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How to get your hands on public criminal records, court docket details and information on arrest warrants in Florida?
When I divide the 50 states on the basis of how easy or hard it is to procure an arrest report or initiate a criminal search, Florida firmly falls in the category of states that make things easy for regular folks and investigators alike.
I admit that you will still have to compile the judicial records, the data on arrest warrants and recent arrests to create the complete criminal profile of a subject. But, at least you won’t have to put as much effort into finding the required information as you would have to in other states.
So, whatever your reasons for a Florida criminal background search, I am going to tell you about the different options you have and what agencies should be approached for specific types of criminal records. Let’s start with the easiest, and work our way up from there.
Arrest records from Florida
Before I tell you how to conduct an arrest inquiry in Florida, I believe it will help to discuss the arrest procedure and the information that you can get from various government entities when you are seeking arrests records.
First things first, recent arrests in the background report of your subject do not constitute the admission of guilt on this person’s part nor does such information indicate in any sense that the subject is guilty or will be convicted of the crime in the future.
What information can I get from a Florida arrest report?
To begin with, I want to tell you the difference between an arrest report and an arrest log. While the former is person-specific, the latter is area-specific. What I mean to say is that an arrest history report pertains to one individual and is not bound by time limitations.
For example, even your local sheriff’s office will tell you about the arrests in the name of the subject that go back to at least a decade. Some agencies will dig out arrest records that date back to 15 years or more.
In contrast, the arrest list of a law enforcement agency has both limited and time specific information about all recent arrests in that county. For example, you will be given access to an arrest log that dates back to, at the most, 3 months.
Also, depending on the law enforcement office that supplies this data, the arrest list may not include information on under trials who have been released on bail. Similarly, while some agencies supply charge related information others don’t. Ditto for arrest mug shots.
When I ask for arrest records in FL, will I get access to the police reports as well?
No, an arrest inquiry will only get you details about the specific circumstances of your subject’s arrest. Police reports have in-depth information about a criminal matter, including details about the victim and the witnesses and investigative data.
In fact, case reports are often more detailed than even the police blotter, which is basically a compilation of the day’s tasks for a particular precinct/sheriff’s office. Although a lot of police departments provide arrest booking data online, unless you are a law enforcement officer or a lawyer directly associated with the criminal case or the victim of the crime, you won’t be granted access to the police reports.
Can I conduct an arrest inquiry online in Florida?
You sure can! In fact, I always recommend that you scour the website of the County Sheriff’s Department before making your way to the agency office. That said, most law enforcement offices provide their jail records in lieu of an arrest log, but there are a few that go the extra mile and offer both the most recent arrest booking list as well as jail inmate details. Let me get you started with a few examples here:
- Orange County arrest records: The Sheriff’s Office of Orange is in the second category since it offers details on arrests (last 24 hours) as well as the jail records. To know if your subject is currently being held at the Orange County jail, use the tool at https://apps.ocfl.net/bailbond/default.asp.
You can use just the last name of the subject as the search criteria. The result of your inquiry will include the arrest mugshots, details on charges, bond amount where applicable, name of the arresting agency, name of the court handling the criminal matter and case status among other details. Right below the search bar, you will find the link to the daily arrest booking page.
- Walton County arrest report: The Sheriff’s Department of Walton County does not provide its arrest log online; however, you can access their jail records through their inmate search facility. This can be found at http://nwscorrections.waltonso.org/WaltonCounty. You can use the name of the subject or the booking number to initiate the arrest inquiry.
The arrest reports include information about the charges, bond type and amount, case type and charge description, arrest mugshots, identifier data and booking and release dates. What makes the offerings of this agency different from those of others is the fact that the arrests records go back several years and they also provide details about individuals who have been released.
- Columbia County arrest log: The Columbia County arrest log can be accessed in the form of the daily arrest booking list at http://50.201.159.194/smartwebclient/jail.aspx. On your left, you will find the search tool that also allows you to find inmates by using their booking date, release date or name. The agency also provides information on inmates who have been released. Unless an inmate has been acquitted, you will also be able to find charge related information as well.
- Arrests in Broward County: The Sheriff’s Office of Broward County offers its arrest inquiry tool at https://www.sheriff.org/DOD/Pages/ArrestSearch.aspx. This is a standard app that lets you access the required information by using the name of the subject. The information on the page is updated every 15 minutes, so this is the best way to find out if somebody you know was just busted by the police.
The results of the inquiry are quite in-depth and include arrest mugshots along with identifier data, details on charges, case status, bond amount and type, arresting agency, location and case disposition.
- Jail records from Pinellas County: Your arrest inquiry in Pinellas County will get you information on detentions that date as far back as 2005. The arrest records search tool is available at https://www.pcsoweb.com/whos-in-jail.
