Alexandria Residents Directory
The Alexandria Residents Directory pulls together the people search tools, court record links, police report contacts, and city record sources you need to find someone or check a public file in the City of Alexandria. Alexandria is an independent city in Northern Virginia, not part of any county. That makes the search path a bit different. Use this page to look up court cases, request police reports, find marriage records at the Circuit Court, and tap into Virginia FOIA channels. Every link below points to the city office or state portal that holds the record you want.
Alexandria Residents Directory Overview
City of Alexandria Residents Directory Basics
Alexandria sits across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., and runs its own court system, police force, and records office. You do not need to go through a county clerk. The city handles it all. The City of Alexandria portal is the front door for most resident searches. From there you can reach Alex311, the city's customer service hub that links to more than 175 services. Alex311 can point you to the right office when you do not know where to start.
Records here fall into a few buckets. Court files live with the Circuit Court Clerk. Police reports come from the Alexandria Police Department records unit. Vital records like marriage licenses also sit at the Circuit Court. Property and tax info is handled by the city's real estate office. Each path is short. The whole city works out of just a few buildings on King Street.
Here is a quick lead-in look at the Alexandria city government homepage and the kinds of resident services it links to. You can see the layout for yourself at alexandriava.gov.
The site is the main jump point for any resident lookup or records request in the city.
Alexandria Police Department Records
The Alexandria Police Department is the main law enforcement agency in the city. It has 322 sworn officers, 104 full-time staff, and 28 part-time staff. The department keeps records of every incident, arrest, traffic crash, and case it works on. Most of these are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, with some carve-outs for active cases.
Call 911 for a true emergency. For all other questions, use the non-emergency line at 703-746-4444. The records unit handles requests for incident reports, accident reports, and arrest records. You need to give some basic case info and pay a small copy fee. Crash reports for insurance claims can usually be sent right to the insurance company once you give them written consent.
The department also runs an online crime map, posts annual stats to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, and publishes data on its city page. FOIA requests get a reply within five working days under state law. You can take a quick look at the police department page below to see the full layout of their public services. Visit it at alexandriava.gov/Police to start a records request.
The police page has links to crime stats, the records unit, and community programs. It is the fastest way to start a report request.
Note: Police records get pulled by case number or by date and address. Have those ready when you call to speed things up.
Alexandria Courts Residents Directory
The city runs three courts out of 520 King Street. Each one handles a different slice of cases. The Alexandria Courts page lists every clerk, phone line, and hours of work.
The Circuit Court Clerk's Office sits in Room 307 at 520 King Street. Phone is 703-746-4044. Hours run 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Circuit Court takes care of felonies, civil suits over $25,000, divorces, marriage licenses, real estate deeds, wills, and estates. This is the office for most big court files. The clerk can pull a case for you in person or look it up by name.
General District Court is on the 2nd floor of the same address. The traffic clerk is at 703-746-4040 for prepayment and 703-746-4041 for general info. Civil and small claims info: 703-746-4021. Criminal info: 703-746-4030. This court hears misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, landlord-tenant, and felony preliminary hearings. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court is on the 1st floor. Phone is 703-746-4141. It handles custody, child and spousal support, abuse and neglect, juvenile cases, protective orders, and family stalking matters. Note that Alexandria Circuit Court data is not in the Virginia Court Data Portal. You have to call the clerk for case info.
Alexandria is also home to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at 401 Courthouse Square. The clerk's office line is 703-299-2100. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court is at 200 S. Washington Street, 703-258-1200. As of April 1, 2025, you need a color-coded courthouse pass from the Sheriff to bring a phone or smart watch into the Alexandria courthouse.
Take a look at the Alexandria courts homepage for the current contact list and any new courthouse rules at alexandriava.gov/Courts.
The courts page is the best starting point for case lookups, hours, and clerk phone numbers in one spot.
Public Records Under Virginia FOIA
City records in Alexandria are public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code ยง 2.2-3700. The act says all writings prepared or held by a public body are open unless a specific exemption applies. The law has to be read in favor of access. The city must reply to a request within five working days.
The Alexandria FOIA office takes requests for any city department. You can email, call, or send a written request. Tell them which records you want and give as much detail as you can. The city may charge for staff time and copies. If a request will run high, they tell you up front and ask if you want to keep going.
The state has a Freedom of Information Advisory Council that helps when you have a question about a request. Reach them at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, by phone at (804) 225-3056, or toll-free at 1-866-448-4100. Visit foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov for the full guide.
Statewide court data and case downloads are at the Virginia Court Data Portal. Note that Alexandria Circuit Court data is incomplete in the portal, so you should still call the clerk for full case files.
Vital Records and State Resources
Marriage licenses for people married in Alexandria are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk at 520 King Street. For birth, death, and divorce certificates, the state runs a central office. The Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond. Walk-in hours are 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. Call (804) 662-6200. Each copy is $12. Records are limited to immediate family. Birth records are public after 100 years. Death, marriage, and divorce records are public after 25 years.
For a Virginia criminal history, the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange handles name searches. The fee is $15 for a basic name search. The Sex Offender Registry is free to search at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov. Driving records come from the Virginia DMV.
Note: Alexandria does not have a county clerk. All records the city holds go through city offices on King Street or through state agencies.
Nearby Resources and Related Pages
Alexandria sits between Arlington County and Fairfax County. Many residents work in or commute through both. For court and records info on those nearby areas, check the Fairfax County Residents Directory page. Other Northern Virginia cities with their own records offices include Falls Church and Fairfax.
If you need a record from a city in another part of the state, see all Virginia cities or all Virginia counties. The Virginia Residents Directory home page has the full state guide.