If you receive a juror summons, please carefully read the front and back of the summons and follow all instructions. Visit the Juror Website or call the Juror Hotline 703‑228‑0533 to confirm receipt of the summons and to make requests to be deferred or excused. For more information on jury duty, and for the steps the Court is taking to provide a safe environment for jurors serving during COVID-19, please keep reading this page and its related links.
Don’t fall victim to scams targeting jurors. They are out there. Personnel from the Courts or police or sheriff’s departments would never call a juror and ask for money relating to jury service. If you receive a call of this nature, immediately hang up with the caller. Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify their credibility. After making a verification call, if you find that you were a victim of a scam or were a target, please file an online police report or call the non-emergency police line at 703-558-2222.
JUROR QUESTIONNAIRE – Complete Online using your computer, tablet, laptop or mobile (cell) phone.
OFFICIAL JUROR QUESTIONNAIRE POSTCARD IS NOT A SCAM
See here for image of Official Juror Questionnaire postcard. This is not a scam. Complete (online) and return within 10 days of receipt.
The Arlington County Circuit Court covers both Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, but not Falls Church residents who live in Fairfax County.
If you do not live in Arlington County or the City of Falls Church, you are not eligible for jury duty in the 17th Judicial District. Follow the instructions in your juror summons to request a disqualification by supplying your full new address for verification purposes.
Jurors play an essential role in the trial of civil cases (between parties) and criminal cases (when the Commonwealth brings criminal charges against a party).
Trials begin with jury selection — the Court randomly selects names of those on jury service to form a panel from which the trial jury will be selected.
More information about jury duty:
Virginia’s Judicial System website
Jury Coordinator
Everyone who enters the courthouse building must go through a security area staffed by deputy sheriffs.
If you are a juror, you can bring a cell or smart phone, laptop, iPad, tablet, e-reader and iPod, with or without recording and camera features, after showing your valid juror summons or badge to security. You may only use these devices in the Jury Assembly Room.
Cell and smart phones must be turned off before entering any courtroom. If your phone rings or alerts in anyway in the courtroom, it may be subject to confiscation by the bailiff.
You cannot use any device to record, photograph, communicate or otherwise transmit or receive information while in any of the courthouse’s courtrooms or deliberation rooms. Any violations may result in confiscation, ejection from the courthouse or contempt proceedings.
The Jury Assembly Room has wireless Internet for your convenience.
Do not bring any sharp objects, such as knives, or weapons to the Courthouse.
Don’t fall victim to scams targeting jurors. They are out there. Personnel from the Courts or police or sheriff’s departments would never call a juror and ask for money relating to jury service. If you receive a call of this nature, immediately hang up with the caller. Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify their credibility.
After making a verification call, if you find that you were a victim of a scam or were a target, please file an online police report or call the non-emergency police line at 703-558-2222.
Jurors must report to:
Arlington County Courthouse
1425 North Courthouse Road, 10th Floor (as printed in the summons)
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Directions
The nearest major arterial is Arlington Boulevard (Route 50 at the Court House Road exit).
Public transit
Metro (with an Orange Line stop at Court House) or Metrobus
Arlington Transit (ART) bus
Parking
Juror Parking Map
If you drive, you must make your own parking arrangements.
The parking lot across Courthouse Road has a limited number of spaces in a row reserved for jurors (1st row facing Courthouse Road; signs read “Reserved Court Permit Parking”).
Display the Juror Parking Permit attached to your summons when parking in the reserved permit area or any other space.
Everyone must pay to park, even when using the reserved parking spaces.
There is no free parking, even for jurors, in the Courthouse area.
Surface lot
- Use the “Pay and Display” system and pay for a minimum of four (4) hours of parking to ensure sufficient time to the lunch break.
- If you stay after the lunch period, you must pay for more parking.
Underground parking
- Courthouse Plaza at 2100 and 2200 Clarendon Blvd.
- Colonial Place at 2111 Wilson Blvd. (D on the map)
Wherever you park when you report for jury duty, be sure to place on your dashboard the parking permit included at the bottom of your juror summons.
The Circuit Court sends out questionnaires annually to potential jurors to ascertain service eligibility.
Jury commissioners (a body of citizens appointed annually by order of a Circuit Court Judge) review the questionnaires before the Sheriff summons any jurors for service.
The Circuit Court hears the following types of cases:
- Civil: Suits between individuals for money damages (usually involving personal injury or contract disputes
- Criminal: Cases where the government prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal or traffic law violations
A jury term lasts for typically one or two days. Some jury trials last longer. Jurors are assigned to one particular day of the week, either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Please call the Juror hotline, or check the Arlington Juror website after 5:30p.m. the evening before your assigned date to determine whether or not you are called for service. If the "Reporting Date" line indicates the date of your summons and a time, you must report the following day. If the "Reporting Date" lines show "Do Not Report" or "Service Complete," then you do not need to report and your service has ended. You will be eligible to serve again after 3 years have passed.
