07/25/2026
Cell phones and other electronics will now be allowed in the Virginia Beach courts.
📱🧑⚖️ Cellphones and other electronic devices are now permitted inside the Virginia Beach Courthouse starting Monday, July 27! Here’s what you need to know:
⭐️ Members of the public will be permitted to bring their cellphones and other electronics into the building.
⭐️ During security screening, each cellphone will be turned off and placed inside a locked security pouch. Visitors will retain possession of the pouch while inside the courthouse.
⭐️ If you need to access the device for evidentiary purposes, you will first need permission from the presiding judge to have the pouch opened by Sheriff’s Office personnel.
⭐️ Larger electronics, such as tablets and laptops, must be turned off.
⭐️ Cellphones and other electronics may ONLY be used in the designated area on the first floor of the courthouse between Traffic Court D and the Clerk’s Office.
⭐️ When you’re ready to exit, a VBSO staff member will unlock the security pouch so you can remove your phone and return the pouch.
These rules are to ensure compliance with the new Virginia law permitting visitors to bring electronic devices into court buildings while maintaining security, preventing disruption to court proceedings and ensuring the integrity of judicial proceedings, as well as the safety and privacy of witnesses, jurors and other court participants.
We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we implement these changes.
🚫Any attempt to tamper with or defeat the locking mechanism, or any unauthorized use of an electronic device within the courthouse, may result in you being removed from the courthouse and may result in legal or administrative consequences.
