Fairfax County Busted Mugshots

Fairfax County busted mugshots and arrest records come from the Sheriff's Office, the Police Department, and the Adult Detention Center. Fairfax is one of Virginia's most populous counties with a large and active court and jail system. This page explains how to search for booking photos and arrest information, how to use the county's phone-based inmate lookup system, and what your rights are under Virginia FOIA law.

Fairfax County Adult Detention Center

The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center (ADC) opened in 1978 and has expanded significantly since then. The facility now processes approximately 3,966 bookings per year and houses more than 1,300 prisoners on average. Every person booked at the ADC is photographed (mugshot) and fingerprinted as part of the intake process. Personal property is inventoried and stored. Inmate housing assignments are based on security classification and behavior.

Unlike most Virginia counties, Fairfax County does not maintain a public online inmate roster. Inmate information is available through a phone system. Call the ADC at (703) 246-2100. Press 4 for confinement, then 1 for inmate information. Option 2 gives you bond amounts, release dates, and court dates. Have the person's full legal name, date of birth, or booking number ready. This is the fastest way to find out if someone is currently in custody.

Sheriff Stacey A. Kincaid oversees ADC operations. The facility houses only adult offenders. Juveniles are processed through the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and held at the Juvenile Detention Center. If a person you are looking for is under 18, a different set of agencies applies.

The screenshot below is from the Fairfax County Circuit Court website, where you can find information about criminal court records for people who have been processed through the Fairfax County court system.

Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit for information on criminal case records and how to access court documents tied to Fairfax County arrests.

Fairfax County Police Department Records

The Fairfax County Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports for all police-initiated arrests in the county. In 2024, Fairfax County reported 10,076 larceny-theft incidents, 533 aggravated assaults, 559 motor vehicle thefts, 435 robberies, 167 rapes, 388 burglaries, 17 murders, and 11 arsons. The volume of arrests is substantial. FOIA requests for arrest records and mugshots should be submitted to the Records Management Division.

Arrest records from Fairfax County Police contain comprehensive information. Public arrest records include the person's name, physical description, arrest date, time, and location, the alleged offense, booking information, bail and bond details, and scheduled court appearances. Records remain on file indefinitely unless expunged or sealed.

The Warrant Desk can be reached at (703) 246-4231. Active warrants in Fairfax County are issued under Virginia Code Ann. Section 19.2-71. Warrant information may be available through Virginia judiciary systems, though some warrants are sealed. Bench warrants for failure to appear are common. If you have a warrant, be aware that physical inquiries at police precincts may result in arrest if the warrant is confirmed.

The screenshot below shows the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office website, which handles the Adult Detention Center and maintains booking records for all Fairfax County inmates.

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office at fairfaxcounty.gov/sheriff handles all booking records, inmate custody, and FOIA requests for the Adult Detention Center.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Records

The Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk maintains felony criminal case records and has three locations: the main Fairfax County Courthouse, the Offsite Records Center at 2730 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 100, Merrifield, VA 22031 (phone: 703-246-6656), and the Historic Records Center. Criminal files are in the Criminal Division on the 4th Floor, Suite 409 of the courthouse.

Copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $2.00 per document. A triple-seal copy costs $2.50 per document. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court appeals are sealed and require photo ID to access. Many circuit court records can be searched online using the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. The Fairfax County General District Court handles misdemeanor cases and also maintains records of preliminary hearings for felony cases.

Court records differ from arrest records. An arrest shows what someone was charged with at booking. A court record shows how the legal process resolved that charge. In a large county like Fairfax, charges can be significantly altered between booking and trial. Reviewing both gives you the full picture.

How to Get Fairfax County Mugshots

Fairfax County does not maintain a public online mugshot database. There are a few ways to get booking photographs. The most direct is a FOIA request to the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office or the Police Department. Cite Virginia Code Section 2.2-3706(A)(2) in your request. That section mandates release of adult arrestee photographs taken during initial intake. The agency has five business days to respond.

For current inmates, the phone system at (703) 246-2100 is the fastest route. Press 4, then 1. Historical inmate records must be requested through the Sheriff's Office Records Division. The ADC cannot provide information about people who have already been released by phone. Written requests are needed for those cases.

The VINE system provides free real-time custody status for Fairfax County and lets you register for notifications. This is useful for victims and family members who need to track someone's custody status without filing formal requests. VINE is updated regularly and covers the ADC.

Statewide Resources

The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange holds official statewide criminal history data, including records from Fairfax County. A name-based search costs $15 using the SP-167 form at vsp.virginia.gov/services/forms/. Payment must be by certified check, money order, business check, or credit card. Turnaround is typically 15 days.

The Virginia.arrests.org site aggregates recent arrest records from local agencies across the state, including Fairfax County. It is a third-party site, not official. It can be a helpful starting point. Confirm what you find through official channels. The Virginia Sex Offender Registry is a free public tool updated daily, searchable by county, and includes photos of all registered offenders in Fairfax County. The VADOC Offender Locator covers anyone serving a state sentence.

Expungement of Fairfax County arrest records is possible if charges were dismissed or the person was acquitted. The petition goes to the Fairfax County Circuit Court under Virginia Code Section 19.2-392.2. Virginia's new sealing law effective in July 2026 will also let some convictions be sealed from public view under Title 19.2, Chapter 23.

The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810 can assist if your request for Fairfax County records is improperly denied. City of Fairfax Police Department charges $10 for arrest record requests. Fairfax County operates separately from the City of Fairfax, which has its own police department and records system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fairfax or are nearby in Northern Virginia. Each has its own sheriff and arrest record process.