Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location submitted through a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its results. We do not keep or log those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
We retain an email or other direct message as needed to answer it. The message is not disclosed outside our organization unless a valid legal duty requires disclosure.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our systems automatically receive basic technical details when a page loads:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring website, when one is reported
- Pages viewed and the time spent on them
- Browser name and version
- Device category and operating system
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand traffic in the aggregate, including which pages are used most and where visits end. You can block cookies through browser controls, although some site functions may then work differently.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected outside provider
- Finding and correcting performance or technical faults
- Maintaining reliable, fast page delivery
- Measuring which content visitors use and where it can improve
- Presenting advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Fairfax County Criminal History does not compile, maintain, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It provides general directions to the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, police records custodians, court clerks, the Virginia Department of State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. Virginia criminal-history dissemination is governed by Va. Code § 19.2-389, while government-record access is separately governed by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. We are not a consumer reporting agency, and visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or third-party criminal profiles.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Their privacy policies, not this policy, govern data entered into those tools. We do not control how a partner stores, uses, or shares that information, so review its terms before submitting a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Fairfax County agencies, Virginia courts, state offices, legal resources, or outside search tools. Once you leave this website, the destination's policy controls its handling of your data. Review that policy before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select targeted ads. We do not operate that cross-site tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may be available to:
- Advertising networks that serve content on the pages
- Search providers that process a query you choose to submit
- Analytics vendors used to measure traffic and performance
- Government or law-enforcement bodies when disclosure is compelled by valid legal process
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for information we collect. No internet-connected system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
This website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied personal information, we will delete it.
Your Data Rights
Rights may vary with residence and whether an applicable law covers the person, data, and business. The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, Va. Code § 59.1-575 et seq., and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, Va. Code § 59.1-196 et seq., may provide rights or remedies in covered circumstances. Subject to legal limits, you may:
- Opt out of certain covered processing
- Request deletion of qualifying personal data
- Seek correction of inaccurate information
- Ask to access qualifying information held about you
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. The current version and its new effective date will be posted here when a change takes effect.
Effective date: August 10, 2026