Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Fairfax County, Virginia, has about 1.2 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Fairfax County starts two cases, a criminal case in the General District Court and a license case before the Department of Motor Vehicles, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Fairfax County public records, Fairfax County arrest records, Fairfax County warrants, Fairfax County inmate search, Fairfax County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Virginia
In Virginia the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Virginia is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Virginia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Fairfax County
The Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff makes the DUI arrests in Fairfax County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Fairfax County: the Fairfax County State Police (state police); Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University (campus police); the Fairfax County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Fairfax County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff, held about 540 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at fairfaxcounty.gov/sheriff/sheriffs-fairfax-county-since-1742, phone 703-246-3227. The Fairfax County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Fairfax County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at fairfaxcounty.gov, phone 703-246-2776.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/newsandevents/circuit-court-news/fairfax-..., phone (703) 691-7320.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the General District Court, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Fairfax County arrest records, Fairfax County police reports and Fairfax County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Fairfax County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fairfaxcounty.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Fairfax County held?
At the county jail, run by the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Virginia?
The Department of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Virginia?
10 years.
Is this the official Fairfax County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.