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Circuit Court – 17th Judicial Circuit

Proposed Amendment to Virginia Constitution

On September 23, 2024, Arlington County Land Records Division will move to a new land records search platform. ROAM will be available until October 1, 2024. The new platform is called Cloud Search and can be accessed here: Search (arlington.va.publicsearch.us). If you are a paid ROAM subscriber or government user, you will receive an email to access your new account on this site. If you are an free user, you can use this link to open an account and buy document copies directly from this site. Note: Cloud Search has verified documents through July 31, 2024. On September 23, 2024 Cloud Search will be include all additional documents through the current date.

The Circuit Court Clerk’s office is open to walk-in customers daily from 8am – 4pm. Considering the COVID pandemic, customers are encouraged to use remote processes as much as possible. Please use the eRecording and eFiling systems for fastest service. Effective March 15, 2021, the Circuit Court Clerk’s office no longer accepts filings sent by email.

Marriage license issuance is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. For more information, please visit our marriage page.

Effective January 3, 2022, the Circuit Court Clerk’s office will now charge a $5.00 paper submission fee for all Civil matters initiated in paper. For Circuit Court fee calculations, please visit: Circuit Court Civil Filing Fee Calculation (state.va.us)

Arlington County Circuit Court’s Online Payment System

Arlington Circuit Court Jury Fraud Alert

Circuit Court of Arlington/Falls Church

arlington_courthouse

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is an elected constitutional office in each county and large city in Virginia and performs more varied functions than any other office in the Commonwealth.

Paul Ferguson was elected to serve as Clerk of the Circuit Court of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church beginning January 1, 2008.

The Circuit Court is the only trial court of general jurisdiction in Virginia. In Arlington, the 17th Judicial District includes the City of Falls Church. Circuit Court judges are elected by a majority vote of each House of the General Assembly, and serve for eight-year terms.

The 17th Judicial Circuit is comprised of four judges: Honorable Judith L. Wheat, Chief Judge; Honorable Daniel S. Fiore II; Honorable Louise M. DiMatteo; and Honorable Daniel T. Lopez.

Courtroom Technologies Overview(PDF, 1MB)

Information on inclement weather and closings

Clerk’s Office Contact Information

(Mon. – Fri. 8am to 4pm)
1425 N Courthouse Rd, 6th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
Email Circuit Court

Civil Division (Suite 6700): 703-228-7010
Criminal Division (Suite 6100): 703-228-4399
Land Records (Suite 6200): 703-228-4369
Probate (Suite 6300): 703-228-4376
Judicial Chambers: 703-228-7000
Courtroom technology requests: ccttech@arlingtonva.us
Freedom of Information (FOIA) Officer: Steven Beiles

Address and Hours of Operation

Cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted in the Courthouse. View courthouse security policy.

“Pursuant to VA Code § 2.2-3704, the Circuit Court Clerk’s office will notify a requester that it will charge for accessing, duplicating and supplying records in response to a FOIA request and provide the option to receive a cost estimate in advance”.

Circuit Court Judges

The 17th Judicial Circuit is comprised of four circuit court judges administering litigation for the Arlington County and the City of the Falls Church. The Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in Virginia.

Civil Actions and FAQs

The Circuit Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the General District Court over civil claims from $4,500 to $25,000 and exclusive jurisdiction over civil cases with claims of more than $25,000.

Civil Rights Restoration

Virginia moved to an automatic restoration of rights for non-violent felons effective July 15, 2013.

Copy/Document Requests

The case files maintained by Arlington Circuit Court Clerk's Office are public records, however some documents within these files may be confidential in nature or sealed by a Judge and thus are not accessible for public viewing or copying. To request documents from case files, please send an email to the appropriate address.

Concealed Handgun Permits

Virginia Resident Concealed Handgun Permits (CHP) are issued by the Circuit Court of the Virginia county or city where the applicant resides.

Confession of Judgment

An action in which the defendant, debtor, or attorney-in-fact provides written confession of a claim against the defendant/debtor and consents to entry of a judgment in favor of the creditor/plaintiff.

Criminal Division Self-Represented Forms

self-represented notice and motion forms for Arlington County Circuit Court. The forms are not intended to provide you with any legal advice regarding your case.

Divorce

To obtain a divorce in Virginia, either you or your spouse must be a resident of Virginia for at least six months prior to filing for divorce. If there are no children from the marriage, you must be separated for a minimum of six months and have a written property settlement agreement before you may file for divorce.

Drug Treatment Court

Arlington’s Drug Court Program enhances public safety by providing a cost-effective, integrated system of treatment and judicial supervision. The program requires participant accountability with the goal of reducing recidivism and its effects on the community.

Expungements

Expungement is a process by which a record, or a portion thereof, is officially erased or removed after the defendant is not convicted.

Garnishments

A garnishment is a post-judgment collection process whereby a judgment creditor may levy against a portion of a judgment debtor’s wages or bank accounts.

Jury Duty

The Arlington County Circuit Court covers both Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, but not Falls Church residents who live in Fairfax County.

Land Records Division

The Arlington Circuit Court Land Records (Deeds) Office is open to walk-in customers Monday through Friday from 8:00 – 4:00.

Marriage Information

The Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office issues marriage licenses. A couple may go to any circuit court in Virginia to obtain a marriage license.

Name Change

To petition the Court for a name change, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Arlington County or the City of Falls Church.

Subpoenas

If attendance of a witness is desired in a pending court proceeding, or at a deposition in connection with such proceeding, any party may file a request for a witness subpoena. The request must be in writing.

Notary Public Qualifications

The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth is responsible for commissioning notary publics in Virginia, pursuant to §47.1-8 of the Code of Virginia. Please visit the Secretary's website for more information or contact their office by telephone at (804)786-2441. Page includes links to:
• Notary Application
• Notary Handbook

Payment of Court Costs, Fines and Restitution

Any individual who is required to pay criminal fines, costs and/or restitution by the Court may establish a payment plan with the Arlington Circuit Court Clerk.

Paul Ferguson, Clerk

Paul Ferguson was elected to serve as Clerk of the Circuit Court of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church beginning January 1, 2008.

Probate & Wills

NOTICE – Circuit Court Clerk’s office is now offering remote probate appointments. Please call the Probate office at 703-228-4376 for details.

Publications

An order of publication can be published in any newspaper that has been authorized by this Court to print legal notices and publications in accordance with §8.01-324 of the Code of Virginia.
An order of publication must be published in a newspaper prescribed by the court pursuant to §8.01-316 of the Code of Virginia.

TrueFiling

Project Paperless is an initiative by Clerk of the Circuit Court, Paul Ferguson, to streamline and automate Circuit Court files and to eliminate to the greatest extent possible the processing and tracking of paper court documents.