Search Miami-Dade criminal cases, arrest records and public records through the right official source
Searches for “Dade County criminal records” normally refer to today’s Miami-Dade County, Florida. Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor court cases are searched through the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller’s Criminal Justice Online Case Search, while statewide Florida criminal-history records come from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Arrest reports, police records and jail information are maintained through separate Miami-Dade agencies. This guide shows which system to use and what each source does—and does not—contain.
First decide which Miami-Dade criminal record you actually need
Criminal court case
Filed charges, case number, hearings, judge, docket entries, disposition, sentence and available court documents.
Arrest or police report
Arrest forms, police reports and related law-enforcement records are maintained separately from the court docket.
Current jail custody
Use Miami-Dade Corrections’ In-Custody Search for people currently held in county custody.
Florida criminal history
FDLE is Florida’s central repository and provides statewide criminal-history record checks.
State prison record
Someone serving a Florida state-prison sentence is searched through Florida Department of Corrections rather than Miami-Dade jail.
Federal criminal case
Federal prosecutions in Miami are searched through PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Miami-Dade criminal court structure: Circuit Criminal vs County Criminal
Miami-Dade’s Clerk describes the Criminal Court operation as having two main levels: Circuit Criminal and County Criminal.
Felony cases
Circuit Criminal processes felony matters, including probable-cause affidavits, indictments and arrest warrants associated with felony proceedings.
Misdemeanor cases
County Criminal handles misdemeanor criminal cases and qualifying criminal traffic matters within county-court jurisdiction.
How to search Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor cases online
The official Miami-Dade Criminal Justice Online Case Search provides public access to felony and misdemeanor case information.
Open the Clerk’s Criminal Justice Online System
Use the official Clerk domain rather than a commercial background-search site.
Select the strongest search method
The system supports multiple search methods, including local case number, state case number, citation/police number, defendant information and jail number.
Open the matching record card
Compare name, date of birth, filing date, arrest information and case number before assuming a result belongs to the person.
Review charges and dockets
Check each charge’s disposition, docket history, bond status and hearings rather than relying only on the original arrest information.
Open available document images
Some criminal and misdemeanor record images may require free user registration because electronic court-record access is controlled by Florida court-access standards.
Order a certified copy when necessary
From the docket area, expand the appropriate entry and use the image/document option where certification ordering is available.
Useful Miami-Dade criminal case search fields
The Clerk’s criminal search supports several useful paths:
Court case number
Use when you already know the Miami-Dade local case number.
State case number
Useful when another agency or document gives you the Florida state case identifier.
Citation / police number
Useful when you have the citation or police-related number rather than the final court case number.
Defendant
Search by defendant details and compare DOB and other identifiers carefully.
Jail number
Useful when you first found the person through the Miami-Dade Corrections system.
Free registered access
Registration can reduce captcha/search limitations and may permit access to document images allowed under Florida electronic-access rules.
How to read a Miami-Dade criminal case result
| Field | What it can tell you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Court case number | Local identifier assigned to the criminal case. | Use it for copies and Clerk contact. |
| State case number | Related state case identifier. | Do not confuse it with the local Clerk number. |
| Arresting agency/date | Agency and date associated with the arrest. | An arrest does not establish conviction. |
| Charges | Criminal allegations entered in the case. | Read the disposition for each charge. |
| Disposition | Outcome recorded for a charge. | Look for conviction, dismissal, acquittal, withholding or other resolution. |
| Bond status | Bond amount/type/status where recorded. | Bond is not a final case outcome. |
| Hearings | Scheduled or completed court appearances. | Confirm future settings because dates can change. |
| Dockets | Chronological case activity and filed documents. | Use document images/certified copies for important verification. |
Find a Miami-Dade criminal court date
The Criminal Justice Online System provides hearing information within the case record. Search the case and open the hearing section to review scheduled dates, times, hearing type, courtroom and location.
Miami-Dade Clerk also participates in e-Notify, allowing eligible users to receive text or email reminders for upcoming court events.
How to get certified Miami-Dade criminal court records
Certified criminal case documents can be requested online, by mail, email or through other Clerk channels depending on the record.
Current criminal document copy fees
| Service | Current published fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal document copy | $1/page | Mail-request fee published by the Clerk. |
| Certification | $2/document | Added to applicable copy charges. |
| Certified criminal-history check copy | $7 | Current Clerk-published amount. |
| Unknown year/case number search | $2/year/name | Added for each year searched when needed. |
| Scanned felony case file on CD | $42 | Felony only; additional research fees can apply. |
Felony mail requests
Miami-Dade County – Criminal DivisionRichard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th Street, Suite 9000
Miami, FL 33125
Misdemeanor mail requests
Miami-Dade County – Criminal DivisionRichard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th Street, Suite 8100
Miami, FL 33125
The Clerk asks mail requesters to provide identifying information such as defendant name, case number, date of birth, charge type and the specific document requested, plus a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Criminal Court Office: 786-971-CRIM (2746)
Miami-Dade certified criminal-history disposition letters
The Clerk offers a certified criminal history disposition letter associated with local felony and misdemeanor cases.
