Virginia Courthouse Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Short answer: It depends on the county administrative order: 4 of 12 tracked courthouses in Virginia allow silenced cell phones, while 8 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants. Updated 2026-11-06

Of the 12 county courthouses we track in Virginia, 4 (33%) allow visitors to bring cell phones inside on silent mode, while 8 (67%) ban cell phones for the general public at the security checkpoint. Warning: 1 courthouse ban phones AND provide no storage lockers at the entrance. Virginia's HB 872 (effective July 1, 2026) makes phones in general district and circuit courts the default, with each chief judge setting a device policy. Local rules still differ: some courts allow phones, others use locked pouches, lockers, or evidence-only exceptions. Check the posted electronic device policy for your court.

County Courthouse	City	Cell phone policy	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Fairfax County Fairfax County Courthouse (Jennings Judicial Center) “Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, Courthouse Security: "Visitors may use portable electronic devices for audio phone calls inside the courthouse common areas."”	Fairfax	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Prince William County Prince William County Judicial Center (Manassas) “Prince William Circuit Court Order Relating to Recording Equipment and Portable Electronic Devices: "shall be permitted inside the Prince William County Courthouse, subject to the following regulations"”	Manassas	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Virginia Beach County Virginia Beach Judicial Center (Building 10 / 10B) “Virginia Beach Courts Electronic Device Policy: "Visitors are now permitted to bring cellphones and other electronic devices inside the Virginia Beach Courthouse."”	Virginia Beach	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Loudoun County Loudoun County Courts Complex (Leesburg) “Loudoun County, Planning Your Trip to the Courthouse: "Portable electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, cellphones with built-in cameras and smartwatches, are allowed in the courthouse; however there are restrictions on where and how they can be used."”	Leesburg	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Chesterfield County Chesterfield County Courts Building “Chesterfield Circuit Court order on Public's Possession of Portable Electronic Devices: "The general public shall not bring into the court buildings portable electronic devices"”	Chesterfield	Banned for all visitors	Yes ($0.00)	Free Validated
Henrico County Henrico County Courthouse (Parham Road) “Henrico Circuit Court Courthouse Rules Order: "all persons seeking entry must enter through the main entrance and may not possess cell phones, personal communication devices, or electronic devices, except as provided herein"”	Henrico	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	No lockers	Free Validated
Chesapeake County Chesapeake Judicial Center “Chesapeake Circuit Court, Policy Regarding Portable Electronic Devices (attached to 6/29/26 temporary order): "Portable Electronic Devices are not permitted in the courthouse except when possessed by: (i) attorneys who display a Bar photo identification card;"”	Chesapeake	Banned for all visitors	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Norfolk County Norfolk Consolidated Courts Complex “Norfolk Sheriff's Office, Court Security: "Cell phones are prohibited beyond the security screening desks at the Norfolk Consildated Court building."”	Norfolk	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	Yes ($0.25)	Free Validated
Arlington County Arlington County Courthouse (Arlington)	Arlington	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Richmond City Richmond City Courthouse (Richmond)	Richmond	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Stafford County Stafford County Courthouse (Stafford)	Stafford	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Spotsylvania County Spotsylvania County Courthouse (Spotsylvania)	Spotsylvania	Banned for public · Jurors & attorneys exempt	Yes (Free)	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my cell phone to a courthouse in Virginia?

It depends on the county administrative order: 4 of 12 tracked courthouses in Virginia allow silenced cell phones, while 8 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants.

Which courthouses in Virginia ban phones and have no lockers at the door?

Henrico County (Henrico) prohibit public cell phones and have no entrance storage lockers. If you arrive by Uber or bus with a phone, bailiffs will turn you away.

Are summoned jurors allowed to bring cell phones in Virginia?

In 9 of 12 counties in Virginia, summoned jurors presenting an official Jury Summons are permitted to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room even when general visitors are banned.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-06.