Miami Dade Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

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Miami-Dade County official-records guide

Where to Search Miami-Dade Criminal Records

Miami-Dade criminal records are split among the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and federal courts. A court case search, sheriff clearance letter, jail booking and statewide Florida criminal-history check answer different questions. This guide shows where to start, what each system contains, the current fees, and what to do when an online search is incomplete.

Jurisdiction: Miami-Dade County, Florida Information checked: September 24, 2026 Primary sources: official government and court systems
Fast answer: use the Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search for local felony and misdemeanor court cases; Miami-Dade Corrections for current jail custody; the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for sheriff incident records and local clearance letters; and FDLE when you need a statewide Florida criminal-history search.
Search a court case Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor case information.
Clerk search →
Find current jail custody Booking, charges, bond, jail number and detention location.
Inmate search →
Police / sheriff record Incident reports, body camera, 911 audio and clearance letters.
MDSO records →
Florida statewide history Public Florida criminal-history record search through FDLE.
FDLE search →
Certified court record Disposition letters and certified criminal-case documents.
Copy options →

First decide which Miami-Dade criminal record you need

The fastest way to waste time is to treat every criminal record as though it comes from the same database. Miami-Dade uses separate systems for court cases, sheriff records, current jail custody and statewide criminal-history information.

What you want Official source What it usually includes Main limitation
Felony or misdemeanor court case Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller Case number, charges, events, disposition and available documents Confidential/sealed material is not public
Certified criminal disposition Miami-Dade Clerk Official local court disposition record Fee applies
Current county jail custody Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Booking, charges, bond, location and mugshot Current custody, not a statewide criminal history
Sheriff incident report Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Offense/incident reports and other sheriff-maintained records Only records held by MDSO
Local clearance letter Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Miami-Dade sheriff background check / clearance letter Not a statewide Florida record check
Florida statewide criminal history Florida Department of Law Enforcement Florida arrests and prosecutions reported to FDLE $24 public search; federal/other-state records not included
Federal criminal case PACER / Southern District of Florida Federal docket and public documents Separate federal system
Arrest is not conviction. A booking, arrest affidavit, warrant or criminal charge does not establish guilt. Check the final court disposition before describing someone as convicted.

Miami-Dade Circuit Criminal vs County Criminal

Miami-Dade’s criminal court system has two principal trial-court levels. Knowing the charge level tells you where the case is likely to be handled.

Circuit Criminal

Felony cases

Circuit Criminal receives and processes felony probable-cause affidavits, grand jury indictments, arrest warrants and other felony criminal matters.

County Criminal

Misdemeanor cases

County Criminal handles misdemeanors and qualifying criminal traffic matters, including cases assigned to the county criminal divisions.

Main criminal courthouse

Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building

1351 NW 12th Street
Miami, FL 33125

Court hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Clerk information: 305-275-1155

Miami-Dade also operates criminal court functions at branch locations. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s courthouse directory currently lists locations including North Dade Justice Center and South Dade Justice Center in addition to the main Gerstein courthouse.

View Miami-Dade courthouse locations

How to read a Miami-Dade criminal case correctly

Finding a name in a court system is not enough. The useful information is in the progression from arrest or filing through final disposition.

Record item What it usually means What to verify
Arrest / A-form Law-enforcement arrest information or probable-cause documentation Whether charges were actually filed
Information / Indictment Formal charging document Which counts survived or were amended
Arraignment Formal court stage at which charges and plea are addressed Later case events and changes
Disposition How the charge or case ended Conviction, dismissal, acquittal, no action or another outcome
Judgment and sentence Final adjudication and sentence when applicable Adjudication status and sentencing terms
Withhold of adjudication Florida-specific disposition where adjudication of guilt is withheld Do not automatically describe it as an ordinary adjudication of guilt
Florida terminology matters. A case may show an arrest and prosecution even when the final result is dismissal, acquittal, withholding of adjudication or another non-conviction outcome.

Arrest affidavits, probable-cause records and criminal case documents

The Miami-Dade Clerk specifically lists several common criminal documents that can be requested from a case file, including:

  • affidavit of arrest / A-form
  • information or indictment
  • judgment and sentence
  • orders of probation or community control
  • motions
  • general court orders
  • depositions where publicly available
  • other public criminal-case documents

Some electronic images may not be visible to a general anonymous user. The Clerk says free registration may be required to access eligible criminal or misdemeanor document images under Florida’s electronic-court-record access standards.

Not every filed document is publicly viewable. Confidential information, sealed records, protected victim information, juvenile records and material restricted under Florida law or court rules can be redacted or unavailable.

Miami-Dade criminal certified copies and current fees

Certified criminal-case documents can be ordered online, by mail and through other Clerk-supported methods depending on the record.

