Find Criminal Records in Falls Church

Falls Church criminal history records are split between two court systems. Misdemeanor and traffic cases go through the Falls Church Combined District Court, which handles local criminal matters within the city. Felony cases move to the Arlington County Circuit Court, which serves the City of Falls Church under a shared arrangement as part of the 17th Judicial Circuit. Falls Church is one of the smallest independent cities in Virginia, but it has a full set of court services and law enforcement. You can search Falls Church criminal records online at no cost through the Virginia Judiciary's public search portals.

Falls Church Circuit Court Criminal Records

Felony criminal cases from the City of Falls Church are heard at the Arlington County Circuit Court. This court serves both Arlington County and the City of Falls Church as part of the 17th Judicial Circuit. Arlington County provides the judges and assistant commonwealth's attorneys for all proceedings that fall under the circuit court's jurisdiction. If you are looking for felony case records tied to Falls Church, that is where you search.

The circuit court handles all felony cases, appeals from the district courts, and complex civil matters. It is the court of general jurisdiction. Criminal records at this level include indictments, trial transcripts, sentencing orders, and all other official case documents. The clerk's office keeps these records and allows public inspection of non-confidential files during regular business hours.

The Falls Church Combined District Courts portal at fallschurchva.gov/242/Courts-Court-Services-Aurora-House shows contact information for all local court services. The site covers the General District Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

The Falls Church Combined District Courts page provides contact details for all court divisions, including criminal, traffic, civil, and juvenile matters handled within the city.

General District Court in Falls Church

The Falls Church General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, DWIs, arraignments, and preliminary hearings for felony matters. The court is located at City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA 22046. Clerk Shana Gooden leads the office. Phone for traffic and criminal matters: (703) 248-5096. Hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fax: (703) 248-5115.

The court has separate divisions for different case types. Juvenile and Domestic Relations cases go through (703) 248-5099. The civil division is at (703) 248-5098. Small claims is at (703) 248-5157. Prepayment recording is at (703) 248-5095. The daily court schedule runs traffic at 9:00 a.m., followed by arraignments, criminal matters, DWIs, motions, and preliminary hearings at 10:00 a.m., and civil cases at 11:30 a.m. The General District Court also works alongside the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court as part of the Falls Church Combined District Court system.

Falls Church Police and Sheriff

The Falls Church City Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. For arrest records and incident reports specific to Falls Church, contact the police department's records division. The City of Falls Church also has its own Sheriff's Office, established by the Virginia Constitution. The Sheriff is elected every four years by city residents. The Sheriff's Office focuses on courthouse and clerk's office security, inmate transport and extraditions, and service of civil processes including warrants, subpoenas, legal notices, and eviction orders.

The Sheriff and deputy sheriffs are state-certified law enforcement officers who also assist the Police Department with general law enforcement duties. For statewide criminal history that includes Falls Church cases, the Virginia State Police maintain the Central Criminal Records Exchange. Visit vsp.virginia.gov/criminal-record-check/ to learn how to request a criminal history record through the CARE program.

Search Falls Church Criminal History Online

The OCIS portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search is the main free tool for searching Falls Church criminal records online. It shows case data from both circuit courts and general district courts across Virginia. Search by name or case number. Results include charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. The system does not show sealed, juvenile, or expunged records.

The GDC portal at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/ lets you search Falls Church General District Court records directly. Select Falls Church from the court list when searching. For circuit court records, use Arlington County, since the Arlington Circuit Court handles all Falls Church felony cases. The Virginia Courts case information portal at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home links to all available tools and is a good place to start if you are not sure which system to use.

You can also go in person. For misdemeanor and local criminal records, visit the General District Court at City Hall, 300 Park Ave. For felony records, go to the Arlington County Circuit Court. Call ahead to confirm what ID or paperwork you need to bring. Certified copies of court records carry a per-page fee.

Virginia State Police Criminal Record Checks

The Virginia State Police maintain statewide criminal history records through the Central Criminal Records Exchange. This database covers convictions and dispositions from Falls Church and all other Virginia jurisdictions. Access is regulated by Virginia Code § 19.2-389. Any person may request their own criminal history using Form SP-167 through the CARE program at vsp.virginia.gov/criminal-record-check/.

The CARE program office is at Virginia State Police, Civil and Applicant Records Exchange, 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Phone: (804) 674-8028. Fax: (804) 968-0322. Email: Background_Checks@vsp.virginia.gov. Requests for another person's record must include notarized signatures from both the requester and the subject unless covered by a statutory exception.

VADOC Inmate Locator

For people convicted in Falls Church and serving time in a Virginia state prison, the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Locator at vadoc.virginia.gov/general-public/inmate-locator/ is a free public search tool. Look up by name to find the current facility, custody level, and projected release date. People held before trial or on shorter sentences may be housed at a local facility rather than in the state system. For those cases, contact the Arlington County Detention Facility, which serves the area covering Falls Church.

Criminal Records Access in Falls Church

Virginia circuit court records are public under Virginia Code Title 17.1. For Falls Church, felony criminal records are held at the Arlington County Circuit Court. The clerk there allows public inspection of non-confidential case files during business hours. No FOIA request is needed. Open court records fall under Title 17.1, not the Virginia FOIA statute. Copies carry a per-page fee set by the clerk.

Misdemeanor records from the Falls Church General District Court are also accessible to the public through the online OCIS tool or in person at the General District Court clerk's office at City Hall. Records in the district court are kept for ten years from the date of judgment under Virginia Code Section 16.1-69.55. Sexual offense convictions require a 50-year retention period under recent law changes.

A full criminal history report on another person requires going through the Virginia State Police under Virginia Code § 19.2-389. Juvenile records, sealed cases, and expunged records are not available to the public through any search portal.

Nearby Virginia Cities

These independent cities are near Falls Church in northern Virginia. Each handles criminal records through its own court system or a shared circuit court arrangement.