If you are selected to sit on a multi-day jury trial, you will be required to serve until the trial ends. If you are not selected for a trial, or the trial finishes in one day, your service is complete.
- No trials are scheduled to begin on Fridays.
- Most trials last one or two days.
- A typical day for jurors serving on a trial runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it could be longer at the Court’s direction.
If you receive a summons, read it carefully for important information about your jury duty service. Immediately confirm your receipt of the summons:
- Visit the Juror Website, enter the Candidate ID printed on your summons and your date of birth.
- Call the juror hotline at 703-228-0533, Enter the Candidate ID printed on your summons and your five digit zip code, and follow the instructions to confirm your receipt.
- Use your Candidate ID and birth date to update your profile with your email address, phone number and occupation. The Court relies on up-to-date contact information to provide updates to jurors during their service.
After 5:30 p.m. on the business day before your jury duty term begins:
- Check the Juror Website or call the juror hotline to find out whether you should report for service on your summoned date.
- At the Juror Website, you must refer to the “Reporting Date” line. If your ‘Status’ field is “Panel”, that simply means the court has randomly selected a number of jurors for a scheduled trial for which a pre-panel list may have been requested by the parties in the case. The trial may or may not go forward. Check the “Reporting Date” line only. The “Pending Request” field is only for those who have requested to be deferred to another date, excused from serving, or disqualified for the valid reasons listed pursuant to State law. Otherwise, it defaults to “None”.
- Do NOT refer to the “On Call” feature. This court does not use this line.
- If a date and time shows, promptly report as instructed, typically to the Jury Assembly Room on the 10th floor of the courthouse at 1425 N. Courthouse Rd.
- If it shows "Do Not Report" or "Service Complete," then you do not have to report and your service has ended. You will be eligible to serve again after 3 years have passed.
During an emergency or severe weather conditions, the Court will notify you as long as your Profile on the Juror Website contains up-to-date contact information (a current email address or cell phone number). You also can also check your local news station for Court closings.
If you are sick on a day you must report for service, send the jury coordinator an email: cctjury@arlingtonva.us. You may also call the jury coordinator at 703-228-3124 or leave a message with the staff at 703-228-4399, but please note that phone messages may not be able to be retrieved until much later in the day.
When you report for service, you must bring your summons with you and photo identification to Sheriff's security at the entrance to the building, and to the jury coordinator.
You might not sit on a trial the day you report for service, as cases may be settled as jurors wait or may be continued to another date for various reasons.
The Court holds jury duty orientation the day you report, prior to entering the courtroom for jury selection.
If you lost or misplaced your summons, visit the Juror Website to reprint a new one.
- Click on “Letters” tab
- Click on “Reprint Juror Summons”
- TIP: Turn off pop-up blockers if the summons PDF does not generate
A Circuit Court Judge, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or the Jury Coordinator performs the jury duty orientation. During orientation you will:
- Learn your duties as a juror
- Learn your service term’s daily routine
- Find out how the trial process works
- Have your questions answered
- Watch an orientation video of the Chief Judge on your in the jury trial proceedings
- Receive the Answer Book for Jury Service prepared by the Judicial Council of Virginia
Failure to respond or appear to the summons may result in a fine and/or the Court contacting the Sheriff to command your appearance.
Individuals exempt from jury duty include:
Statutory
- Not a citizen of the United States
- Convicted felon whose voting/civil rights have not been restored
- Not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia for the past 12 months
- Not a legal resident of Arlington County or the City of Falls Church for the past 6 months
- Served as a juror in any State court within last 3 years (does not apply to Federal court service)
- Pending case in Arlington Circuit Court
- Medical condition which prevents service (a doctor’s note will be required)
- Over 73 years of age and choose not to serve (although we hope you will choose to serve)
- Member of armed services, serving outside of the United States and requests exemption from serving jury duty
- Primary caregiver to child or disabled relative during court hours (a detailed explanation is required; ages and your role)
- Sworn State and local law enforcement (federal employees must serve), correctional, jail officer, or firefighter (occupation title required)
Licensed, practicing attorneys are exempt from serving but can waive the exemption and serve jury duty. Required:
- Your Bar license number and state, along with a short explanation of the practicing nature of your work.
- Indicate whether you wish to claim the exemption and not serve or waive the exemption and serve jury duty.
