City of Fairfax Busted Mugshots

City of Fairfax busted mugshots and arrest records are held by the Fairfax City Police Department, the Fairfax City Sheriff's Office, and the Fairfax City Circuit Court. The City of Fairfax is an independent city in northern Virginia, entirely surrounded by Fairfax County but operating as a separate government. It is not the same as Fairfax County, which has its own separate records system at Fairfax County records. This page covers how to find arrest records and booking photos specifically for the City of Fairfax.

Fairfax City Police Department Arrest Records

The Fairfax City Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the City of Fairfax. The department maintains arrest records, incident reports, and daily logs for all arrests made within city limits. Arrest records can be requested through the Records Division. The City of Fairfax Police Department charges $10 for arrest record requests. That fee is set by the department and covers the cost of locating and copying the record.

Under Virginia Code §2.2-3706, adult booking photographs are mandatory public records. The Fairfax City Police must release mugshots upon request for adult arrestees. The only exception is when releasing a photo would harm an active felony investigation. Once that reason ends, the photo must be released. Juvenile arrest records are protected and not available to the public.

The City of Fairfax is often confused with Fairfax County. They share a name but are completely different governments with separate police departments, jails, courts, and records. Arrests made by the Fairfax City Police Department are separate from arrests made by the Fairfax County Police Department. If you are looking for records from the county, see the Fairfax County records page. If the arrest happened inside the city limits, you need the City of Fairfax agencies covered here.

When submitting a records request, include the full name of the person, approximate date of arrest, and any case or report number. Staff at the Records Division can search by name and date. The $10 fee applies per request. You should call or check the department's website to confirm current payment methods and submission procedures before visiting in person.

The statewide Virginia Arrests database may have recent City of Fairfax arrest records where the city participates. This third-party resource aggregates booking data from multiple Virginia jurisdictions. It is not an official source but can be useful for checking recent bookings before going through the formal records request process.

The Fairfax City Police Department handles all arrest records and FOIA requests for incidents occurring within the city limits.

Fairfax City Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Fairfax City Sheriff's Office maintains booking records and inmate information for the city's jail. When someone is arrested in the City of Fairfax and taken into custody, the booking process creates a record that includes photographs, fingerprints, and charge details. Adult booking records are public under Virginia law. You can request them from the Sheriff's Office via a FOIA submission. The office must respond within five working days.

To check if someone is currently in custody in the City of Fairfax, use VINE, the statewide custody notification service for Virginia. VINE covers most Virginia city and county jails. You can search by name or offender ID and find current custody status. You can also register for automatic notifications when a person's status changes. VINE is free to use online or by phone at any time.

For inmates transferred to a Virginia state prison after sentencing, use the Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator. This free tool lets you search anyone in VADOC custody. Results include the current facility, release date, and an offender photograph. The tool searches by full last name and at least the first letter of the first name, or by a seven-digit offender ID number.

FOIA requests to the Fairfax City Sheriff's Office should include the full name, date of birth, and approximate booking date of the person you are searching for. Booking records, mugshots, and custody status are generally mandatory releases for adults under Virginia Code §2.2-3706. Fees apply for copies of records. The Sheriff's Office can tell you the current fee schedule when you contact them.

Fairfax City Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Fairfax City Circuit Court maintains criminal case records for felony offenses in the city. Court records are public and include arrest information, charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions. You can search these records online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System (OCIS). The OCIS system covers circuit court cases across Virginia and can be searched by name, case number, or hearing date.

The system shows case status and charges but does not display booking photos. For full case files or certified copies of criminal records, contact the Fairfax City Circuit Court Clerk directly. Staff can look up cases and provide copies for the standard per-page fee plus certification if needed. The Circuit Court handles all felony cases that originate from arrests made in the city.

Misdemeanor cases in the City of Fairfax go through the General District Court. You can find that court's contact information at vacourts.gov. Again, make sure you are searching the City of Fairfax courts, not the separate Fairfax County courts. The two jurisdictions have entirely different court files even though they are geographically close and share the same name.

Note: The City of Fairfax Circuit Court also handles civil cases and other matters. When searching for arrest or criminal records, specify that you are looking for criminal case files. Staff can help narrow your search once you make contact with the Clerk's office.

State Resources for City of Fairfax Records

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange holds the official statewide criminal history database. All City of Fairfax arrests are submitted to the CCRE. Name-based searches cost $15 using the SP-167 form and take about 15 days. Payments must be by certified check, money order, business check, or credit card. The CCRE is the sole criminal recordkeeping agency for Virginia and receives records from all local law enforcement including the Fairfax City Police Department.

Virginia's sex offender registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov includes photographs of registered offenders from the City of Fairfax and across Virginia. The registry is free to search online by name, city, or zip code. It is updated every business day. Under Virginia Code §19.2-390.1, this registry is publicly accessible online and includes offender photographs, current addresses, and offense details for registered individuals.

The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council is available if you need help understanding your rights when requesting records from City of Fairfax agencies. Contact them at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810. The council advises on mandatory versus discretionary releases under Virginia law. Adult booking photos are mandatory releases under §2.2-3706, not discretionary ones.

Expungements for City of Fairfax arrest records follow Virginia Code §19.2-392.2. If your charge was dismissed or you were acquitted, you can petition the Fairfax City Circuit Court for expungement. The process requires serving the prosecuting attorney, submitting fingerprints to the CCRE, and appearing at a court hearing. If the court approves, the arrest record is removed from public access. Virginia's record sealing law effective July 1, 2026 will also allow some convictions to be sealed for the first time.

The Library of Virginia sets records retention schedules for all Virginia law enforcement agencies. Adult arrest records from the City of Fairfax are maintained for 100 years from the subject's date of birth. This means records from many decades ago may still be on file. Understanding these retention rules helps you know which records are available and where to look for older arrest information.

Virginia Statewide Records Access

The Virginia Arrests statewide database aggregates recent booking photos and arrest records from the City of Fairfax and other Virginia jurisdictions, making it possible to search across multiple agencies at once.

Virginia.arrests.org provides a searchable index of recent City of Fairfax arrest records and mugshots alongside data from other Virginia cities and counties, aggregating information from local law enforcement agencies.

The Virginia FOIA criminal records statute establishes the legal basis for accessing City of Fairfax arrest records and mugshots as mandatory public disclosures under state law.

Virginia Code §2.2-3706 requires the Fairfax City Police Department and Sheriff's Office to release adult arrestee booking photos and charge information upon request, making these records publicly accessible without discretion.

Nearby Cities and Fairfax County

These locations are near the City of Fairfax in northern Virginia. Note that Fairfax County is a separate jurisdiction from the City of Fairfax and has its own records system.