Search for Arrest Records and Warrants in Florida Counties

One of the ways to conduct a criminal background check in Florida is to contact the individual county sheriff offices. The list below will present you with tips and guidelines regarding an arrest warrant and arrest record search on a local level in each county across the state.

Search Florida arrest records by county:

Why would you want to carry out an arrest warrant and arrest records search?

With more than 80,000 violent crimes and close to 500,000 property crimes committed in Florida annually (2022 data), it is quite obvious why you might feel it is necessary to check whether a person you come in contact with on a routine basis has a clean record. It can be a matter of personal security.

• Imagine you are looking for a nanny for your children; will you not want to be sure there isn't any arrest warrant on her name, and that you children are in safe hands?
• You consider hiring a new employee. You will probably need to know that he / she does not have an arrest history.
• A new neighbor just entered the next apartment. You have your suspicious and you want to find out more about him or her.
• Your future wife or husband, the one to be the father or mother of your children and your lifetime partner, will you not want to know if he or she is sharing everything about their past and they are trustworthy?

Of course, there numerous other examples of the need to conduct a criminal history check on a person.

What are arrest records?

Florida arrest records are legal documents that specify all instances of arrests carried out against a person. A typical arrest record will include the following information:

1. The name and age of the person that was arrested.
2. The crime that led to the arrest (including a criminal classification – felony / misdemeanor).
3. Time and place of the arrest.
4. Other persons that were involve in the crime.
5. Relevant criminal history of the person being arrested, such as prior convictions and pending hearings.
6. The facility in which the person was held.
7. The duration of the arrest.
8. In some cases an arrest record will also contain the detainee's  photo.

What are arrest warrants?

A Florida arrest warrant authorizes the police to incarcerate a person suspected of committing a crime. The police must acquire the consent of a judge for the warrant to be valid. A judge will consider the evidence presented to him and on a basis of a probable cause will sign a warrant turning it into an active warrant. If the police have not succeeded in apprehending the suspect, the warrant does not expire; it becomes an outstanding warrant and it still allows the police to carry out an arrest if they locate the suspect. Based on the FDLA's assessments, in recent years, the number of Florida outstanding warrants has accumulated to more than 320,000. That means that at present hundreds of thousands of potential offenders are at large.

Where can you find Florida arrest records and arrest warrants?

There are basically four main sources to conduct a criminal background check in Florida.  For an arrest check, you are advised to go to the FDLA (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) Criminal History Search (https://cchinet.fdle.state.fl.us/search/app/default?3) For a fee of twenty five dollars per inquiry, you can gain access to their online crime database. Second, you can go to the FDLA's Wanted Person Search (the Public Access System found at: http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/restricted/PAS/person/WantedPersons.jsf) and acquire updated information on FL arrest warrants. A third option for a warrant search is to contact the sheriff office of the relevant county and ask for information. Some of the sheriff offices have online search tools you can utilize. Fourth, the search form above will assist you in conducting a full FL criminal background check on a person of your choice. The search process is confidential and it can be comfortably done from your PC or laptop.

How can you expunge arrest records in Florida?

According to Florida statutes, the court can order for the expunction of a person's criminal record. For that to happen, a person has to file a formal application after meeting certain legal criteria. The FDLA provides guidelines (https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Seal-and-Expunge-Process) for filing such an application. It is highly recommended performing this procedure with the help of an attorney who is familiar with this topic.