Updated: Prince William installs courthouse kiosks to speed up service

The Prince William County Judicial Center is now more open to the people than ever before.

New citizen self-serve kiosks will replace come after a public law library inside the courthouse closed in March, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Six kiosks so far have been installed at the courthouse, located at 9300 Lee Avenue in Manassas.

This will allow residents to file for civil actions, pay of fees or fines, be given extensions of concealed weapons permits, or payment plans in a user-friendly and easily accessible manner, according to Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Jacqueline Smith.

Plans for the automated service were in the works before the coronavirus closure, due to staffing shortages and the need for efficiency. However, the coronavirus and back-tracking of cases allowed for the plan for the kiosk installation to be fast-tracked.

Funding for the kiosks was a result of a state grant with no burden to the local taxpayers, said Smith.

In the coming months, land records will also be able to be accessed at these self-serve kiosks-as well as the filing of deeds, genealogical research, and more. For future Jurors, there will be two jury kiosks, which are in the process of being developed by Clerk of Court, Jacqueline C. Smith.

“We are going to have two dury kiosks that allow people to come in, they take their summons, there’s a barcode on there, they scan it-[and] all of their information auto-populates, and they are essentially done checking in,” said Smith.

There are also plans to install more kiosks outside of the judicial center, all in the name of efficiency.

“People that don’t have access to computers need to come up to do their pleadings[…]we have a librarian there who is able to [help people] who need to know how to file a divorce-to allow people to do their business inside the Court without having to spend a ton on money,” said Smith.

The new kiosks will not replace staff members who work at the Clerk’s office.

A law library that was housed on the third floor of the courthouse that was open to the public prior to the pandemic, where residents could view public records and pleadings, will most likely remain closed reopen at the same time the Prince William County Public Library System resumes full operation, the Clerks’ office told Potomac Local News on Friday, August 21.

Since June 15, county libraries have required residents to call ahead and reserve a one-hour appointment time to visit an open library branch to conduct research or to access the internet on a computer. Curbside pick up has been offered for those who choose to check out library materials online.

Central Library, at 8061 Mathis Avenue in Manassas, remains closed to the public.

*This story was corrected and updated on August 21, 2020.