Land Records FAQs

Virginia’s Circuit Court Deed Calculation system

No. Tax assessment information can be found at the Department of Real Estate Assessments site. Questions about real estate assessments should be directed to the Department of Real Estate Assessments at 703-228-3920.

Documents submitted for recordation must comply with all mandatory recordation requirements set forth in the Code of Virginia. Learn about deeds conveying no more than four residential units. The party preparing the document must include a contact phone number on the first page of the document.

Effective January 19, 2016 – Land Records cover sheets are no longer required

Yes, documents involving real property located in Arlington and the City of Falls Church are recorded in the Arlington County Circuit Court’s Land Records Division. Prior to 1988, documents involving real property located in the City of Falls Church were recorded in the Fairfax County Circuit Court and remain there. Learn more at Land Records Research.

Checks should be payable to “Clerk, Arlington Circuit Court.”

Land records research can be performed by the general public in person, online, or by mail.  Learn more at Land Records Research.

The parties named in a deed cannot be modified after the deed has been recorded. If you wish to change the status of the title to your property, a new deed that effectuates the desired change should be prepared and recorded. Learn more at Deed Modifications and Title Changes.

Your address can be changed by completing and submitting Change of Address for Tax Billing form.

No, the appropriate language in a deed varies depending on the circumstances of each situation, and as a result there are no form deeds available. The Land Records Division staff cannot provide advice as to what language should be included in a deed, nor an opinion on the legal implications of language contained in a deed that has been recorded. Learn more at Deed Modifications and Title Changes.

Yes – go to to the Land Records Forms page.

Often nothing. A Certificate of Satisfaction is the only thing that needs to be recorded to show that a loan has been paid off, and within ninety days after a loan is paid off, the lender should cause a Certificate of Satisfaction to be filed in the land records. Learn more at Paid-off Loans.

For property located in Arlington County, use Arlington’s Property Data Search. For property located in the City of Falls Church, use the Falls Church Real Estate Assessment Information Database. Follow the instructions on the sites to locate information about the correct property. The RPC number, which is 8 digits, will be identified on the property’s information page.

The Land Records Division does not have surveys or plats for individual properties, but the purchaser might. Learn more.

No. In Virginia, although foreclosure sales are often held on a courthouse’s steps, the court is usually not involved with the sale and cannot provide information about upcoming sales. If you are seeking information about a sale that you saw advertised, it is suggested that you contact the law firm or other party that is conducting the sale. The party conducting the sale is usually referenced in the advertisement.

No.  Please see the Arlington County Department of Human Services Vital Records page.

No, the Clerk’s Office staff cannot notarize a document for you. The Sheriff’s Office located on the 9th floor of the Arlington Courthouse does, however, usually have notary services available for a fee during its business hours.

See the Judgments section for information about fees, which vary based on the type of judgment filed.

Yes, the Land Records Division handles the filing of Financing Statements and Financing Statement Amendments (i.e. assignment, change, continuation, or termination).