Start with the Clerk’s Criminal Justice Online Case Search
Miami-Dade criminal records are spread across several government systems. The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller maintains felony and misdemeanor court cases, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation provides current county jail information, law-enforcement agencies maintain arrest and incident reports, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement operates the statewide Florida criminal-history system. The correct starting point depends on what you actually need to know.
Do not treat every Miami-Dade criminal record as the same thing
A court docket, booking record, arrest report and statewide criminal-history report can all describe part of the same event, but they are maintained by different agencies and answer different questions.
Criminal court case
Filed felony or misdemeanor charges, case events, hearings, dispositions and public case documents.
Current jail record
Current custody, booking date, jail location, charges and bond information for qualifying inmates.
Arrest / incident report
Reports created by the agency that investigated an incident or made the arrest.
Florida criminal history
Statewide arrest and prosecution information maintained by Florida’s central criminal-history repository.
State prison / supervision
Records involving people under Florida Department of Corrections custody or community supervision.
Federal criminal case
Federal prosecutions are searched separately through PACER and the Southern District of Florida.
How to search Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor court cases
The Clerk’s official criminal search is the Criminal Justice Online Case Search. It covers public information for Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor cases.
The Clerk has also introduced enhanced criminal case details and document-image access through its current online criminal justice system.
Open official criminal records pageOpen the Clerk’s Criminal Records page
Choose the criminal case-search option rather than the Civil, Family and Probate search.
Select the strongest search field you have
A case number is usually best. The system also supports other identifiers when you do not know it.
Confirm the defendant
Compare name, date of birth, case year and other available identifying details before assuming a match.
Review the case and docket activity
Look beyond the initial charge. Check hearings, counts, dispositions, sentencing and later orders.
Open available document images
Some criminal and misdemeanor document images require free registration because electronic court-record access is controlled by Florida Supreme Court access standards.
Order a certified copy when needed
Online case data is useful for research; a certified court document is the better choice when formal proof of the disposition is required.
The Miami-Dade criminal system offers more than a simple name search
The Clerk’s Criminal Justice Online System provides several search routes. Choosing the right tab can save time when a defendant name is common.
Case number
Search by the Miami-Dade criminal case number when you already know it.
State case number
Useful when documentation provides the state case identifier rather than the Clerk’s local case number.
Citation or police number
Helpful when you have a citation or law-enforcement number connected with the case.
Defendant
Use when the case number is unknown. Verify DOB and other identifying details carefully.
Jail number
Useful when the person has a Miami-Dade jail number but you still need to find the court case.
Registered access
Registration can provide expanded court-document access and reduce repeated CAPTCHA challenges.
How to read a Miami-Dade criminal case correctly
A matching defendant name tells you very little by itself. The important question is what happened to each charge.
| Case information | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Defendant | Person associated with the case. | Compare DOB and other available identifiers. |
| Charge / count | Offense alleged in a particular count. | A charge is not automatically a conviction. |
| Docket / event | Chronological activity in the case. | Look for later pleas, hearings, orders and final disposition. |
| Disposition | How a charge was resolved. | Each count can have a different result. |
| Sentence | Court-imposed punishment or conditions. | Confirm which count and disposition generated the sentence. |
| Document image | Scanned public filing or court record. | Some images require registration or may be restricted. |
Miami-Dade uses Circuit Criminal and County Criminal operations
The Miami-Dade Clerk explains that Criminal Court operates at two main levels: Circuit Criminal and County Criminal.
Felony cases
Circuit Criminal processes felony matters, including felony affidavits of probable cause, grand-jury indictments and arrest warrants.
Misdemeanor matters
County-level criminal operations handle misdemeanor and qualifying criminal traffic matters.
How to order certified Miami-Dade criminal case documents
The Clerk allows criminal case copies to be requested online, by mail and through other supported contact methods. After finding a case online, you can order a certified copy of an available criminal or misdemeanor document.
Criminal certified-copy instructionsCurrent Clerk copy fees
| Service | Current Clerk fee | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary criminal-case copy | $1 per page | Copy of a case document. |
| Certification | $2 per document | Adds Clerk certification to a specific document. |
| Record search when year/case number is unknown | $2 per year, per name | Clerk research to locate the correct case. |
| Felony scanned case file on CD | $42 | Available for qualifying felony files; additional research fees may apply. |
Information to include with a mail request
- defendant’s full name
- case number
- date of birth
- type of charges
- specific document requested
- requester’s name and address
- self-addressed stamped envelope
- appropriate payment
Examples of documents specifically identified by the Clerk include an arrest affidavit, information or indictment, judgment and sentence, probation/community-control orders, motions, general orders and depositions.
You can request a certified local criminal-history disposition letter
The Miami-Dade Clerk offers a certified criminal history disposition letter. This is a local Clerk search covering Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor case information.
It should not be confused with an FDLE statewide Florida criminal-history report.
Local disposition letter
Reports the results of a search of local Miami-Dade criminal court records.
Statewide criminal history
Searches Florida’s central state criminal-history repository rather than only Miami-Dade court cases.
