Fairfax County Bench Warrants Search
Fairfax County bench warrants are court orders that tell law enforcement to arrest a named person and bring them before a judge. With more than a million people in the county, Fairfax has its own Warrant Desk and its own online court case system. To search Fairfax County bench warrants, you can call the Warrant Desk at 703-246-4231, use the Circuit Court case search, or pull up the statewide case site. The Fairfax County Police Department and the Sheriff's Office both work warrants on the ground.
Fairfax County Bench Warrants Overview
Fairfax County Bench Warrants Basics
A bench warrant is an order signed by a judge. It tells police to arrest a named person and bring them to court. In Fairfax County, judges issue these orders when a defendant misses a hearing, ignores a subpoena, or fails to follow a court order. Virginia law calls the order a capias. The core rule sits in Va. Code § 19.2-128. Missing a misdemeanor date is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Missing a felony date is a Class 6 felony.
Fairfax County uses several types of warrants. Arrest warrants come out when a judge finds probable cause a crime was committed. Bench warrants come out for missed court dates and other court order violations. Search warrants involve the seizure of evidence. Bench warrants can cover anything from serious felonies to unresolved traffic violations. A capias does not expire on a set day and will sit open until the person is picked up or the judge recalls it.
Note: A Fairfax County bench warrant can be quashed in minor cases by scheduling a new hearing or setting up a payment plan for a fine.
Fairfax County Warrant Desk
The Fairfax County Police Department runs an open Warrant Desk for public inquiries. You can call 703-246-4231 to ask if someone has an active warrant. You can also email FCPDWarrant2@fairfaxcounty.gov. Staff typically respond within one to two business days. If you are an attorney, include the client name and date of birth. Ask how many counts are on file and when the warrants were issued.
Be careful. Visiting a law enforcement office in person can lead to arrest if an active warrant is on file. Many people call first or have a lawyer reach out. The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office runs the Adult Detention Center and handles inmates after arrest. There is no online inmate locator. To check on an inmate, call (703) 246-2100 and press "4" for confinement, then "1" for inmate info or "2" for bonds and release dates.
Active arrest warrants in Fairfax County can also be checked through local precinct stations. See the Fairfax County warrant search overview at fairfaxcountycourt.us/arrest-records for more context.
Fairfax County Warrant Records Image
The Fairfax County arrest records page gives an overview of how warrants get issued and served in the county. You can view the main page at fairfaxcountycourt.us/arrest-records for details on the Adult Detention Center and warrant process.
The page walks you through how to check an inmate, how the Sheriff's Office handles bookings, and how Fairfax County bench warrants feed into the detention center.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Records
The Fairfax County Circuit Court uses the Supreme Court Case Management System for case information. The online system is real-time and current. Clerk staff use the same system to answer public questions. You can reach the system at eapps.courts.state.va.us, select "Fairfax County Circuit," and click Begin. You can search by name, case number, or hearing date.
When searching by case number, use upper case "CR" for criminal or "CL" for civil. The Case Details screen shows party hearings and disposition. The Service Tab tells you if service on a capias has been requested, prepared, or returned to the Clerk's Office. For felony warrant questions, call the Circuit Court at 703-691-7320. For General District Court warrant info, call 703-246-3305 or email GDCMail@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The Fairfax County Courthouse is at 4110 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. The Magistrate's Office is at 10520 Judicial Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030, and can be reached at 703-246-2178. For case info system info see pwcva.gov/department/circuit-court.
Under Va. Code § 19.2-76, the officer making the arrest must endorse the date of service on the warrant and return it to the court. That date sets the bond clock and the speedy trial clock.
Fairfax Circuit Court Case Image
The Fairfax Circuit Court case information page explains how to use the Supreme Court Case Management System. You can read a walkthrough at pwcva.gov/department/circuit-court/court-case-information.
The page shows how to search by name, case number, or hearing date. It also shows the Service Tab that logs whether a Fairfax County bench warrant has been served.
Fairfax County Warrant Types
Fairfax County issues several kinds of warrants. Arrest warrants come out when a judge finds probable cause for a crime. Bench warrants come out for missed court or failure to follow a court order. Search warrants allow police to look for evidence and run on a tight clock. Under Va. Code § 19.2-56, search warrants must be executed within 15 days.
The Fairfax County Police Department also uses real-time location warrants for cell phone tracking in some cases. In 2020 the department reported 56 of these warrants. Bench warrants do not run on the same 15-day clock. They stay open until executed or recalled. A Fairfax County bench warrant can sit open for years and still be picked up during a routine traffic stop by an officer anywhere in Virginia.
For more background on Fairfax warrant types, see fairfaxcounty.virginia.recordspage.org/warrant-search.
Fairfax Warrant Search Records
The Fairfax County warrant search overview explains the three main types of warrants used in the county. You can read the full overview at fairfaxcounty.virginia.recordspage.org/warrant-search.
The page covers arrest, bench, and search warrants and gives tips for attorneys and family members who want to check on a Fairfax County bench warrant before turning a client in.
Online Warrant Lookup Tools
Fairfax County has more online tools than most counties. Use the Supreme Court Case Management System for Circuit Court cases. Use the Virginia Courts Case Information system for General District Court cases at vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home. The Virginia Judicial System Self-Help page at selfhelp.vacourts.gov walks you through how to find a case by name or case number.
The Virginia Department of Corrections runs a Most Wanted list at vadoc.virginia.gov for parole absconders. For a formal statewide check, use the Virginia State Police criminal history process under Va. Code § 19.2-389. The fee is $15. Form SP-167 must be notarized. For a general overview of how Virginia handles warrant records, see
Warrant Desk Contact Image
The Fairfax County Warrant Desk is the central point for public warrant inquiries. For background on how the Warrant Desk works with defense attorneys, see selectlawpartners.com.
The page covers how to call, what to ask, and how the desk works with the Sheriff's Office and Police Department on Fairfax County bench warrants.
FOIA and Public Records in Fairfax
Warrant records in Fairfax County are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The law sits in Va. Code § 2.2-3700 and after. A public body must answer a FOIA request within five working days. If that is not workable, the office gets seven more days to reply.
Send your FOIA request to the Fairfax County Police Department, the Sheriff's Office, or the Circuit Court Clerk, based on which records you need. Put it in writing. List the records you want. Small fees may apply for copies. Juvenile warrants are not public. Warrants tied to active investigations can be held back.
Note: Destroyed warrant files fall under Va. Code § 19.2-76.1, which lets the Circuit Court destroy unexecuted warrants after three years in some cases.
What to Do If You Have a Warrant
If you think you have a Fairfax County bench warrant, move fast. A warrant does not go away. Every traffic stop is a risk. Dulles Airport CBP officers have arrested travelers with open Fairfax County warrants. The best move is to call a Virginia defense lawyer who knows the Fairfax courts. Many people can get the warrant recalled by filing a motion to put the case back on the docket.
You can also turn yourself in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. A magistrate will set bond. Under Va. Code § 19.2-76, the officer must bring you before a judicial officer right away. In many minor cases, the warrant can be cleared the same day with bond and a new hearing date.