How to Search Arlington County Court Records
The search you run depends on the court. Pick the court first, then the tool. Felonies, divorce, probate, and civil cases over $25,000 sit in the Circuit Court. Misdemeanors, traffic, and civil claims up to $25,000 sit in the General District Court. Juvenile and family matters sit in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, where most files are closed to the public.
Two free state systems carry case status. Circuit Court cases are in the Virginia Circuit Court Case Information system. District court traffic, criminal, and civil cases use the General District Court Online Case Information system. Both require you to pick an individual court. Neither covers every Virginia court in one search, and neither shows full document images.
The Circuit Court system tells users to log off when done and to avoid the browser back button.
- Decide which court holds the case based on the charge or claim.
- Open the matching state system and select Arlington as the court.
- Search by name, case number, or hearing date.
- Review the docket, parties, hearings, and disposition shown.
- Note the case number for any copy request.
- Request the full document from the clerk if you need it.
The state also runs a plain-language help page for first-time users. The Virginia find-a-case guide walks through which system to use and what each one covers.
It is a good starting point when you are not sure which Arlington court heard a case.
Arlington County Court Records Search Fields
Each portal asks for a few key fields. You do not need all of them. A name search works when you do not have a case number, and a case number gets you straight to one file. The Circuit Court system fields are listed below.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | Dropdown | Yes | Select Arlington Circuit Court; statewide search is not offered |
| Name | Text | Conditional | Used for party-name searches |
| Case Number | Text | Conditional | Used when the Circuit Court case number is known |
| Hearing Date | Date | Conditional | Used to pull a docket for one day |
| Verification | Input | When shown | System may ask for a CAPTCHA and needs cookies and JavaScript |
The district court system works much the same way. It adds a service-of-process search that the Circuit Court system does not have. The General District Court Online Case Information portal is shown below.
Choose Arlington General District Court, then pick one of the four search tabs.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | Dropdown | Yes | Choose Arlington General District Court |
| Name Search | Text | Conditional | Plaintiff or defendant name |
| Case Number Search | Text | Conditional | Known case number |
| Hearing Date Search | Date | Conditional | Court date |
| Service/Process Search | Text | Conditional | Shows service info when the court has entered it |
Note: protective orders, civil commitment, and emergency custody matters do not appear in the district court online system even when the case exists.
Circuit Court vs District Court Records
Arlington's trial courts split the work by case size and type. The Circuit Court is the only trial court of general jurisdiction in Virginia, so it holds the deepest record set. The two district courts handle the high-volume cases that touch the most people. The table sorts out which court keeps which records.
| Feature | Circuit Court | District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | General jurisdiction trial court | Limited jurisdiction |
| Criminal | Felonies and some misdemeanor appeals | Misdemeanors, traffic, preliminary felony hearings |
| Civil | Claims above $25,000, divorce | Claims up to $25,000, small claims, landlord-tenant |
| Other | Probate, wills, land records, name changes | Civil warrants, mental commitment hearings |
| Records system | Circuit Court Case Information | General District Court Online Case Information |
Appeals run between the two. An appeal from the General District Court to the Circuit Court is generally heard de novo. That means the Circuit Court tries the case again from scratch instead of just reviewing the lower court's record. Specialty dockets also run out of the Circuit Court.
The county's Recovery Court Program page notes that the treatment-court docket is open to the public, so those court records are not hidden.
Types of Arlington County Court Records
Arlington County court records fall into a few broad groups. Each court produces its own files, and the court that hears a case is the court that keeps the record. Land and probate records flow through the Clerk of the Circuit Court rather than a courtroom.
- Criminal records - felony files in Circuit Court; misdemeanors and warrants in General District Court.
- Civil records - lawsuits, judgments, garnishments, and landlord-tenant cases.
- Traffic records - citations, fines, and summonses in the General District Court.
- Family records - divorce in Circuit Court; custody and support in the J&DR Court.