The Clerk currently lists a $7 certified-copy charge for the criminal-history disposition request, plus a $2-per-year, per-name search fee when the year or case number is unknown.
Disposition / history-check instructionsOlder or difficult-to-find cases may require Clerk research
If a name search does not locate an older case, do not immediately assume the case never existed. Older records, incomplete identifiers, sealing, expungement and retention rules can all affect what is visible online.
Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building: main criminal-court location
Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th StreetMiami, FL 33125
Published hours:
Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Know the suite before you arrive
Felony: Suite 9000
Misdemeanor: Suite 8100
Traffic: Suite 124
Criminal Court services are located within the Gerstein Justice Building.
The Clerk’s general contact number is 305-275-1155.
The Clerk also publishes district-court locations across Miami-Dade, including North Dade, South Dade, Hialeah, Coral Gables and Joseph Caleb Center locations. Check the specific services offered before traveling.
Check Clerk locationsMap to the main Miami-Dade criminal courthouse
The Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building is the main location for Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor Criminal Division operations described in this guide.
How to search someone currently in Miami-Dade jail
Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation provides an official Inmate Search for people currently in county custody.
Search by last name and first name or first initial. The current system requires at least three characters for the applicable name field.
Results can include:
- inmate name
- date of birth
- race and sex
- custody location
- listed charges
- bond amount
- jail number
- booking date and time
- mugshot
Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation
3505 NW 107 AvenueDoral, FL 33178
Main number: 786-263-7000
The Clerk does not maintain every arrest or police report
Court files and law-enforcement reports are different records. The Clerk maintains the court case, while the agency that investigated an incident generally maintains its police, arrest or incident report.
Miami-Dade’s law-enforcement records service directs users to its online Sheriff Public Records Center for many report and records requests.
Request Miami-Dade law-enforcement recordsUse the Clerk’s public-record request page only for records it actually maintains
The Clerk is the custodian of multiple categories of Miami-Dade records, but its public-record request page sends users directly to the specialized online systems whenever possible.
For criminal records, the Clerk specifically directs users to the Miami-Dade Criminal Justice system rather than submitting a broad generic request.
Clerk Public Records RequestsUse FDLE when you need a Florida-wide criminal-history search
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Division of Criminal Justice Information Services is the central repository for Florida criminal-history information.
The current public fee for a Florida criminal-history search is $24.
Instant Search
Results are available immediately and can be printed or emailed. The result is not certified.
Certified / Non-Certified
FDLE staff conduct the search. Current processing guidance is about five business days for non-certified and six to seven business days for certified results, excluding mail delivery.
ORI Search
Requires a valid ORI supplied by the agency or organization authorized to receive the results.
| FDLE service | Current cost | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Search | $24 + $1 credit-card processing fee | Immediate, non-certified result. |
| Certified / Non-Certified Search | $24 | Processed by FDLE staff. |
| ORI Search | Varies | Requires a valid authorized ORI. |
| Personal Review | No FDLE fee | Fingerprint-based review of your own record; fingerprint provider may charge separately. |
To inspect your own Florida criminal history, use FDLE Personal Review
Florida law allows an individual to review their own FDLE criminal-history record for accuracy and completeness through the Personal Review process.
FDLE does not charge for this service, although the law-enforcement or criminal-justice agency taking the fingerprints may charge a fingerprinting fee.
Complete the Personal Review application
Use FDLE’s current Personal Review form.
Have fingerprints taken
FDLE requires a fingerprint card completed by a law-enforcement or criminal-justice agency.
Mail the application and fingerprint card
Send the package to FDLE’s Criminal History Record Maintenance Section in Tallahassee.
Review and challenge errors if necessary
Florida law gives the subject a procedure for challenging inaccurate or incomplete criminal-history information.
FDLE Personal Review mailing address
Florida Department of Law EnforcementPost Office Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302-1489
Attn: Criminal History Record Maintenance Section
Phone: 850-410-7898
County jail and Florida state-prison records are separate
If someone is in the Miami-Dade county jail system, use the county inmate search. If the person has been sentenced to Florida state prison or is under Florida Department of Corrections supervision, the relevant information comes from the state correctional system.
County jail
Miami-Dade Corrections handles local custody, including many pretrial detainees.
Prison / supervision
Florida Department of Corrections handles state-prison incarceration and qualifying community supervision.
Florida DOC’s Miami Circuit Office serves Miami-Dade County and supervises people placed on qualifying probation, community control and post-prison supervision.
Miami federal criminal cases will not appear as Miami-Dade state cases
Federal prosecutions in the Miami area are handled through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Federal court case and docket information is available through PACER.
Search federal cases with PACERSouthern District of Florida Records Section
Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse400 North Miami Avenue, 8th Floor North
Miami, FL 33128
Records Section: 305-523-5210
Published office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays.
The Southern District states that PACER provides criminal and civil cases filed on or after July 1, 2000. Older federal criminal files may require records-center or National Archives research.
How sealing or expungement works for a Miami-Dade case
Florida has several types of record relief. Court-ordered sealing or expungement generally begins with obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE.
FDLE currently lists a $75 nonrefundable application fee for the Certificate of Eligibility process. FDLE says typical eligibility processing is approximately 12 weeks after a complete application packet is received.