Record / service Current published fee Important detail
Criminal case document copy $1 per page Additional fees can apply depending on request method
Certification $2 per document For certified criminal case documents
Certified criminal history disposition letter $7 Local Miami-Dade criminal history disposition result
Search when case year/number is unknown $2 per year, per name Added for each year that must be searched
Scanned felony case file on CD $42 Felony cases only; research fees may also apply

The Clerk accepts specified payment methods depending on how the request is made. Personal checks are not accepted for the criminal-history certified-copy process.

Miami-Dade criminal certified copies

Certified criminal history disposition letter

If you need an official local case-history result rather than a simple online lookup, the Clerk offers a certified criminal history disposition letter associated with Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor records.

The Clerk currently allows requests online, by mail or in person.

Felony requests

Criminal Division – Felonies

Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th Street, Suite 9000
Miami, FL 33125
Misdemeanor requests

Criminal Division – Misdemeanors

Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th Street, Suite 8100
Miami, FL 33125

What to include with a mailed request

  • defendant’s full name
  • case number
  • case year
  • date of birth
  • appropriate payment
  • self-addressed stamped envelope
Cost-saving tip: use the online case search first to identify the case number and year. Otherwise, the Clerk can add the $2-per-year, per-name search charge for each year searched.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office reports and public records

The current county law-enforcement agency is the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO). Its Central Records Bureau and Public Records Center handle several types of records that are different from Clerk court files.

MDSO reports and records
O/I report

Offense / Incident Report

Used for incidents such as robbery, burglary, assault or auto theft. Some portions can be confidential or exempt.

Video / audio

Body camera and 911

Public-record requests can include body-worn camera footage and qualifying 911 recordings, subject to exemptions and redaction.

Background records

Clearance letter

MDSO provides local criminal background checks and can issue a Sheriff Clearance Letter.

Information that helps locate an incident report

  • case number, if known
  • incident date
  • location
  • names of involved people
Central Records Bureau

Miami-Dade Sheriff Fred Taylor Headquarters

9105 NW 25th Street
Doral, FL 33172

Public Records Counter: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., by appointment
Non-emergency: 305-SHERIFF (305-743-7433)

Miami-Dade Sheriff Clearance Letter

MDSO provides a local criminal background check and Sheriff Clearance Letter. This can be useful when someone specifically needs a Miami-Dade sheriff clearance rather than a statewide FDLE criminal-history report.

Current fee

$5 per clearance letter

MDSO currently lists a $5 charge for each Sheriff Clearance Letter.

Fingerprinting

$15 fingerprint service

MDSO fingerprint services are available at specified district stations. Bring the fingerprint card and two valid forms of ID, at least one with a photo.

Request methods

Online, mail or in person

Clearance letters may be requested through MDSO’s Public Records Center or supported in-person/mail processes.

Information MDSO asks for

  • full name
  • maiden or additional names
  • race
  • sex
  • date of birth
  • requester’s name
  • requester’s address
  • requester’s phone number
Local vs statewide: a Miami-Dade Sheriff clearance is not the same as an FDLE statewide Florida criminal-history check and does not substitute for a national FBI fingerprint check.

City of Miami Police records are separate from Miami-Dade Sheriff records

“Miami-Dade” and “City of Miami” are not interchangeable record custodians. If the incident was handled by the City of Miami Police Department, do not automatically send the request to MDSO.

Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office

Use MDSO for sheriff-created incident records, clearance letters, body-camera requests and records from areas or contract jurisdictions served by the Sheriff.

City of Miami

Miami Police Department

City of Miami police reports are maintained by Miami Police rather than the county Sheriff. The city’s Police Records Unit can be reached at 305-603-6477.

Insider-style practical check: look at the agency name on the incident number, arrest report or citation before requesting records. It can save days of being redirected between city and county agencies.

Miami-Dade inmate and booking search

Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation provides an official Inmate In-Custody Search for people currently held in county detention.

Miami-Dade Inmate In-Custody Search

The county says results can display:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • race
  • sex
  • detention location
  • charges
  • bond amount
  • jail number
  • booking date and time
  • booking photograph
If the direct inmate-search page is under maintenance: Miami-Dade Corrections currently lists its main inmate-information number as 786-263-7000. Do not interpret a temporary website outage as proof that someone is not in custody.

Major Miami-Dade detention facilities

Pre-Trial Detention Center

1321 NW 13th Street
Miami, FL 33125

Phone: 786-263-4110

Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center

7000 NW 41st Street
Miami, FL 33166

Phone: 786-263-5341

Metro-West Detention Center

13850 NW 41st Street
Miami, FL 33178

Phone: 786-263-5110

County jail is not Florida state prison. A person in Miami-Dade pretrial custody may not appear in Florida Department of Corrections prison results.