This is useful when someone needs formal documentation showing the results of a Miami-Dade local case-record search.
Certified disposition letters can currently be requested online, by mail or in person.
What to do when an older Miami-Dade criminal case is missing online
The online system is the fastest starting point, but not every historical record or image is guaranteed to be remotely accessible.
Miami-Dade arrest records, police reports and clearance letters
Court records and police records are different. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Central Records Bureau maintains and distributes public law-enforcement records including arrest forms, police reports and Florida Traffic Crash Reports.
Central Records Bureau
9105 NW 25th StreetDoral, FL 33172
Phone: 305-471-2070
Police Clearance Letter
The Central Records Bureau provides Police Clearance Letters for purposes including immigration, citizenship, employment, adoption, education, legal matters and personal use.
Miami-Dade inmate and booking search
Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation provides an official Inmate In-Custody Search.
The search uses the person’s last name followed by first initial or first name.
Current search results can display:
- name
- date of birth
- race and sex
- facility/location
- listed charges
- bond amount
- jail number
- booking date and time
- booking photograph
Corrections main number: 786-263-7000
How to check warrant information in Miami-Dade
Warrant information can appear in the criminal court record. The Clerk’s case display includes a warrant-type field when applicable, and Circuit Criminal processes felony arrest warrants.
Check the Clerk case
Review the criminal docket, case information and warrant-related fields where publicly available.
Contact law enforcement
Contact the responsible sheriff/police agency for current warrant information when the online court record is unclear.
Verify directly
Do not rely on an unofficial people-search site because warrant status can change quickly.
Florida statewide criminal-history search through FDLE
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Division of Criminal Justice Information Services is the central repository for Florida criminal-history information.
FDLE currently provides several online options, including:
- Instant Search
- Certified criminal-history search
- Non-certified criminal-history search
- ORI-based search for qualifying authorized purposes
The Instant Search returns results online after the submitted identifiers are searched against Florida’s criminal-history repository.
FDLE Florida criminal-history checksWhat to do if your Florida criminal-history record is wrong
FDLE provides a Personal Review process allowing an individual to obtain and review their own Florida criminal-history information for accuracy and completeness.
FDLE says there is no charge for its Personal Review service.
If you believe information is incorrect:
- identify the disputed arrest
- identify the arresting agency
- obtain the Miami-Dade court disposition
- keep the case number
- retain certified dismissal/judgment documents
- contact FDLE Criminal History Record Maintenance
Sealing or expunging a Miami-Dade criminal record
Florida provides several forms of sealing and expungement. For ordinary court-ordered sealing or expungement under Florida Statutes §§ 943.059 and 943.0585, the process starts with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Get the FDLE Certificate of Eligibility application
Complete the required identifying, arrest and charge information.
Obtain a certified Miami-Dade disposition
FDLE requires a certified disposition for each listed criminal charge.
Complete State Attorney certification when seeking expungement
Expungement applications require the appropriate State Attorney or Statewide Prosecutor certification section.
Get fingerprinted
The FDLE application requires a fingerprint form/card completed by an authorized law-enforcement or criminal-justice agency.
Submit the $75 FDLE fee
The current FDLE Certificate of Eligibility application fee is nonrefundable.
File the petition in Miami-Dade after receiving eligibility
A Certificate of Eligibility does not itself seal or expunge the record. The court must grant relief and enter the appropriate order.
Miami-Dade Second Chance Program
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office operates a Second Chance sealing/expungement program for certain qualifying Miami-Dade cases. Its current guidance says a person charged in Miami-Dade whose case did not result in a conviction may be able to have a qualifying single record reviewed for sealing or expungement.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Second Chance ProgramJuvenile and restricted Miami-Dade criminal records
Juvenile cases are treated differently from ordinary adult criminal matters and can be confidential or restricted from online public access.
Miami-Dade Clerk currently states that juvenile certified copies can only be ordered by mail or in person.
Miami-Dade criminal appeals
Trial-court criminal records are only one level of the case. A conviction or important ruling may later be reviewed by a Florida appellate court.
Miami-Dade is within Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal jurisdiction. When a criminal case has been appealed, use the Florida appellate courts’ official case-search resources to review the appellate docket and opinions.
Federal criminal cases in Miami-Dade County
A federal criminal prosecution arising in Miami-Dade is not a Miami-Dade Circuit Court criminal case.