- Probate records - wills, estates, and fiduciary qualifications through the Clerk.
- Land records - deeds, judgments, and financing statements for Arlington and Falls Church.
Juvenile and family files are the big exception. Most are confidential by statute, so a blank search result often means the record is restricted, not missing.
What Arlington County Court Records Show
A public case record gives a structured snapshot. It names the parties, lists the charges or claims, tracks hearings, and records the result. The free online systems show case status and docket data, not scanned documents. These fields appear across most Arlington County court records.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court identifier; Circuit Court uses CL for civil and CR for criminal |
| Court | Arlington Circuit Court or Arlington General District Court |
| Case Type | Civil, criminal, traffic, divorce, probate, or other type |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or Commonwealth and defendant |
| Hearings | Hearing date, time, courtroom, and result when entered |
| Disposition | Final result of the charge or the case |
| Financial | Fines, costs, and payment status, mostly on traffic and criminal cases |
Sensitive fields are held back. Social Security numbers, financial account data, medical details, and victim information are redacted or kept in a separate confidential addendum by rule.
Requesting Copies of Court Records
Online status is free, but the documents themselves are not. The Clerk of the Circuit Court handles copy requests by email, by mail, or in person. There is no online or phone payment for copies. For civil files, email civil-docrequest@arlingtonva.us. For criminal files, email CCT-DocRequest@arlingtonva.us. Give the case number if you have it, the party names, the document names, and how you want the copy delivered.
Fees are set per page, with a flat charge to certify a document for court use. The clerk tries to fill requests within two business days, though that varies with volume.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | $0.50 |
| Certified copy or document | $2.00 |
| Digital media such as video evidence | $10.00 flat (bring a new 32 GB USB drive) |
| Paper submission fee for civil filings | $5.00 |
| Land record image | $0.50 per page plus $2.00 transaction fee |
In person, the clerk takes cash, check, money order, or card with a 4% convenience fee. A defendant who asks for copies of their own criminal case file does not pay the copy fee. More clerk detail sits on the Clerk of the Circuit Court page.
Public Access Laws for Arlington County Court Records
Virginia leans toward open access. Nonconfidential court records are generally open for inspection and copying. The Freedom of Information Act sets the baseline for public records, and separate court statutes govern case files. Online access is narrower than what you can see at the counter, so a record that is not online may still be public in person.
Key Statutes:
Virginia Code § 2.2-3704 - Public records are open to inspection on request, and an office may charge actual costs and give a cost estimate first.
Virginia Code § 17.1-208 - Circuit court records are open for public inspection unless a law provides otherwise.
Virginia Code § 17.1-292 - Clerks may offer remote access to nonconfidential court records while protecting confidential material.
The state quotes the request statute on its own pages. The full text of § 2.2-3704 sets the response window and the cost-estimate rule.
It is the section a clerk points to when explaining copy charges and timelines.
For the broader open-government framework, read the Virginia Freedom of Information Act chapter.
The same chapter explains how exemptions are read narrowly in favor of access.
Sealed and Confidential Court Records
Not every file is open. Juvenile court records are confidential under Virginia Code § 16.1-305, with limited exceptions for parties, attorneys, and certain agencies. Adoption records, sealed and expunged criminal records, protective orders, and civil commitment matters are also restricted. Divorce files use a privacy addendum to keep personal identifiers out of public view.
To view a sealed record, a party usually must petition the court. The clerk cannot release a confidential file without a court order or a clear statutory right of access. For arrest and conviction questions, the Arlington County arrest records page covers expungement and what stays public.
Land and Probate Record Access
Two record sets run through the clerk instead of a courtroom. Land records, which include deeds, judgments, and financing statements, use a separate county portal. You can create a free account to search the index, but document images cost money or need a subscription. Arlington's land index reaches back electronically to 1869.
Probate records are public at the courthouse and through the STARR system for newer files. Older estate records use kiosk indexes and printed will books. See the Arlington County probate records page for the STARR date ranges and estate steps.