Request Miami-Dade Corrections records

If you need records beyond the current inmate lookup, Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation accepts public-records requests through the county’s records-management system.

Corrections Public Records Custodian

Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation

3505 NW 107 Avenue
Doral, FL 33178

Public records: 786-263-5892
Inmate Records: 786-263-4222
Booking: 786-263-5312
Release: 786-263-5360

Miami-Dade Corrections

How to check Miami-Dade warrant information

There is a difference between a warrant shown in a known court case and Florida’s broader wanted-person system.

Miami-Dade court case

Bench / case-related warrant

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit directs people asking whether they have a bench warrant to the Miami-Dade Clerk’s Criminal Justice Online System or the Clerk at 305-275-1155.

Statewide wanted person

FDLE Public Access System

FDLE maintains a free Wanted Persons Search within its Public Access System. Information is updated from Florida Crime Information Center files.

FDLE Wanted Persons Search
Do not take action yourself. FDLE warns users not to confront or attempt to detain a person listed in the wanted-person system. Contact law enforcement instead.

Florida statewide criminal-history search through FDLE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the central repository for Florida criminal-history information. This is the appropriate official source when the search needs to extend beyond Miami-Dade County.

Instant search

$24 + processing fee

FDLE’s instant online search currently costs $24 plus a $1 credit-card processing fee. Results are available immediately but are not certified.

Certified / non-certified

$24 search

FDLE staff conduct the demographic search. Current processing guidance is about five business days for non-certified and six to seven for certified requests, excluding mail time.

Coverage

Florida criminal history

FDLE criminal histories contain Florida arrest and prosecution information reported to the state repository.

Florida Criminal History Record Check
Not a national search. The ordinary public FDLE criminal-history search does not provide a federal FBI background check or criminal histories from every other state.

Review your own Florida criminal history for free

Florida law allows a person to request a copy of their own FDLE criminal-history record for personal review so they can check its accuracy and completeness.

FDLE does not charge for Personal Review. The request must include fingerprints taken by a law-enforcement or criminal-justice agency, although the agency taking the fingerprints may charge its own rolling fee.

This service is intended for personal review and correction. FDLE says it cannot be used for immigration, employment, licensing or certification purposes.

FDLE Personal Review

If your Florida record is incorrect

FDLE’s Criminal History Record Maintenance Section handles challenges to incomplete or inaccurate Florida criminal-history information.

Phone: 850-410-7898

Miami-Dade public-records requests under Florida law

Florida’s public-records framework is broader than just criminal court files. Miami-Dade County maintains a central public-records request system for county departments.

Miami-Dade Public Records Request
You generally do not have to identify yourself or explain why you want a public record. Miami-Dade’s published public-record policy also states that a request does not have to be submitted in writing.

Current county copy charges

Item Published charge
Single-sided copy 15 cents per page
Double-sided copy 20 cents per page
Certified copy under county policy $1 per page
Research / processing over 20 minutes Labor-based service charge may apply
Court records are different from ordinary county department records. For a criminal court case, use the Clerk’s criminal-record system rather than sending a generic Chapter 119 request to an unrelated county department.

Miami-Dade juvenile criminal records

Juvenile court records receive stronger confidentiality protections than ordinary adult criminal records. The Miami-Dade Clerk specifically states that juvenile cases are confidential and that certified copies can only be ordered by mail or in person by authorized requesters.

FDLE also explains that juvenile criminal-history information is generally confidential, although Florida law authorizes limited public release in specified serious juvenile cases.

Do not treat a missing juvenile case as an error. Access restrictions can be intentional and legally required.

Seal or expunge a Miami-Dade criminal record

Florida provides several forms of sealing or expungement. Eligibility depends heavily on the final disposition, prior history and offense.

Standard court-ordered sealing or expungement

The first step is generally to apply to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility. Receiving the certificate does not itself seal the record; the person must then petition the court, and the judge decides whether to grant relief.

FDLE fee

$75

FDLE currently requires a nonrefundable $75 processing fee with the Certificate of Eligibility application.

Processing estimate

About 12 weeks

FDLE currently says determining eligibility typically takes approximately 12 weeks after receipt of a complete application packet.

Certified disposition

Required documentation

Applicants generally need a certified disposition for each case or criminal charge listed on the application.

FDLE Seal and Expunge Process

Miami-Dade State Attorney Second Chance Program

The Miami-Dade State Attorney operates a Second Chance sealing/expungement program for qualifying Miami-Dade state criminal cases that did not result in conviction.