An exclusive app that allows you to use multiple search parameters, you can use the name of the subject, booking date or docket number to access the required information. The app also allows the check to include an alias search. You can narrow down the results by using the arresting agency, charge type or arrest type as an additional filter.
- Miami Dade arrests records: Information on open arrest warrants for Miami Dade County are available from the local police department at https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1470774597039291. On the webpage, you will also get details on launching a search for criminal records. For the arrest log, you can use the inmate finder facility at https://www8.miamidade.gov/Apps/mdcr/InmateSearch/. Moreover, you can find mug shots of the area’s most wanted at http://mugshots.sun-sentinel.com/miami-dade.
- Duval County arrest report: You cannot find information on the warrants and arrests in the name of your subject through an online inquiry. However, you can launch a criminal records search for Duval County through the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Information on the agency offices that provide this facility is available at https://jacksonvilleso.mycusthelp.com/WEBAPP/_rs/(S(p1wc2l3b2tbsqn1dz2crzuvp))/AnswerDetail.aspx?sSessionID=&aid=137. For an online arrest inquiry, you can use the inmate search app at http://inmatesearch.jaxsheriff.org/.
- Recent arrests in Palm Beach: Online arrests records for Palm Beach can be accessed at https://www2.pbso.org/blotter/index.cfm?nor=1. You can use the name of the subject to find out if he was taken into custody over a period of 12 months prior to the date of the arrest inquiry. Furthermore, you can also use the inmate finder to access an arrest report from Palm Beach County. This is available at http://www.pbso.org/arrest-jail_menu/#.
- Hillsborough County arrests: Although the local police department does not offer its arrest log online, you can initiate an arrest inquiry for Hillsborough County by using the app at https://webapps.hcso.tampa.fl.us/ArrestInquiry. The search can be initiated by using the booking number or the name of the detainee. Furthermore, the local law enforcement agency also offers the facility to launch a warrant search online. This can be availed at https://webapps.hcso.tampa.fl.us/WarrantInquiry.
Florida warrant search
I know what I am about to say may prove to be a bit disappointing after the easy ride you had accessing information on arrests in Florida. The problem with a warrant search is that things get harder for the police when information about arrest warrants is put out in the public domain.
For starters, the law enforcement agency has to consider the impact of this information on the chances of making the arrest. Not everybody has just a bench warrant against him/her, which can be sorted out with the payment of a fine.
Florida has almost 240,000 outstanding warrants in its criminal records database. While the majority of them are for minor crimes, about 9,000 of these arrest warrants are connected with serious criminal offenses. So, the police have to mull the risk of the accused fleeing if they release information on his/her eventual arrest.
The second problem that faces the police is that of vigilante justice and cavalier citizens, who may try to make arrests on their own and end up getting hurt in the process. So, when it comes to information on warrants not all law enforcement agencies are united in their stand on the matter.
Now, I will tell you how to initiate a warrants search in FL, at least in counties that offer the facility but before I get to that part, let us get a few confusing terms out of the way.
What is the difference between a capias and an arrest warrant in FL?
Capias is just another term for a warrant. You will come across several such terms which also refer to arrest orders but give an indication of the crime/offense involved. For example:
- Active warrants are arrest orders that have been freshly issued. This term is used for arrest orders issued in case of felonies and misdemeanors, usually more serious misdemeanors.
- Outstanding warrants is another term used for these arrest orders; think of them as arrest warrants that are at least 6 months old. It is possible to find information on these from the website of the sheriff, at least in some counties.
- Finally, you will encounter the term “bench warrants”. In all likelihood, your warrant check will get you information on these warrants and not on outstanding warrants. Bench warrants are issued in case of small offenses, usually failure to appear in court, non-payment of fines, traffic violations and other transgressions along those lines.
Can I expect my warrants search to get me details on all arrest orders against my subject?
Actually, no! The one thing I can tell you emphatically is that you will not find information on active warrants from the police nor the judiciary. Even if you were to head to the sheriff’s office or the clerk of court’s office in person, your warrant inquiry will not get you details on arrest orders that are less than 2-6 months old.
Aside from that, you are looking at a mixed bag! There are some law enforcement agencies that will provide details through a most wanted list, which is basically a compilation of outstanding warrants linked to serious criminal acts.
Then, there are others that take the conservative route and stick to bench warrants and at the most arrest warrants issued in connection with minor misdemeanors. Now, the thing to remember here is that arrest warrants do not expire.
However, there are statutes of limitations that basically impose a maximum time limit in which the police have to initiate prosecution. If the arrest is made after the expiry of this time limit, your lawyer can file a motion to dismiss the case.
Having said that, there is no statute of limitation for capital crimes and those that are punishable with a life sentence. In contrast, for noncriminal violations and second degree misdemeanors, the time limit is just one year. All other crimes fall somewhere in between this range.
