Arlington County Bench Warrants

Arlington County bench warrants are issued by judges when a defendant fails to appear or breaks a court order. The Arlington County Sheriff's Office runs a public tool for outstanding warrant lookups. If you want to check an active capias, you can use the Sheriff's online search, the Virginia statewide case portal, or call the Circuit Court Clerk. This page walks through the main tools and offices for finding Arlington County bench warrants and related court records.

Arlington County Sheriff's Office Warrant Search

The Arlington County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) runs an online tool for the public to look up outstanding arrest warrants and bench warrants. The goal is to keep the community informed about open warrants and to get people with capias orders to come in on their own. The office serves all civil process and criminal warrants issued by Arlington courts. They also work with the Arlington County Police on joint warrant service.

You can find more info on the ACSO public page and warrant tool at arlingtoncountyjail.org. The Arlington jail roster site at arlingtonjailroster.org has extra info on current inmates and booking data.

Arlington is one of the most active counties in Virginia for warrant work. It sees a large volume of court traffic because of its dense population and proximity to Washington, D.C.

Arlington County Police Department

The Arlington County Police Department works with the Sheriff's Office on warrant execution. Officers can make arrests on bench warrants during traffic stops, investigations, or routine checks. The department's public page at police.arlingtonva.us has contact info and news updates.

The department shares warrant info with state and federal partners. The Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) links local warrants with the state system, and the NCIC links them to federal databases. That means an Arlington County bench warrant can be picked up by an officer anywhere in the country.

Note: Arlington's position near the D.C. metro area means many warrants are served out of state, with cooperation from local and federal agencies.

Arlington County Courts

Arlington County operates a Circuit Court, a General District Court, and a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Judges in all three can sign bench warrants. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps felony case files. The General District Court handles misdemeanors and traffic. Most bench warrants in Arlington come from missed dates in the General District Court.

The county government site at arlingtonva.us has links to each court and court office. The Virginia Judicial System portal at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home covers Arlington County case info for both General District and Circuit Court.

When a judge signs a capias, the Sheriff enters it in VCIN. The warrant stays open until the person is picked up or the judge recalls it. Under Va. Code § 19.2-76, any officer in Virginia can execute a warrant issued anywhere in the state.

Arlington County Courts Image

The Arlington County Courts system covers Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. View the county site at arlingtonva.us.

You can click through the county site to reach the Sheriff, the police, and the court clerks for warrant questions.

Virginia Law on Bench Warrants

Failing to appear is its own crime under Va. Code § 19.2-128. For a base misdemeanor, the failure to appear is a Class 1 misdemeanor. That can bring up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. For a base felony, the charge is a Class 6 felony with one to five years in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

Bench warrants do not expire. They stay active until they are served or the judge recalls them. Under Va. Code § 19.2-76.1, the Circuit Court can order the destruction of some unexecuted warrants after three years, but most bench warrants stay active well beyond that.

For criminal history checks, the Virginia State Police handles mail-in requests under Va. Code § 19.2-389. Use form SP-167. The fee is $15 per search.

Public Access and FOIA

Arlington County warrant records are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. You can read about the law at Va. Code § 2.2-3700. You can send a written FOIA request to the Sheriff or the court clerk. They have five working days to reply.

Juvenile warrants are sealed. Active case files can be held back to protect ongoing work. Informant details are always redacted. All other warrant files should be open.

You can also check the state-level Virginia Department of Corrections Most Wanted list at vadoc.virginia.gov for parole absconders who have active warrants tied to corrections.

Note: Arlington County's bench warrant volume is higher than most small counties due to population and commuter traffic through the area.

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