Obtain the Miami-Dade certified case disposition
The FDLE application requires a certified disposition for each relevant criminal case or charge.
Complete the FDLE application
Fill in arrest, charge and identifying information. The application must be properly signed and notarized or signed before an authorized deputy clerk as required.
Complete the fingerprint requirement
FDLE requires fingerprints taken by an authorized law-enforcement or criminal-justice agency.
For expungement, obtain the State Attorney certification
Miami-Dade’s State Attorney provides local instructions for completing the required prosecutor portion of an expungement application.
Send the application to FDLE
Include the required documents and current $75 processing fee.
File the petition with the Miami-Dade court
A Certificate of Eligibility does not itself seal or expunge the record. Court relief is not effective until the appropriate judge enters the order.
Juvenile records follow different access rules
Juvenile records are generally treated more restrictively than adult criminal records. FDLE states that juvenile criminal-history records are generally confidential, although Florida law allows public release in certain felony-level circumstances.
Sealed or expunged juvenile records are not subject to ordinary public release.
Do not match a Miami-Dade record to someone using only a name
Miami-Dade has a large population, and common names can produce unrelated results. A name match should be verified before assuming the record belongs to the person you are researching.
Compare as many lawful identifiers as available:
- middle name or middle initial
- date of birth
- case year
- jail number
- known arrest date
- police or citation number
- known address or jurisdiction when public
- court case number
Public court research is not automatically a compliant background check
Miami-Dade court records and FDLE public criminal-history searches can be useful for public-record research. Different rules can apply when criminal-history information is used for employment, housing, licensing, credit or another eligibility decision.
Florida also operates specialized fingerprint and ORI-based screening programs for qualifying employers and agencies. Those processes should not be replaced with an ordinary Clerk name search.
Miami-Dade search tips that save time and avoid common mistakes
Search the Clerk before paying elsewhere
The official criminal system should be the first stop for a Miami-Dade court case.
Use a case number whenever possible
It avoids confusion between defendants with similar names and reduces manual Clerk research.
Current inmate? Get the jail number
The Clerk’s criminal system can use a jail number as a search route.
Register if images are hidden
Some electronic criminal-document access may require free registration under Florida court-access rules.
Miami-Dade search is not statewide
Use FDLE if you need public Florida criminal-history information beyond Miami-Dade court cases.
Ask for a disposition
The final outcome is usually more useful than the original charge when verifying a criminal case.
Know felony vs misdemeanor
It determines which Clerk operation and suite may handle a mailed record request.
Narrow manual search years
Clerk research is charged per year and per name when the year/case number is unknown.
Police report? Find the agency
The Clerk does not hold every arrest or incident report. Request it from the agency that created it.
Common questions about Miami-Dade criminal records
1. Can I search Miami-Dade criminal court cases online?
Yes. The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller provides a Criminal Justice Online Case Search for felony and misdemeanor cases.
2. What information can I use to search a Miami-Dade criminal case?
The criminal system supports several search routes, including case number, state case number, citation or police number, defendant information and jail number.
3. Is the online criminal case the official certified court record?
Online case information is useful for research, but a certified copy should be ordered from the Clerk when authenticated proof of a court document or disposition is required.
4. How much does a Miami-Dade certified criminal document cost?
Current Clerk guidance lists ordinary criminal copies at $1 per page plus $2 per document for certification. Different fees apply to criminal-history disposition letters and some other services.
5. How do I get a Miami-Dade criminal-history disposition letter?
The Clerk allows requests online, by mail or in person. Current guidance lists a $7 certified-copy charge and an additional $2 per year, per name when the year or case number is unknown.
6. How do I find someone currently in Miami-Dade jail?
Use Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation’s official inmate search. Results can include custody location, listed charges, bond, jail number, booking information and a mugshot.
7. Does the Miami-Dade Clerk search cover all of Florida?
No. It covers Miami-Dade court records. Use the Florida Department of Law Enforcement when you need a statewide Florida criminal-history search.
8. How much does an FDLE Florida criminal-history search cost?
FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history search. Instant online searches also currently include a $1 credit-card processing fee.
9. Can I review my own Florida criminal-history record for free?
Yes. FDLE’s fingerprint-based Personal Review has no FDLE processing fee, although the agency taking the fingerprints may charge for fingerprinting.
10. Can a Miami-Dade criminal record be sealed or expunged?
Some qualifying records may be eligible. Court-ordered sealing or expungement generally begins by obtaining an FDLE Certificate of Eligibility, followed by filing the appropriate petition with the court. Eligibility depends on Florida law and the person’s criminal history.
Official sources for verifying Miami-Dade criminal records
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Records
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Court
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Certified Copies
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal History Check Certified Copies
- Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building
- Miami-Dade Corrections — Inmate Search
- Miami-Dade — Request Law-Enforcement Reports & Records
- FDLE — Florida Criminal History Record Check
- FDLE — Personal Review
- FDLE — Seal and Expunge Process
- Miami-Dade State Attorney — Second Chance Program
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- Southern District of Florida — Federal Court Records