The Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court has jurisdiction over juvenile matters, offenses committed by adults against juveniles (youth under the age of 18), and family matters, except divorce, in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the towns of Herndon, Vienna and Clifton.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
4110 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-246-3367 (V)
711 (TTY)
Hours of Operation
Clerk’s Office
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
703-246-3367 (V)
711 (TTY)
Juvenile Intake
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
703-246-2495 (V)
711 (TTY)
Domestic Relations Services
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
703-246-3040 (V)
711 (TTY)
Delinquency is defined as criminal complaints filed against a juvenile 17 and under.
Criminal offenses are identified as felonies or misdemeanors. The penalties for these offenses are generally more serious than for status offenses. Felonies may only be filed by law enforcement officers, with the exception of unauthorized use of a family vehicle, which can be filed by a parent. Criminal offenses may be committed against citizens, businesses or family members and can include: theft, assault, destruction of property, drug dealing, breaking and entering, etc. It is best to contact the police in criminal matters prior to seeking Intake Services.
If you are being victimized by your son or daughter and wish to press charges, you can make an appointment with the Juvenile Intake Unit. Their phone number is 703-246-2495 from 7am until midnight. From midnight to 7am, please call 703-246-2844, and ask for the Intake Officer. At the appointment, an Intake Officer will discuss the situation and outline what options are available to you.
What is the legal definition of a delinquent act?
According to Section 16.1-228 of the Code of Virginia, “Delinquent act” means (i) an act designated a crime under the law of this Commonwealth, or an ordinance of any city, county, town or service district, or under federal law, (ii) a violation of § 18.2-308.7, or (iii) a violation of a court order as provided for in § 16.1-292, but shall not include an act other than a violation of § 18.2-308.7, which is otherwise lawful, but is designated a crime only if committed by a child. For purposes of §§ 16.1-241 and 16.1-278.9, the term shall include a refusal to take a blood or breath test in violation of § 18.2-268.2 or a similar ordinance of any county, city or town.
In Virginia, most traffic offenses are classified as “traffic infractions” rather than as criminal offenses because of the relatively minor nature of most traffic violations. Many traffic infractions can be prepaid. For those cases, the court appearance can be waived; that is, the defendant may choose to pay his fine and court costs in person or by mail prior to the court date and does not need to appear in court. For more serious traffic offenses, the court appearance may not be waived and prepayment of a fine is not an option. In Juvenile Court, when appearing for a court hearing on a traffic infraction, a parent must attend the court hearing with the juvenile.
How to prepay
To prepay a juvenile traffic violation, both the juvenile and parent must sign the waiver form. The parent’s signature has to be notarized. Prepayments may be mailed or paid in person.
If mailing a prepayment, the payment must be received prior to the court date in order to be accepted as a prepayment. Timely delivery by mail is at the sender’s risk.
Payments can be made in person at the clerk’s office on the third floor of the Fairfax County Courthouse, J&DR District Court, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Parking available in Parking Garage B.
Prepayment and Department of Motor Vehicles
A prepayment waives your right to a trial. If applicable, the information about the conviction will be sent to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, who determines what sanctions will be taken against your privilege to drive. Such sanctions could include points against your license, or driver improvement class, or even suspension of your privilege to drive for accumulating too many points.
Note: If you have a non-Virginia driver’s license, HB97, chapter 493: provides that when the driver of any motor vehicle not licensed in Virginia, but who has a valid driver’s license from another jurisdiction, is convicted in Virginia of a violation for which license suspension and issuance of a restricted license is authorized, the court may issue a restricted driving privilege in Virginia upon the the same conditions as if the person held a valid Virginia license. One of those conditions is surrendering the OL in court or at the windows.
Some non-prepayable offenses
The following violations are not prepayable offenses:
Multiple violations arising out of same incident
If payment is for more than one violation arising out of the same incident, add only $11.00 to each additional violation.
Note: This fee is not collected for seatbelt violations or child restraint/safety belt violations.
Methods of payment and mailing address
Please make your check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Virginia and mail it to Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Room 304, Fairfax, VA 22030. You must include your signed and notarized summons to prepay a juvenile traffic offense.
Need assistance? If you should need further assistance you may contact the court at 703-246-4990.
f you have concerns about a child possibly being abused or neglected, call the Child Protective Services (CPS) Hotline at 703-324-7400 (for hearing impaired: 711-Virginia Relay Center), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How to recognize child abuse and neglect…
The most commonly recognized types of abuse and neglect are physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect and sexual abuse or exploitation. Signs of abuse and neglect include:
If you are a victim of child abuse/neglect, if you are an alleged perpetrator of child abuse/neglect or if your children have been removed from you, your case will be heard in the Juvenile Court. Possible court actions include: a charge filed by a police officer, a Preliminary Protective Order filed by Child Protective Services or an Emergency Removal filed by Child Protective Services. If a Preliminary Protective Order or an Emergency Removal has been filed against you, you will have a court hearing within five days. The next hearing, one that determines preponderance of guilt, is held within thirty days. The final merits hearing is held within seventy five days. That is the first hearing at which a final disposition in the case is made.
For further information
See the Department of Family services website at: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs
Legal Definition of Child Abuse/Neglect
According to Section 16.1-228 of the Code of Virginia, abused or neglected child means any child:
If a civil proceeding under this chapter is based solely on the parent having left the child at a hospital or rescue squad, it shall be an affirmative defense that such parent safely delivered the child to a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or to an attended rescue squad that employs emergency medical technicians, within 14 days of the child’s birth. For purposes of terminating parental rights pursuant to § 16.1-283 and placement for adoption, the court may find such a child is a neglected child upon the ground of abandonment.
