Printer
TextFairfax County General District Court
19th Judicial District of Virginia
The court that most people have contact with is the general district court. The general district court handles criminal misdemeanors, violations of local ordinances, traffic infractions, and preliminary hearings in felony charges.
General district courts also have exclusive authority to hear civil cases with claims of $4,500 or less and share authority with the circuit courts to hear cases with claims between $4,500 and $15,000. Examples of civil cases are landlord and tenant disputes, contract disputes and personal injury actions.
There is a general district court in each city and county in Virginia. General district court judges are elected by the General Assembly for 6 year terms.
The Fairfax County General District Court has three divisions: Civil/Small Claims, Criminal, and Traffic. A Court Services Division also serves the court providing supervised release options for defendants pending trial and probation services after conviction.
Judges
Hon. Penney S. Azcarate
Hon. Michael J. Cassidy
Hon. Stewart P. Davis
Hon. Thomas E. Gallahue
Hon. Lisa A. Mayne
Hon. Donald P. McDonough *
Hon. William J. Minor, Jr.
Hon. Mitchell I. Mutnick
Hon. Lorraine Nordlund
Hon. Ian M. O’Flaherty
Hon. Mark C. Simmons
* Denotes Chief Judge
Clerk
Nancy L. Lake
Email: gdcmail@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hours
The clerical office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Phone
The clerical offices of the Fairfax County General District Court may be reached by using the Court’s automated information line at the following numbers:
Traffic Division: 703-246-3764;
Fax: 703-352-7581
Criminal Division: 703-691-7320, Press 4, 3;
Fax: 703-273-0048
Civil Division: 703-691-7320, Press 4, 1; Small Claims: 4, 2
Fax: 703-246-5493
Court Services Division: 703-691-7320, press 4, 4
Clerk of Court: 703-246-2153
This information line can help you determine which court you need and transfer you to a clerk during office phone hours between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
TTY for all offices, for hearing impaired only, 703-934-1296
Location
The Court's address is:
Fairfax County General District Court, 4110 Chain Bridge Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030
The Fairfax County Courthouse is located in the City of Fairfax near the tall Massey Building. This is just south of the intersection of Rt. 123 (Chain Bridge Road) and Rt. 236 (Main Street or Little River Turnpike).
Public parking is available in Garage B located on Page Avenue, between West Street and Judicial Drive, for a charge of $2.00 per hour with a $10.00 daily maximum. A small surface parking lot located between the Massey Building and the Courthouse provides accessible parking spaces for those with a DMV permit or plates. Additional permit parking is available in Garage A, located directly behind the Massey Building, but you must ask security to admit you to this restricted lot.
On your day of court, plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your assigned court time. It can take awhile to get into the parking garage and may take 20 minutes or more to walk to the Courthouse from the garage and then you must pass through the security check point and metal detectors at the door of the Courthouse. If at all possible, leave your cell phone in your car. Cell phones that have cameras (or look like they have cameras) must be left at the security check point and this slows down the line considerably.
City and Town Courts
Fairfax County General District Court judges hear cases in three additional courthouses for the City of Fairfax and the Towns of Herndon and Vienna. Only traffic and criminal misdemeanors and infractions are heard at these courthouses; all civil cases are heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse. Felonies and misdemeanors charged under the State Code are heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse also. The City of Fairfax has its own court clerical office, while the Towns of Herndon and Vienna are staffed by clerks who travel from Fairfax only on days when court is scheduled.
City of Fairfax - 10455 Armstrong Street, Room 1, Fairfax, Virginia 22030.
Phone: 703-385-7866, Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Court: Tuesdays and Thursday only, 9:30 a.m.
Town of Herndon- 765 Lynn Street, Herndon, Virginia 22070
Phone: 703-435-6838 in Herndon on Wednesdays only. For Criminal case information, call 703-246-3305, for Traffic case information, call 703-246-3764.
Court: Wednesdays only, 9:30 a.m.
Town of Vienna- 127 S. Center Street, Vienna, Virginia 22180
Phone: 703-255-6312 in Vienna on Mondays only. For Criminal case information, call 703-246-3305, for Traffic case information, call 703-246-3764.
Court: Mondays only, 9:30 a.m.
Holiday Schedule for 2009
The Fairfax County General District Court will be closed during the following holidays:
Thursday, January 01 - New Year's Day
Friday, January 02 - New Year's Holiday
Friday, January 16 - Lee/Jackson Day
Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Monday, February 16 - Presidents' Day
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
Friday, July 3 - Independence Day
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day
Monday, October 12 - Columbus Day
Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans' Day
Thursday, November 26 - Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 27 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, December 24 - Christmas Holiday
Friday, December 25 - Christmas Day
Note: The Court publishes a closing calendar, available at all Clerical Offices, that also lists dates when clerical offices are open, but no court sessions are scheduled. These closings may vary by division and are subject to change.
