Court Security


The Sheriff’s Office ensures the safety of 34 judges and 39 courtrooms in the Fairfax County Courthouse and the 7,000 people who visit the courthouse each business day. In addition, the Sheriff's Office provides security for courts in the towns of Vienna and Herndon and the City of Fairfax.

Courthouse Visitors and Attorneys

Deputies and judge examine paperwork in courtroom.

Prohibited in the Courthouse

  • Cameras, including cell phones with a built-in camera.
  • Guns, knives, ammunition, pepper spray, mace, razor blades, illegal drugs.
  • Any dangerous or hazardous material or property that could be used to injure or harm another person.

If in doubt about an item, leave it at home or in your vehicle. If a potentially dangerous or hazardous item is brought into the courthouse, the person possessing the item must remove it from the building. It cannot be left with court security.

Screening Procedure

Each visitor who enters the Fairfax County Courthouse goes through a security screening procedure, with assistance from a court security officer. To speed the process, visitors are asked to:

  1. Empty pockets, placing contents in the container provided.
  2. Place purses, briefcases, backpacks and parcels on the X-ray machine for scanning.
  3. Walk through the metal detector.

If the X-ray or metal detector sets off an alert or alarm, a court security officer may perform another scan, using a hand wand. The security officer may also ask permission to conduct a physical search of the person and personal articles to determine the cause of the alert or alarm. Before proceeding from the security screening area, visitors should retrieve all of their personal possessions.

Courthouse attorneys may submit an application to the Sheriff's Office to bypass the security screening



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