- Email or mail the waiver to the Jury Coordinator, Arlington Circuit Court, 1425 N. Courthouse Rd., #6700, Arlington, VA 22201.
Non-Statutory
- Difficulty or inability to understand or hear. The County makes accommodations for disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you received a summons and believe you are exempt from jury duty, or are eligible and choose not to serve:
- Request to be excused on the Juror Website or call the hotline at 703-228-0533.
- May also email supporting documentation, or fax to 703-228-7079.
If you have moved out of Arlington County, or the City of Falls Church, enter your full new address at the juror website under your Profile and click on the “Disqualification” tab.
If you received a summons and believe you are exempt from jury duty, or are eligible and choose not to serve, go to the juror website or call the juror hotline at 703-228-0533 to make a request to be excused from service. After 48 hours of your request, you can check on the status of your request by visiting the juror website or calling the hotline.
If serving on your summons date presents a hardship, the Court may consider a one-time postponement/deferral of service to another day within three months of your original summons date.
The Court may grant you a deferral for:
- Previously scheduled business travel (documentation required)
- Previously scheduled vacation (documentation required)
- Medical recovery (doctor’s note required)
- Being a full-time student in class (school’s name and expected graduation date required)
Postponement/deferral of service requests must be made through the Juror Website or Juror Hotline at 703-228-0533. You must provide a detailed explanation with your request and send any required documentation by email to cctjury@arlingtonva.us or fax to 703-228-7079, or the Court will automatically deny your request.
The Court may not automatically contact you about your request, so it is up to you to check your status. Wait at least 48 hours for the Court to process your request, then check back on the Juror Website or call the Juror Hotline at 703-228-0533 to check the status of your request.
Jury duty is critical to the administration of justice under the U.S. Constitution. Excuses from serving the jury term can be considered after careful consideration of the individual’s circumstances. Excuses for such matters as “busy at the office” usually cannot be honored. A detailed explanation is required to be submitted with requests with any required documentation sent via email or fax to 703-228-7079. Some of the reasons the court may consider excuses include:
- Undue financial hardship or extreme inconvenience
- Primary caregiver to children, elderly or disabled
- Medical condition which prevents service (a doctor’s note will be required)
Excuses will not be granted when postponement/deferral is an option.
- Almost all requests to have your jury service deferred or to be excused require documentation to the Court.
- Confirmed travel plans, doctor’s notes, etc., can be sent via email to the Jury Coordinator or faxed to 703-228-7079.
- After you have made the request, return to the juror website or call the hotline at 703-228-0533 to check the status of your request.
- Wait at least 48 hours for your request to be processed.
- You may not be automatically contacted so it is up to you to check your status.
The Jury Assembly Room has a snack vending machine, water cooler, small refrigerator, and coffee machine — you can bring beverages and food in the room.
The room also has Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) access via the “ArlingtonWireless” network.
Jurors can use the telephones in the Circuit Court Office, located on the courthouse’s 6th floor — this would typically be after your service for the day has ended.
Jurors must be available to the Court at all times while in the courthouse on jury duty.
If the Court calls you from the Jury Assembly Room to potentially sit on a trial, you must take your belongings with you and not leave anything in the Jury Assembly Room.
Each day you report for service, whether you sit on a case or not, you will receive $50 cash as reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses (parking, lunch, etc.).
Employers sometimes question whether their employees should accept this reimbursement. The Arlington Circuit Court has no jurisdiction over any employer policies in this regard. You should check with your employer regarding its jury service policies.
Federal government employees should read the Office of Personnel Management’s Fact Sheet: Court Leave for more information.
The Court encourages employers to exercise some schedule flexibility for employees summoned for jury duty.
Virginia law requires employers to excuse employees from regular work days when summoned for jury duty. Employers should refer to Title § 18.2-465.1 of the Virginia Code for more information.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
If you need ADA accommodations during your jury term, contact the jury coordinator at 703-228-3124 or by email upon receipt of your juror summons.
Courtroom Etiquette
You must not talk to any case parties at any time, as this could cause your removal from the jury panel and/or affect the case in other ways.
You can’t bring any open food or drink, except for bottled water, in the courtrooms. If you sit on a jury, you can store your personal items in the secured jury deliberation room, which is accessed from the courtroom.
Your full attention to the trial proceedings is critical to the case’s outcome.
Dress Code
Your attire should be comfortable, but appropriate for the courtroom. Business casual is suggested. Also, dress for temperature fluctuations in the courtrooms. It is recommended that you bring layers.
Lunch
The Judge will break during a trial for lunch at the appropriate time, which is when you can pay for additional parking, if needed. Lunch is often around 1p.m., plan accordingly.