How do I perform a warrant check online?
Because the sheriff’s department is responsible for serving arrest warrants, that’s the agency to visit for a warrant check. Now, if you are interested in a warrant inquiry that involves one specific subject, it would be best to approach the local law enforcement office.
As opposed to this, if you are keen on accessing the warrant list for your county, check the website of the sheriff’s department. Like I said, about 30-40% law enforcement offices do offer access to their warrant database online. Let me give you a bit of a head start with these examples:
- Warrant lookup in Lee County: The local police offer details on all warrants that are less than 5 years and more than 2 months old, and we are talking about a complete list of all first and second degree felony arrest warrants here. You will find the warrant list at http://www.leoncountyso.com/departments/judicial-services/warrant-search. Click on the link at the top of the page and you will be able to search for warrants by using the name of your subject.
- Warrants search for Polk County: The local Sheriff’s Office provides the facility for a warrant lookup at http://www.polksheriff.org/detention/warrants-inquiry. You will find a standard tool on the page that can be used for a name-based warrant search.
- Charlotte County warrant check: The police offer their warrant list at https://www.ccso.org/forms/warrant_search.cfm. Of course, you can also initiate a search for warrants by using the last name of your subject.
Can I approach the warrant division of the local sheriff’s department for details on FL warrant roundup?
No, you cannot! Information on a warrant roundup is confidential. The entire operation is about catching suspects by surprise. So, even if a warrant roundup is in the works, it’s one of those events that you can only find out about once it occurs, and not before.
Court Records from Florida
If you ask me, I’d say judicial records are fairly easy to find as long as you know what you are looking for and know about the judicial hierarchy in the state and the types of matters that different courts handle. Now, as far as a case search is concerned, you will never take your inquiry directly to the court house.
Be it the court docket or information on court cases, all of this information is maintained by the clerk of court’s office. In simple words, these folks are the keepers of the court repository. Every county has its own clerk of court’s office. In fact, in larger counties, there can be two clerks of court; one who maintains Circuit Court records and the other who is responsible for maintaining county/district courts records.
So, before I tell you how to approach the clerk court for a case lookup, let us start by talking about the type of information you can find from a search for judicial records.
What information can I get from a court records search in FL?
The great thing about a judicial records inquiry is that you get details on both criminal and civil actions that involve the subject in any sense. If you are looking for criminal court case records, you will be able to get details on all criminal actions that involved the subject as the defendant/accused.
Criminal courts records typically include information on the charges against the defendant, important events during the trial proceedings, verdict and corrections related information. As far as a civil case search goes, you will be able to learn about all the civil actions that involve the subject, be it as the plaintiff or the defendant.
Does Florida have a Courts Open Access System that I can use online?
The Court Connect network of Florida currently covers 33 of the 67 counties in the state, which include: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Desoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okeechobee, Pasco, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sumter, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
Where available, the Court Access System can be used to get information on all cases handled by the county and circuit trial courts, including criminal actions. The case search tool is available at https://www.civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/. Choose your county from the drop down menu and you will be redirected to the appropriate page.
Once there, you will find several dropdown menus that will allow you to filter the results by court name and case type, and search by using both the name of the subject and the case number.
How do I access information on court cases from FL counties not covered by the Courts Open Access System?
If the Court Connect network does include judicial records from a specific county, the only way to get this information is by approaching the local court clerk. As always, I am going to ask you to check online first. In most counties, the clerk of court’s office has a website and these agencies do provide online access to case records through their site.
In some areas, you may have to sign up to access the court repository. But in most counties, the case lookup service is offered for free. So, there won’t be any other costs involved except for the time that you spend registering. Let me explain this with a few examples:
- Pinellas county court records search: In Pinellas County the Clerk of Circuit Court offers the facility to search public court records at https://ccmspa.pinellascounty.org/PublicAccess/default.aspx. Use the dropdown menu to select the case type. On the next page, you will be allowed to choose your search criteria, which can either be the name of the subject or the case number.
- Palm Beach County case lookup: The court records search facility for Palm Beach County is offered on the website of the Court Clerk at https://applications.mypalmbeachclerk.com/eCaseView/. On the webpage, you will find the option to continue your case search as a guest or a registered user. The tool can be used by guests and signed-in users for both civil and criminal case lookup, with the difference that registered users get extra search criteria.
Guests can only filter results by using the name, the case type, the case number, the court type and citation number. But, registered users can also use the arrest date, booking number, date of birth and driver’s license number as search parameters.
- Hillsborough County courts records: To access case information from Hillsborough County courts, you can use the facility at https://hover.hillsclerk.com/html/case/caseSearch.html. You will see numerous search criteria, such as the name of the party/defendant, case number, citation number and date range.
