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 person kept in custody after an arrest in Fairfax County is held at the county jail, run by the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Fairfax County public records, Fairfax County arrest records, Fairfax County warrants, Fairfax County criminal records, Fairfax County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Fairfax County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Fairfax County is held at the county jail, run by the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff at fairfaxcounty.gov/sheriff/sheriffs-fairfax-county-since-1742 (page title: Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff), phone 703-246-3227, 4110 Chain Bridge Road Fairfax, VA 22030, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 703-246-3227.
The Fairfax County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2025 the jail held about 540 people, down from about 840 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 1,259 beds, and it ran at 49 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Fairfax County has about 1.2 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 5 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Fairfax County Jail
The Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff makes the arrests that end in a booking 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 counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Fairfax County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Virginia Department of Corrections lists its inmates at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Fairfax County?
Ask the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff at 703-246-3227; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at fairfaxcounty.gov.
How many people are in the Fairfax County jail?
About 540 on an average day in 2025, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 1,259 beds.
What is the phone number for the Fairfax County jail?
703-246-3227, the number on the page of the Sheriffs of Fairfax County Since 1742 | Sheriff SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Fairfax County go?
To a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
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.