Court Schedule
All trials at the district court level are heard by a judge. The cases to be heard each day are listed on a electronic monitors near the clerk's office or courtrooms. (Civil, Criminal, Small Claims, Traffic) located on the first and second floor of the Courthouse. Cases are listed alphabetically by the defendant's and plaintiffs last name. The courtroom assignment is listed next to each name.
Civil
Regular and Contested Docket: 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtrooms 2A and 2B, respectively. All civil cases arising in Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Herndon, and Vienna are heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse.
Criminal
Prisoner Advisement Docket: 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2K. These are video arraignments and are open to the public.
Criminal Bond Motions: 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2G.
Motions Docket: 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2J.
Advisements for Defendants released on bond: 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2J.
Regular Criminal Docket: 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2K.
Preliminary Hearing Docket: 2 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in various courtrooms.
Sentencing Docket: 2 p.m., third Thursday of each month in various courtrooms. (If third Thursday falls on a holiday, then fourth Thursday)
Small Claims
Regular and Contested Dockets: 9:30 a.m., Fridays only, in Courtroom 2G. (Additional dockets may be added as needed)
Traffic
Traffic Bond Motions: 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtroom 2G.
Regular Traffic Docket: 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, in Courtrooms 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 2H.
Sentencing/Non-Compliant Docket: 2 p.m., first and third Thursdays of each month in various courtrooms. (If scheduled Thursday falls on a holiday, then re-scheduled to next Thursday)
Continuance Policy
CIVIL – Consent by clerk; opposed by motion.
CRIMINAL – Misdemeanors by judge or motion. Felonies by judge with Commonwealth’s Attorney’s agreement.
TRAFFIC – Infractions – 1st by clerk, 2nd by judge. Misdemeanors by judge or motion.
Procedures
The Court publishes a booklet entitled " Administrative Procedures of the Fairfax County General District Court Governing Court Practice and Procedures " which outlines general information concerning the Court's procedures. You can view the file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Limited copies of the booklet are available free of charge at any of the General District Court's divisional clerk's offices in the Courthouse. To obtain a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader, follow this link: Get Adobe Reader
Legal Questions
Court employees can answer procedural questions and assist you with completing various court forms, however, they are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice.
If you have a legal question and do not know the name of an attorney, you may want to call the Fairfax County Bar Associations' Lawyer Referral Service at 703-246-3780 between the hours of 9am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. For a fee of $40, the Referral Service will give you the name and phone number of an attorney in your area who will consult with you for up to half an hour. The attorney will not represent you for this fee, but will attempt to answer your legal questions and advise you on how to best proceed with your case. The fee may be prepaid by Visa or Mastercard over the phone or you may pay at the attorney's office.
Free legal aid is available on civil cases for qualified individuals with low income through Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV). The phone number in Fairfax for LSNV is 703-246-4500.
If you reside outside of Fairfax County, the Virginia State Bar Association also maintains a Lawyer Referral Service at 800-552-7977.
Inclement Weather Policy
The General District Court rarely closes due to inclement weather. Interested parties should listen to television and radio announcements to specifically state that the Fairfax County General District Court is closed. If it is announced that Fairfax County Government offices (not the schools) are closed, then the General District Court will be closed also. Court closings, upcoming holidays, and other changes and updates pertaining to the General District Court may also be obtained by calling the GDC Announcement Line at 703-246-2377.
Fax Policy
The Fairfax County General District Court does not accept any pleadings, documents, or requests sent by fax. Items directed to the Court's attention should be sent by United States postal mail, other mail services, or by personal delivery.
Landlord/Tenant Cases
Landlord/Tenant cases are scheduled for hearing on Fridays at 9:30a.m. in the Civil Division of the General District Court. Most often, these cases are filed on an unlawful detainer (DC-421) form requesting possession of the property, plus any rent and/or damages that are due. It is very important to comply with the law when filing an unlawful detainer action, especially in regards to timeliness of service and any notice of termination that must be served prior to the filing of the unlawful detainer. The Court provides a handout on Landlord/Tenant Practice in the Fairfax County General District Court that may be requested at the Civil Clerk's Office in Room 302.
Cases involving foreclosure are heard on their own designated docket at 2:00 p.m., usually on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. A list of foreclosure docket dates is available in the Civil Clerk's Office in Room 302.
Case Information
General District Court case information is available online for all civil cases and for certain criminal and traffic cases (those that are pending, those that were concluded after January 12, 2001 and those that were concluded prior to January 12, 2001 that had unpaid fines and costs) at the following web site:
1. Under Case Information click on "General District Courts"
2. For Court, select Fairfax County General District from the drop down menu
3. For Search Term, enter your name: lastname, firstname
4. For Case type, select Traffic/Criminal or Civil
5. The default is "Active" cases. Change to "Inactive" or "Active/Inactive", if desired.
6. Click on "Search". Note: Do not use Search to Pay.
7. When you have finished using the application click the "LOGOFF" button and select "Courts" at the bottom of the page.
Note: Do not use the "Back" button on your browser within this application.