The tool can also be used to find a ticket in your name or in that of your subject. That said, the results are offered in the form of a list that will include the names of all parties/defendants that match the search input. Specific case records can then be accessed in the form of a PDF file.
- Duval County case search: The Court Clerk of Duval County offers the court’s public access system at https://hover.hillsclerk.com/html/case/caseSearch.html. You have the choice to proceed with your case lookup either as a public user or as a registered user. The latter offers you access to more in-depth case information as well as some records that are not made available for public viewing.
- Levy County court records search: You can find misdemeanor and felony court records from Levy County at http://online.levyclerk.com/BenchmarkWeb/Home.aspx/Search. You can use the name of the subject, the citation number or the case number as your primary search criteria and then filter the results using various parameters.
Criminal Records from Florida
And after all that, we have finally hit bottom and not with a thud, but rather gently. I bet you are wondering why I’ve included a separate section for criminal records in this article when that is all we have been discussing so far.
Well, you have neglected to notice that I did not once speak about a criminal background check, up until now. I feel I will be able to better explain myself if I start by telling you how a criminal records inquiry is different from a warrant search, arrest records lookup or even a court records check.
Why should I bother with a criminal check In Florida?
Everything that you read so far was about various parts of a whole that is the criminal history report. If you are just keen to know if a new friend has a criminal past, an arrest inquiry should suffice.
If you want to turn things up several notches, perhaps you may want to consider a criminal court records inquiry in this person’s name. Similarly, you may want to lay your suspicions to rest about a new neighbor or employee by initiating a warrant search in his/her name.
But, when you want the whole nine yards backed by an official seal, you will need to get a criminal background check done. The reports of a criminal history search can be used for employment services in sensitive sectors such as health, senior and child care as well as for other official purposes like immigration and adoption.
Often the report of the criminal background check required for such purposes has to be notarized or has to bear the seal/stamp of a government office. So as you can see, a simple search for criminal records online won’t cut it in these scenarios.
Where do I go for a criminal background check for the State of Florida?
For a state-wide criminal records inquiry, you can use the services offered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The agency offers the facility to conduct criminal checks both online and offline. These are name based inquiries and you can get certified copies of the results.
Also, unlike in many other states. FDLE’s criminal background search service can be used for both third party and personal inquiries. Here is a look at the different ways in which you can launch a criminal check through the FDLE.
For an online criminal case search go to https://cchinet.fdle.state.fl.us/search/app/default?0. As soon as you click on the link that reads “start your search”, you will be redirected to the registration or signup page where you will have to offer both personal and financial details. Then comes the part where you provide information about the subject; confirm the accuracy of the information as well as the payment, and after all that, you get access the results.
Accessing criminal court records through mail: You will have to send your request to Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Criminal History Services, PO Box 1489, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Use the form at https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Criminal-History-Records/Documents/CrimHistInfoRequest.aspx to file your request. You can also use the facility at https://shield.fdle.state.fl.us/shield/app/ecorsp, which allows you to provide information online and receive the results of your criminal search through mail.
The FDLE charges $24 for the criminal background search, regardless of the mode of communication and information sharing used. That said, online checks will get you instant results while snail mail can take up to 5 business days.
How do I get a local criminal search done?
When you look for a local criminal court docket or even background report, the information you get will be limited to the geographical jurisdiction of the agency that you approach. For instance, the Sheriff’ office of Orange County will only be able to supply information on criminal acts that occurred and were tried locally and not in any other county of Florida. Not all counties offer this service and you will find many simply directing you to the FDLE for your criminal background check, but the few that do include:
Orange County criminal records search: The Sheriff’s Office of Orange County charges $5 for a local criminal case search. You will have to visit the agency office in person to file the request for the criminal background search. Don’t forget to take a valid, state or federal government issued ID card along. The payment can be made in cash or through money order. To initiate the criminal check procedure, go to Records and Identification Unit 2500 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32804.
Pinellas County criminal background search: The Sheriff’s Department of Pinellas charges $3 for a local criminal background search and an extra $1 for certified copies. You can write to the agency or make your way down to their office at Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Attn: Central Records, 3228 Gun Club Rd. West Palm Beach, FL 33406.
Broward County criminal docket search: The Sheriff’s Office of Broward County is one of the few law enforcement agencies in the state that offer criminal records online. To file the request for a criminal background check online, go to https://www.sheriff.org/LE/Pages/Request-a-Record.aspx. Click on the link and you will be redirected to the sign up page. You can also initiate a criminal history lookup by visiting the agency office in person at 2601 West Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
This is a paid service and you can get personal as well as third party criminal public records. As far as the cost is concerned, you will be notified after the office determines the amount of time and work needed to find the records you need.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
