Fauquier County Criminal History Lookup

Fauquier County criminal history records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk in Warrenton, Virginia, and accessible through Virginia's statewide court systems. The county is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit and sits in the northern Piedmont region. You can search criminal cases online for free, request certified copies from the Clerk's Office, or contact the Sheriff's Office for arrest information. This page covers all the tools and contacts you need to find criminal records in Fauquier County.

Fauquier County Circuit Court

The Fauquier County Circuit Court is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. The Clerk of Court is Hon. Gail H. Barb. The main office is at 29 Ashby Street in Warrenton, with a mailing address of Warrenton, VA 20186-3202. The Clerk's Office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, with the Record Room open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and recordation cutoff at 3:30 p.m. The Circuit Court maintains all official felony criminal records, civil case files, land records, and probate documents.

The court has specific email contacts for different types of matters: general information goes to [email protected], civil cases to [email protected], criminal matters to [email protected], estate filings to [email protected], and land recording to [email protected]. Terms begin on the 4th Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Grand Juries meet on the 1st day of Term, with indictments returned at 1:00 p.m. Misdemeanor appeals are heard on the 4th Monday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Court convenes at 9:00 a.m. with trials starting at 10:00 a.m.

The Fauquier Circuit Court page on the Virginia Judiciary website lists clerk contact details, email addresses for specific case types, court schedules, and term dates for criminal proceedings.

General District Court

The Fauquier County General District Court is part of the 20th Judicial District. The Clerk of Court is Whitney Danielle Thornton. The office is at 6 Court Street, Warrenton, VA 20186, and can be reached at (540) 422-8035. Fax is (540) 422-8033. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. This court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil matters under $25,000. Preliminary hearings for felony cases also take place here before transfer to Circuit Court. Records from General District Court are separate from Circuit Court files.

The Fauquier General District Court page lists the clerk, hours, and contact information for misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and preliminary felony hearings in the county.

Fauquier County Sheriff's Office

The Fauquier County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. Sheriff Jeremy A. Falls took office on January 18, 2022. The office is at 78 West Lee Street, Suite 200, Warrenton, VA 20186, and can be reached at (540) 422-8600. The Sheriff's Office operates the county's Adult Detention Center and offers an inmate lookup tool on its website. The tool shows current detainees with booking dates, charges, bond information, and court dates. For arrest records and law enforcement reports, contact the Sheriff's Office or submit a FOIA request.

Note: The Sheriff's Office website includes an inmate lookup tool for the Adult Detention Center. This is a useful resource for checking on individuals recently arrested and held in Fauquier County.

Search Criminal History in Fauquier County

The Virginia OCIS system is the main online tool for Fauquier County Circuit Court criminal case searches. Search by name or case number to find felony records, case status, hearing dates, and dispositions. The system is free to use and available 24 hours a day. Not all case types appear in OCIS. Juvenile records, adoptions, and sealed cases are excluded from the public search.

For misdemeanor and traffic cases from Fauquier County, use the General District Court online case information system. This covers lower-level criminal matters and traffic violations. The Virginia Courts case information portal is another option for tracking cases and checking court dates across all court types in Virginia.

If you need documents not available online, contact the Circuit Court Clerk at (540) 422-8100 or email [email protected] for criminal matters. Fauquier County also has an online FOIA Request Portal that allows electronic submission of public records requests for county agency records. For Circuit Court Clerk records that are already public, FOIA procedures are not needed. Contact the Clerk's Office directly. The Clerk can be reached at gbarb@vacourts.gov as well.

Virginia State Police Criminal Record Checks

The Virginia State Police maintains the official statewide criminal history repository. For a formal criminal history check, visit vsp.virginia.gov/criminal-record-check/ and use Form SP-167 to request your own record. Submit the form with identifying information and the required fee. The result reflects all Virginia criminal history on file, covering convictions and other matters from counties across the state. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, criminal history record information is restricted to authorized purposes. The State Police CARE system serves authorized agencies requiring direct system access.

VADOC Inmate Locator

The Virginia Department of Corrections inmate locator lets you find individuals serving time in state prisons. Search by name or inmate ID to see facility location, sentence information, and projected release date. This covers state correctional facilities only. For people currently held at the Fauquier County Adult Detention Center, use the inmate lookup tool on the Sheriff's Office website or call (540) 422-8600.

Public Criminal Records Access in Fauquier County

Criminal court records in Fauquier County are public under Virginia law. The Circuit Court Clerk's Office maintains all felony criminal case files. Anyone can inspect or request copies. You can visit the courthouse at 29 Ashby Street in Warrenton or contact the Clerk's Office by phone or email. Records can be located by name or case number. Copy fees apply. Certified copies require an additional fee. The Clerk's Office distributes final orders by email if an address is on file. Certified copies of divorce decrees are mailed.

For law enforcement records and other county agency records, Virginia's Freedom of Information Act applies. Fauquier County's FOIA Officer for Circuit Court records is gbarb@vacourts.gov. The county must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, criminal history information has specific access restrictions. Criminal investigative files held by the Sheriff's Office may take up to 65 working days to produce. Court records that are already publicly available are exempt from FOIA, meaning you can request them directly from the Clerk without going through formal FOIA procedures.

Records that are not open to the public include juvenile case files, sealed court documents, adoption records, and ongoing criminal investigations. For guidance on FOIA rights in Fauquier County, contact the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov or by calling (804) 225-3056 or toll-free at 1-866-448-4100.

Cities Near Fauquier County

Fauquier County sits between the Washington suburbs and the Shenandoah Valley. The nearest qualifying cities are listed below.

The town of Warrenton serves as the county seat and is the center of court activity in Fauquier County. Smaller communities include The Plains, Bealeton, and Marshall.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fauquier County. Check the county page for that jurisdiction if you need criminal records from a neighboring area.