Prepaying a Traffic or Criminal Violation
Most traffic tickets and some criminal violations are prepayable by mail if payment is received by the court at least five days before your court date. You may pay by phone with the court or in person at the Fairfax County Magistrate's Office up to two days before your court date. You can pay through the Internet up to 3:30 p.m. the day before the court date. Payment can also be made in person at the Clerk's Office up to one day before your court date. If you decide to prepay your ticket, you will not have to appear on your court date. Please note: If you wish to pay by phone or Internet, please wait until at least two weeks after you received your summons to allow time for the police to forward the information to the court and for court staff to enter the data from your summons. Your summons information is not immediately available to the court.
To pay in person, you will need to come to the Clerk's Office located on the first floor of the Courthouse (Room 106) for traffic tickets or on the second floor (Room 204) for criminal violations during office hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To pay by phone, you may call the Traffic Division (703-246-3764) or the Criminal Division (703-691-7320) and pay by credit card using VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS or DISCOVER. To pay a traffic ticket by credit card using the Court's Interactive Voice Response System between 6:30a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, you must know your case or summons number. If you do not know your case or summons number you can go to the General District Courts Case Information system online to get your case number.
To pay through the Internet, you can go to www.courts.state.va.us click on General District Courts under Case Information. Follow the instructions and prepay certain violations by credit card using VISA or MASTERCARD. Payments made prior to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern time) will be posted by the start of the next business day. Payments made after 3:30 p.m. (Eastern time) will be posted within two business days. There is a $1.50 processing fee per pre-payable offense when paying through the internet.
To pay by mail, please mail your check, money order or "credit card information". You can fill out and print this form using Adobe Acrobat Reader. To obtain a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader, follow this link: Get Adobe Reader
Mail your payment to:
Fairfax County General District Court
Attn: Traffic (or Criminal) Division
P.O. Box 10157
Fairfax, VA 22038
Payment may be by cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, money order, or by check payable to the Fairfax County General District Court. The Fairfax County General District Court will not accept unrolled nickels, dimes, and quarters as payment of fines and costs or other fees if the total amount of such coins exceeds five dollars. Rolled nickels, dimes and quarters may be accepted if the payee's name and phone number are written on each roll of coins offered as payment. Unrolled loose pennies are not accepted as payment in any amount except as needed to make exact change up to one dollar. As with other coins, rolled pennies may be accepted if the payee's name and phone number are written on each roll of coins. This policy is necessary for the efficient operation of the court and to ensure the best use of staff time to better serve all those having matters before the Court. When paying in person or by mail, a copy of your ticket should be included with your payment so the correct fine will be credited. Fines which remain unpaid after 15 days following the court date will result in DMV suspending your privilege to drive in Virginia. Please call DMV if you have any questions concerning points assessed against your license. General District Court judges do not have authority to reduce points.
Driving Points are assessed by the Department of Motor Vehicles
Unlike the State of Maryland, General District Court judges in the Commonwealth of Virginia do not have the authority to adjust or reduce points. After conviction, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) determines the amount of demerit points to be assessed according to the severity of the offense. For further information about points, please call 1-800-435-5137 or visit the DMV Web site.
Directions to the Courts
To Fairfax Court: (4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA)
To Herndon Court: (765 Lynn Street, Herndon, VA)
To Vienna Court: (127 South Center Street, Vienna, VA)
On your day of court, plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your assigned court time. It can take awhile to get into the parking garage and may take 20 minutes or more to walk to the Courthouse from the garage and then you must pass through the security check point and metal detectors at the door of the Courthouse. If at all possible, leave your cell phone in your car. Cell phones that have cameras (or look like they have cameras) must be left at the security check point and this slows down the line considerably.
Links
Commonwealth of Virginia brochure on General District Courts
Contact Us
Click here for directions to the court
Email us at gdcmail@fairfaxcounty.gov
Send us your message and we'll write you back. We can answer general questions about court procedures, prepayment amounts, fines owed, etc., however, we will not accept continuance requests, copy requests, or other official communications related to specific cases via email. If you have a specific request concerning a case that involves an action you need taken, please communicate via regular mail or call us.
If you email us, we will try to answer your message within 2 business days. Note: We will not resend responses or make application to anyone who blocks incoming messages or otherwise requires pre-approval for incoming email.
If you have a question about a specific case we will need the following information in your email:
Full Name (as it appears on your warrant or summons)
Case Number, Summons Number, or Warrant Number
Officer or Complainant Name
Charge
Law Section
Court Date
Driver's License Number(for traffic and criminal cases)
Daytime Phone Number(optional)
Any other information relevant to your question.
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