation files are generally withheld. Records involving juveniles are sealed. Personal details that could identify confidential sources are protected. Arlington County's FOIA procedures are more formalized than many smaller counties, with online forms and a dedicated process through the County Attorney's Office.

Virginia law allows some people to expunge criminal records. The statute is at Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.1. If your charge was dismissed, you were acquitted, or you received an absolute pardon, you may qualify. File the petition in the Circuit Court where the case was heard. For Arlington County cases, that is the Arlington County Circuit Court at 1425 North Courthouse Road. After expungement is granted, the record is removed from public access databases.

Virginia expanded expungement eligibility in recent years. If you were previously ineligible, you may want to check again under the updated law. Legal aid organizations in the Northern Virginia area provide free or low-cost help with expungement petitions for people who qualify based on income.

Note: Arlington County's proximity to Washington, D.C. means some federal criminal records may also be relevant. Federal records are maintained by federal courts and are separate from Virginia's state criminal history system.

Communities in Arlington County

Arlington County has no incorporated towns or independent cities within its borders. It is one of the few Virginia jurisdictions where the county itself functions as the primary unit of government without internal municipalities. All criminal case filings from anywhere in Arlington County go through the county court system at the Arlington County Courthouse.

Well-known communities within Arlington County include Rosslyn, Ballston, Pentagon City, Crystal City, Clarendon, and Shirlington. All fall under Arlington County jurisdiction for criminal records purposes.

Nearby Counties

Arlington County borders several other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Independent cities like Alexandria and Falls Church operate their own courts, separate from county systems. Check where an offense occurred before searching for records.