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EnglishHow to Use the Fairfax County Government Website to Find Services, Pay Bills, Register or Apply, and Report Issues
Updated
The Fairfax County government website (fairfaxcounty.gov) organizes most common tasks into four action-based menus: FIND, PAY, REGISTER/APPLY, and REPORT. If you already know what you need to do, start with the matching menu rather than browsing departments. Use the site's search or the Departments & Agencies list only when your task doesn't fit one of these four categories.
Start With the Four Task Menus
The homepage groups services by the action you want to take, not by agency name. This is the fastest way to reach the right page.
| Menu | Use it when you want to… | Examples listed on the site |
|---|---|---|
| FIND | Locate information or a service | County operating status, jobs, departments & agencies, pets to adopt, real estate assessments, Storm Center |
| PAY | Send a payment | Business taxes, car & real estate taxes, dog licenses, MyFairfax Portal, School Age Child Care (SACC) payments, driving & parking fines |
| REGISTER/APPLY | Sign up or submit an application | Basic needs & assistance, car registration, Fairfax Alerts, permits and licenses, tax relief, vote |
| REPORT | Flag a problem | Animal control issues, crimes, neighborhood complaints, invasive species, road issues to VDOT, street light outages |
Each menu has a "MORE" link that opens the full list of items in that category.
Paying Bills
Open PAY and choose the item that matches your bill. The site separates business taxes from car and real estate taxes, and lists dog licenses, SACC payments, and driving or parking fines as separate entries. Pick the specific item rather than a general "payments" page — each leads to its own process. The site does not state fees, accepted payment methods, or login requirements on the homepage, so confirm those details on the individual payment page before you start.
Registering, Applying, and Signing Up
Open REGISTER/APPLY for permits and licenses, car registration, voter registration, tax relief, assistance programs, and Fairfax Alerts (the county's emergency notification sign-up). If you're applying for permits or licenses, expect to identify the specific permit type first; the menu entry is a gateway, not a single form.
Reporting an Issue
Open REPORT and select the closest match. Note that road issues go to VDOT (the state transportation department), not the county — the site lists this separately, so choose it deliberately. Street light outages, animal control issues, crimes, neighborhood complaints, and invasive species each have their own entry.
Find County Status, Jobs, and Officials
For anything that isn't a transaction, use FIND:
- County operating status — check here first during weather or emergencies.
- Jobs — county employment listings.
- Departments & Agencies — a full directory when you know the office but not the task.
- Real estate assessments — property assessment information.
- Board of Supervisors — member and district information, meeting schedules, and links to watch board meetings.
Stay Informed
The homepage also links to News, a Social Media Hub (Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, Instagram), Engage Fairfax County (the public participation portal for projects, surveys, and feedback), and newsletter subscriptions by email. Use these when your goal is to follow county decisions rather than complete a task.
A Practical Sequence
- Decide whether your task is find, pay, register/apply, or report.
- Open that menu and select the specific item — avoid general pages.
- Read the details on the destination page for requirements, deadlines, and accepted methods, since the homepage doesn't list them.
- If nothing fits, check Departments & Agencies or the site search.
- During storms or outages, check County Operating Status before relying on in-person services.