As part of our commitment to open and accountable government, the City of Alexandria wants you to understand how we handle requests for public records under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Existing records prepared by or in the possession of a public body or its officers or employees in the ordinary transaction of public business.  All public records are presumed to be open and are withheld only if a specific exemption applies. You will be notified if any requested records are being withheld and the reason for the withholding of any records, including the appropriate authority (law or code section) which permits the City to withhold such records. Although the City strives to assist you as much as possible, FOIA does not require that the City create records that do not already exist or answer general questions. Requests are processed for records that are in existence as of the date of the request.  

1. You may submit your request online, or check the status of a request you have submitted online.
2. To make a request by email: FOIArequests@alexandriava.gov
3. To make a request via telephone, please call 703.746.3750.
4. To make a request in-person, visit the City Attorney’s Office at Alexandria City Hall, Room 1300, 301 King St., Alexandria, VA.

The City asks that the name and address of the requestor be provided so that it can be determined to whom to send the information, but also so that the City can determine whether the person requesting the information is entitled to request records under the law. Your request must also be reasonably specific so that the records you are seeking can be identified and located. Please be advised that FOIA requests are public records.

Within five days after receiving your request (not including weekends, or City holidays, or other days when the City is closed). If it is not practically possible to respond to your request within five working days, you will be promptly notified and the City will have an additional seven working days. 

You may request records in any format used by the City, such as paper, e-mail or electronic means. The City can provide the records requested to you by mail or electronic mail, or you can arrange to personally retrieve copies of the records. 

The City may charge for any requested records. 

A public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records and shall make all reasonable efforts to supply the requested records at the lowest possible cost.  No public body shall impose any extraneous, intermediary, or surplus fees or expenses to recoup the general costs associated with creating or maintaining public records or transacting the general business of the public body.  Any duplicating fee charged by a public body shall not exceed the actual cost of duplication.  Prior to conducting a search for records, the public body shall notify the requester in writing that the public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for requested records and inquire of the requester whether he would like to request a cost estimate in advance of the supplying of the requested records as set forth in subsection F of § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.

You may have to pay for the records that you request from the City of Alexandria.  FOIA allows us to charge for the actual costs of responding to FOIA requests.  This would include items like staff time spent searching for the requested records, copying costs, or any other costs directly related to supplying the requested records.  It does not include general overhead costs.

You may request that we estimate in advance the charges for supplying the records that you have requested.  This will allow you to know about any costs upfront, or give you the opportunity to modify your request in an attempt to lower the estimated costs.  The five days that we have to respond to your request does not include the time between when we send you the estimate and when you respond.  If you do not respond within 30 days, then your request will be deemed to be withdraw.

If we estimate that it will cost more than $200 to respond to your request, we may require you to pay a deposit, not to exceed the amount of the estimate, before proceeding with your request.  The five days that we have to respond to your request does not include the time between when we ask for a deposit and when you respond.

If you owe the City money from a previous request that has remained unpaid for more than 30 days, the City will require you to pay the past-due bill before processing any subsequent records requests.

Records requests can be denied based upon the law which exempts the disclosure of records to the public. Examples of some records which would be withheld by a public body: records subject to attorney/client privilege; vendor proprietary information; personnel records; and records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract.  Criminal history records and offense/incident reports and supplemental reports are withheld to the extent permitted under the law.

Birth and death Certificates – The City of Alexandria does not maintain birth and death certificates.  These records can be obtained at the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. www.vdh.virginia.gov/vital-records/ 

Marriage Certificates and Divorce Decrees – The City of Alexandria does not maintain marriage and divorce records.  You will need to contact the Alexandria Circuit Court clerk's office at 703-746-4044 for such records. The Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records also maintains some marriage and divorce records. www.vdh.virginia.gov/vital-records/ 

Deeds and Certain Land Records - The City of Alexandria does not maintain deeds, deeds of trust, notes, and other land records recorded at the Courts. You will need to contact the Alexandria Circuit Court clerk's office at 703-746-4044 for such records.  The City does maintain permits, site plans, building plans, and other records pertaining to property. 

Criminal History Information – Virginia State Police are the keepers of record for Virginia criminal histories.  The dissemination of criminal history information is governed by VA Code § 19.2-389.  Only specific entities are entitled to the criminal history of another person.  A person can request their own Virginia criminal record through the Virginia State Police.  The Central Criminal Records Exchange contact information is:

Department of State Police
P. O. Box 85076
Richmond, VA 23261-5076

See also: www.vsp.state.va.us/CJIS_Criminal_Record_Check.shtm

If you want your City of Alexandria arrest record, you will need to either currently live or work in the City of Alexandria.  You will need to bring two government-issued forms of identification, one of which must be a photo-ID, to the Alexandria Police Department during normal business hours.  These requests are ONLY handled in person. 
The fee for the Alexandria-only arrest record is $10.00, payable to the City of Alexandria Treasurer.  We are located at:

Alexandria Police Department
Information Services Section
3600 Wheeler Avenue
Alexandria, VA  22304

You can also inquire further by calling 703-746-6200.

Court Case Information – The City of Alexandria does not maintain court records.  You will need to contact the appropriate court in order to obtain those records. The Alexandria Circuit Court clerk's office telephone number is 703-746-4044, the Alexandria General District Court's telephone number is 703-746-4030, and the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court's telephone number is 703-746-4141.

If you are a driver, injured person, vehicle owner, insurance provider, or legal guardian/representative to one of these persons involved in a crash, you may obtain a full copy of the State Accident Report (FR-300P) for your records through our on-line portal: www.crashdocs.org/va-alexandriapd.  This is now the primary method to obtain crash reports.  A FOIA request is not necessary for this.

You can also obtain a copy in person by contacting  Information Services Section (ISS) during normal business hours.  ISS is located at:

Alexandria Police Department
Information Services Section
3600 Wheeler Avenue
Alexandria, VA  22304

To inquire further, please call 703-746-6200.

The fee for the report is $5.00, regardless of method.  In-person requests are payable to the City of Alexandria Treasurer.  We honor requests in person (with proof of identity) and requests on business letterhead (for insurance companies and attorneys).

The City's FOIA Officer is: 

Jacqueline Cullom
City Attorney's Office
301 King Street, Suite 1300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Telephone: 703.746.3750
FOIArequests@alexandriava.gov

• The Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council is a state agency that can answer any questions you may have about FOIA. The Council may be contacted by e-mail at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, or toll-free by phone at 1-866-448-4100.  To submit feedback on the assistance you received from the City of Alexandria in response to a request for public records, you may use this  comment form.
• The text of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act is available online, or we can provide you with a copy upon request.
• The Local Government Officials' Guide to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (2018) is a printed booklet with more than 100 questions and answers about FOIA. Copies may be ordered from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.
• A detailed guide titled Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Virginia Conflict of Interests Act and the Virginia Public Records Act (2019-2020) is available from the Virginia Municipal League.
• If you would like to review your FOIA experience you can use the Public Comment Form which you can send to the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council