Arlington County Busted Mugshots

Arlington County busted mugshots and arrest records are maintained by the Arlington County Police Department and the Arlington County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county detention facility. Arlington has some of the most accessible public records systems in Virginia, including an online inmate query tool that lets you search booking photos, charges, and custody status. This page covers where to find those records and how to request them.

Arlington County Police and Busted Mugshots

The Arlington County Police Department handles law enforcement and maintains arrest records and incident reports for the county. Criminal history records from the Police Department cost $10 plus a $9 processing fee. You can request your own record or, with proper authorization, someone else's. For your own record, bring a valid government-issued photo ID. For another person's record, you need your own valid ID, the person's ID, and a notarized authorization letter.

Requests can be submitted by mail or in person to the Administrative Support Unit's Office of Records at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 2100, Arlington, VA 22201. The phone is (703) 228-4292. Email is ACPDRecords@arlingtonva.us. A third-party vendor is also available for online requests, which carry a $9 processing fee. FOIA requests for arrest records are accepted online, by mail, or in person.

Arrest records are public under Virginia FOIA, specifically Virginia Code §2.2-3706. Records that may be withheld include criminal investigative files, anonymous reports, and neighborhood watch records. Victim information under Virginia Code §19.2-11.2, juvenile records, and sealed or expunged records are also protected.

The screenshot below shows the Arlington County Police Department website, which includes the Records Unit contact page and online request options.

Visit the Arlington County Police Department to access record request forms and find contact information for the Records Unit.

The department maintains daily arrest logs that are updated regularly. Some recent arrest information may include photographs depending on how the log is formatted.

Arlington County Sheriff and Inmate Query System

The Arlington County Sheriff's Office operates the Arlington County Detention Facility and maintains inmate records, including booking photographs. The Sheriff's Office is located at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 9100, Arlington, VA 22201. Phone is (703) 228-4468. FOIA requests for arrest records can be emailed to acsofoia@arlingtonva.us.

Arlington County has one of the most user-friendly inmate search systems in Virginia. The online inmate query system at inmatewebquery.arlingtonva.us is accessible 24 hours a day. You can search by name, subject number, or booking number. The system also lets you filter by custody status and booking date range. Search results show the inmate photograph, the court in which charges are pending, the next court date, charge descriptions, offense date, bond type and amount, and booking date. This is one of the most detailed public inmate portals in the state.

The screenshot below shows the Arlington County Sheriff's Office website, where you can find the link to the online inmate query and submit FOIA requests for detention records.

The Arlington County Sheriff's Office site has links to the online inmate query system and provides contact information for records requests and FOIA submissions.

The Sheriff's Office transports inmates to and from courts, medical appointments, and other facilities. They assist the Police Department in traffic enforcement and court security as well.

Juvenile records at the detention facility are automatically expunged at age 19 if there have been no hearings in the previous five years, per Virginia Code. Some adult convictions may also be eligible for automatic sealing under Virginia Code §§19.2-392.7 through 19.2-392.11.

Arlington County Circuit Court Records

The Arlington County Circuit Court maintains all felony criminal case records for the county. Court files include charging documents, case proceedings, and dispositions. Arrest information is part of many of these files. Records can be accessed in person at the courthouse or by written request to the Clerk's Office. The Clerk follows Virginia's public records laws and provides copies of records that are not sealed or restricted by court order.

The screenshot below shows the Arlington County Circuit Court website, which provides access to court services, contact information, and clerk's office hours.

The Arlington County Circuit Court page gives you contact details for the clerk's office and links to online court resources for criminal case lookups.

Case records can also be searched through the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. The system covers Arlington County and shows case status, hearing dates, and charge information.

Arlington General District Court and Misdemeanor Cases

The Arlington County General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases and preliminary hearings for felonies. The court maintains records of charges and proceedings. Arrest information is often part of case files at this level. Records are public unless a judge has ordered them sealed. You can search General District Court cases through the statewide Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System along with circuit court cases.

Misdemeanor records show up in the same online system as felony records. Search by name or case number to pull up case status, charge descriptions, and hearing information. For booking photographs associated with misdemeanor arrests, you still need to contact the Police Department or the Sheriff's Office directly. Court records and booking records are maintained by different offices and don't automatically include each other's documents.

FOIA and Public Records in Arlington County

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act covers all public agencies in Arlington County. The key statute is Virginia Code §2.2-3706, which mandates release of adult arrestee photographs taken at booking, criminal incident information for felonies, and adult arrestee identity and charge information. Agencies must respond to FOIA requests within five working days.

Records that can be withheld include active criminal investigation files, anonymous tip reports, juvenile records, victim identities under Virginia Code §19.2-11.2, and records of confidential informants. A mugshot can be held back temporarily if releasing it would harm an ongoing felony investigation. Once that risk is gone, the record must be released. Arlington County processes many FOIA requests each year given the county's size and proximity to federal agencies.

Starting July 1, 2021, expanded access to criminal investigative files became available under Virginia Code §2.2-3706.1. You can now request files from closed investigations. The agency may take up to 60 additional working days to respond for these types of requests but must communicate within the initial five-day window if additional time is needed.

State-Level Arrest Records Databases

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange is the official statewide criminal history repository. A name-based search costs $15 using the SP-167 form and takes about 15 days. The CCRE holds fingerprints, photographs, and criminal history from agencies across Virginia, including Arlington County. This is the most complete criminal history source available, though it takes longer than checking local systems directly.

For a quick online search, virginia.arrests.org aggregates recent arrest records and mugshots from participating Virginia jurisdictions. It is a third-party site, not a government source, but it covers many counties and cities including the Northern Virginia area. Use it as a starting point rather than a definitive reference.

The Virginia Department of Corrections Offender Locator is another tool for finding individuals in state prison. It includes offender photographs and current facility information. It only covers VADOC inmates. For Arlington County jail detainees, use the Arlington inmate query system instead.

Cities Near Arlington County

Arlington County borders several Northern Virginia cities and is part of the Washington, D.C. metro area. These cities maintain their own separate records.

Nearby Counties

Arlington County is surrounded by Fairfax County and is close to several other Northern Virginia counties. Check these if your search extends beyond Arlington.