Virginia Courthouse Dress Code & Attire Rules (2026)

Short answer: Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 12 courthouses in Virginia. Updated 2026-11-04

All 12 county courthouses in Virginia enforce judicial decorum dress codes: shorts, flip-flops, tank tops, halter tops, pajamas, and hats are prohibited in courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may refuse entry or reset your hearing if you are improperly dressed. Virginia has the highest concentration of county courthouse cell phone bans on the East Coast. Under Va. Code § 19.2-389 / local Circuit Court orders, counties like Prince William, Chesterfield, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Chesapeake ban general public phones; some provide free lobby lockers while others force visitors back to their cars.

County Courthouse	City	Courtroom dress code	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Fairfax County Fairfax County Courthouse (Jennings Judicial Center) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Fairfax County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Fairfax	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Prince William County Prince William County Judicial Center (Manassas) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Prince William County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Manassas	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Virginia Beach County Virginia Beach Judicial Center (Building 10 / 10B) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Virginia Beach County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Virginia Beach	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Loudoun County Loudoun County Courts Complex (Leesburg) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Loudoun County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Leesburg	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Chesterfield County Chesterfield County Courts Building “Courtroom Decorum Order (Chesterfield County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Chesterfield	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Henrico County Henrico County Courthouse (Parham Road) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Henrico County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Henrico	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Chesapeake County Chesapeake Judicial Center “Courtroom Decorum Order (Chesapeake County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Chesapeake	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Arlington County Arlington County Courthouse (Arlington) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Arlington County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Arlington	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Norfolk County Norfolk Consolidated Courts Complex “Courtroom Decorum Order (Norfolk County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Norfolk	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes ($0.25)	Free Validated
Richmond City Richmond City Courthouse (Richmond) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Richmond City): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Richmond	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Stafford County Stafford County Courthouse (Stafford) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Stafford County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Stafford	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated
Spotsylvania County Spotsylvania County Courthouse (Spotsylvania) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Spotsylvania County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Spotsylvania	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	Yes (Free)	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you wear jeans or shorts to court in Virginia?

Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 12 courthouses in Virginia.

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 2026-11-04.