State Attorney

Second Chance Program

E.R. Graham Building
1350 NW 12 Avenue
Miami, FL 33136

Phone: 305-547-0100

Miami-Dade Second Chance Program
Florida automatic sealing has an important limitation: FDLE says automatic sealing under Section 943.0595 affects the FDLE criminal-history record but does not automatically seal local records held by every agency.

Federal criminal records in Miami-Dade

Federal criminal cases in Miami are separate from Miami-Dade state court records. They are handled through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Federal records office

Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse

400 North Miami Avenue
8th Floor North
Miami, FL 33128

Records Section: 305-523-5210
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

PACER

Federal electronic case records

PACER provides federal docket and document access. The Southern District states that PACER contains its criminal and civil cases filed on or after July 1, 2000.

Southern District records

Miami-Dade criminal courthouse map

The Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building is the central Miami-Dade criminal courthouse and houses major Clerk felony and misdemeanor functions.

Before visiting: check the case’s assigned location. Miami-Dade criminal court operations can also use branch courthouses, so the Gerstein building is not automatically the correct destination for every misdemeanor or traffic matter.

Miami-Dade criminal-record search tips that save time

Tip 01

Get the case number first

It makes document ordering easier and can avoid the Clerk’s additional per-year search fee.

Tip 02

Check the arresting agency

Miami Police and Miami-Dade Sheriff records are maintained by different agencies.

Tip 03

Recent arrest? Check jail first

Booking information may be available before every court document is visible online.

Tip 04

Local clearance is not statewide

Use FDLE when you need criminal-history information beyond Miami-Dade.

Tip 05

Search the final disposition

A probable-cause affidavit or original charge does not tell you how the case ended.

Tip 06

Register when document images are blocked

Some eligible criminal-document images require a free authenticated Clerk account.

Tip 07

Website maintenance is not “no record”

If the inmate search is temporarily unavailable, use Corrections’ published inmate-information number.

Tip 08

Use FDLE Personal Review for your own accuracy check

The service is free from FDLE and lets you challenge incorrect or incomplete Florida history information.

Tip 09

Save records before sealing

FDLE recommends keeping copies of arrest reports, dispositions and sealing/expungement documents before public access changes.

Using Miami-Dade criminal records for employment, housing or licensing

A public court search is not automatically the same as a legally compliant consumer background check. Different state and federal requirements can apply when criminal-history information is used for employment, housing, professional licensing or another eligibility decision.

Use-purpose matters. Verify the rules governing the specific decision before relying on a public docket, booking record or local clearance letter. Sealed, expunged, juvenile and non-conviction information can be subject to special protections.

Miami-Dade criminal records: frequently asked questions

1. Where can I search Miami-Dade criminal court records?

Use the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller’s Criminal Justice Online Case Search for felony and misdemeanor court information.

2. Is Miami-Dade criminal case search free?

Basic online case searching is available through the Clerk. Fees apply when you order certified copies, disposition letters or certain additional search services.

3. How much is a Miami-Dade certified criminal history disposition letter?

The Clerk currently lists a $7 fee. If the case year or number is unknown, an additional $2 per year, per name search fee can apply.

4. How do I find someone currently in Miami-Dade jail?

Use the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Inmate In-Custody Search. If the online search is temporarily unavailable, Corrections lists 786-263-7000 for inmate information.

5. How much is a Miami-Dade Sheriff Clearance Letter?

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office currently lists a $5 fee for each Sheriff Clearance Letter.

6. Is a Miami-Dade Sheriff background check statewide?

No. A local sheriff clearance is different from the statewide Florida criminal-history search maintained by FDLE.

7. How much does an FDLE Florida criminal-history search cost?

FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history search. The instant online option also carries a $1 credit-card processing fee.

8. Can I review my own Florida criminal history for free?

Yes. FDLE’s Personal Review process does not have an FDLE fee, although a fingerprinting agency may charge to take your fingerprints.

9. How do I seal or expunge a Miami-Dade criminal record?

Many court-ordered sealing or expungement cases begin with an FDLE Certificate of Eligibility. Miami-Dade’s State Attorney also operates a Second Chance program for certain qualifying Miami-Dade cases.

10. Where do I find Miami federal criminal court records?

Use PACER or the Records Section of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Federal cases are separate from Miami-Dade Clerk records.

Official Miami-Dade and Florida criminal-record resources

Editorial note: Criminal-Record.org is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with Miami-Dade County, the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, FDLE, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit or any other government agency. Public availability can change because of sealing, expungement, confidentiality rules, juvenile-record protections, victim protections, redaction requirements or system maintenance. Always verify important information with the government office that maintains the original record. An arrest, warrant or charge is not proof of guilt.

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