The relevant federal trial court is the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
PACER
Use PACER to search public federal criminal dockets and documents. The Southern District says PACER includes its criminal and civil cases filed on or after July 1, 2000.
PACER Case LocatorRecords Section
Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse400 North Miami Avenue, 8th Floor North
Miami, FL 33128
Records: 305-523-5210
Miami-Dade criminal court locations
The Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building is the main location associated with Miami-Dade criminal case records, but the Clerk also operates district locations that provide county/criminal services.
| Location | Address | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building | 1351 NW 12th Street, Miami, FL 33125 | Main Criminal Division location; felony, misdemeanor and traffic sections. |
| North Dade Justice Center | 15555 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 100, North Miami, FL 33160 | Full-service district court location with county/criminal services. |
| South Dade Justice Center | 10710 SW 211th Street, Suite 1200, Miami, FL 33189 | Full-service district court location. |
| Hialeah District Court | 11 E. 6th Street, Hialeah, FL 33010 | District court access for qualifying county/criminal services. |
| Coral Gables District Court | 3100 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 | District court services. |
| Joseph Caleb Center Court | 5400 NW 22nd Avenue, Suite 103, Miami, FL 33142 | District court services; extended hours are offered on certain days. |
Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building map
Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building
1351 NW 12th StreetMiami, FL 33125
Criminal Court Office: 786-971-2746
Know the correct suite
Felony correspondence uses Suite 9000, misdemeanor correspondence uses Suite 8100, and criminal traffic uses Suite 124.
Practical Miami-Dade criminal-record search tips
Search the Clerk before paying anyone
The official criminal case-search tool is available directly from Miami-Dade.
Use DOB to verify identity
Miami-Dade case results include identifying fields that help separate people with similar names.
Try jail number
If you found a current inmate first, the jail number can help connect the custody and court searches.
Register free for document access
Registration may be needed to view some criminal or misdemeanor images under Florida electronic-record access standards.
Use the docket, not just charges
The docket shows the procedural history that explains how the case actually developed.
Need Florida-wide results? Use FDLE
A Miami-Dade local search does not automatically cover Broward, Palm Beach or another Florida county.
Check federal separately
A Southern District of Florida prosecution will not be found simply by searching the Miami-Dade Clerk.
Get a certified disposition for official use
Immigration, licensing, employment or legal matters may require certified documentation rather than a screenshot.
Do not equate arrest with conviction
Read each charge disposition and any judgment before drawing a conclusion.
Using Miami-Dade criminal records for background screening
Public court information is not automatically a consumer report that satisfies federal or state requirements for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing or other regulated screening.
If a consumer-reporting company is used for employment or housing, additional laws can apply, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and relevant Florida/local rules.
Dade County / Miami-Dade criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Is Dade County the same as Miami-Dade County for criminal-record searches?
For modern Florida records, searches for Dade County generally refer to Miami-Dade County. The current official jurisdiction and Clerk are Miami-Dade County.
2. Where can I search Miami-Dade criminal cases online?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller Criminal Justice Online Case Search for public felony and misdemeanor case information.
3. Can I search by defendant name?
Yes. The criminal case system supports defendant searching along with case number, state case number, citation/police number and jail number searches.
4. How much is a certified Miami-Dade criminal-history copy?
The Clerk currently lists certified criminal-history copies at $7. If the year or case number is unknown, a $2-per-year, per-name search fee is added for each year searched.
5. Where can I search current Miami-Dade jail inmates?
Use Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation’s official Inmate In-Custody Search.
6. Does the Miami-Dade Clerk search cover all Florida criminal records?
No. It is a Miami-Dade court-record search. Use the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for statewide Florida criminal-history checks.
7. How much is an FDLE Florida criminal-history search?
FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history record check.
8. Can I seal or expunge a Miami-Dade criminal record?
Some records qualify. Ordinary court-ordered sealing or expungement generally starts with an FDLE Certificate of Eligibility, followed by a petition in the proper court if FDLE finds the record statutorily eligible.
9. How much does the FDLE Certificate of Eligibility application cost?
FDLE currently charges a nonrefundable $75 application fee for ordinary court-ordered sealing or expungement eligibility review.
10. Where are federal criminal cases from Miami searched?
Federal cases are searched through PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, not through the Miami-Dade Clerk’s state criminal case search.
Official Miami-Dade and Florida sources used for this guide
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Records
- Miami-Dade Criminal Justice Online Case Search
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Court
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Criminal Certified Copies
- Miami-Dade Criminal History Certified Copies
- Miami-Dade Clerk Locations
- Miami-Dade Inmate In-Custody Search
- Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Central Records Bureau
- FDLE — Florida Criminal History Record Checks
- FDLE — Seal and Expunge Process
- Miami-Dade State Attorney — Second Chance Program
- Florida Third District Court of Appeal
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida — Records