Florida criminal records are spread across several systems. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the state’s central criminal-history repository, while the official court file is normally held by the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed. Recent arrests and jail bookings are usually local, state prison and supervision records come from the Florida Department of Corrections, warrants have a separate FDLE search, and appeals use Florida’s Appellate Case Information System.
Choose the Florida record you need
Which Florida agency has the criminal record you need?
Florida is relatively open with public records, but that does not mean every criminal record is kept in one database. The fastest route depends on where the record originated.
State criminal history
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Division of Criminal Justice Information Services is Florida’s central repository for criminal-history information.
Felony cases
Florida circuit courts hear felony criminal prosecutions. The county Clerk of Court generally maintains the corresponding court file.
Misdemeanor cases
Florida’s county courts handle less serious criminal matters, including most misdemeanors.
Arrest and incident records
Booking information, arrest reports and police records are generally maintained by the local agency that created them.
State prison / supervision
Florida Department of Corrections public databases cover qualifying state inmates, releases, supervision records, absconders and related corrections information.
Appealed criminal cases
Florida Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal dockets are searched separately through ACIS.
Florida FDLE Criminal History Record Check
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History Record Check is the primary official statewide public criminal-history service.
FDLE says its Division of Criminal Justice Information Services is the central repository for Florida criminal-history information and is responsible for providing public access to qualifying records.
$24 per search
FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history record check.
Immediate online result
FDLE’s Instant Search produces results immediately. These results are not certified.
Florida criminal history
FDLE describes Florida criminal histories as containing records of arrests and prosecutions reported within Florida, subject to public-access restrictions.
Which FDLE criminal-history search option should you use?
| FDLE option | Current fee | What you receive | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Search | $24 + current card-processing charge | Immediate electronic results that can be printed or emailed; not certified. | Quick public Florida criminal-history research. |
| Certified / Non-Certified Search | $24 | FDLE staff conduct the search; results are returned by U.S. mail. Certification can be requested. | When a mailed or certified FDLE response is needed. |
| ORI Search | Varies | Result is sent to an entity authorized by the Originating Agency Identifier. | Authorized licensing, employment or regulatory checks. |
| Personal Review | FDLE says no charge for this review | Your own Florida criminal-history record for accuracy and completeness review. | Checking your own record or preparing to challenge an error. |
How to run a Florida FDLE public criminal-history search
Open the official FDLE criminal-history page
Start with an fdle.state.fl.us or cchinet.fdle.state.fl.us address rather than a paid commercial people-search site.
Choose the correct search type
Use Instant Search for an immediate public result or Certified/Non-Certified when an FDLE staff search and mailed result are needed.
Enter accurate identifying information
Use the full legal name and any additional identifying information requested by the system. Name-only matches can identify the wrong person.
Pay the applicable search fee
FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history search.
Review arrest and disposition information together
Do not stop at an arrest entry. Check what happened to the related charge.
Verify the underlying case with the Clerk of Court
Use the county and case information to locate the original court docket whenever the result will be used for an important decision.
How to review your own Florida criminal record for free
Florida gives individuals a separate process to review their own FDLE criminal-history record for accuracy and completeness.
FDLE calls this a Personal Review. Only the person who is the subject of the record, or that person’s designated attorney, can use this process.
Personal Review mailing address:
Florida Department of Law EnforcementP.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302-1489
Attn: Criminal History Record Maintenance Section
Record-maintenance phone: 850-410-7898
FDLE Personal Review InstructionsHow to search Florida criminal court cases
Florida’s trial courts are divided between 20 circuit courts and 67 county courts. Unlike the statewide FDLE criminal-history search, trial-court case access is commonly handled county by county through the elected Clerk of Court.
Identify the county where the case was filed
Search the county connected with the prosecution, not simply where the person lives today.
Determine whether the case is felony or misdemeanor
Felony cases are generally handled in circuit court. Most misdemeanor criminal cases are handled in county court.
Open the official Clerk of Court website
Use the statewide Florida Find a Clerk directory when you do not know the county clerk’s official website.
Search by name or case number
Filters vary by county. Some portals support name, case number, citation number, case type and date ranges.
Open the docket and disposition
Review the actual docket rather than relying on the first charge description in the result list.
Request the record directly when online access stops
Florida’s electronic-access rules can restrict some cases or documents even where the underlying record may be available through another authorized method.
Florida felony vs. misdemeanor court records
| Court level | Typical criminal jurisdiction | Where records are usually found |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Felony prosecutions and criminal matters outside county-court jurisdiction. | County Clerk of Court for the circuit criminal division. |
| County Court | Less serious criminal matters, including most misdemeanors. | County Clerk of Court. |
| District Court of Appeal | Appeals from trial courts within the DCA’s jurisdiction. | Florida Appellate Case Information System (ACIS). |
| Florida Supreme Court | Certain qualifying appellate matters, including mandatory review of final death-sentence orders. | Florida ACIS. |
Find the correct Florida county Clerk of Court
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers maintains a statewide directory covering all 67 county clerks. It is one of the most useful tools when you know the county but not the official records portal.
Find a Florida Clerk of CourtFlorida’s circuit-court structure can also help when you are unsure how counties are grouped. For example:
Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County forms Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Hillsborough
Hillsborough County forms Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.
Broward
Broward County forms Florida’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.
Orange / Osceola
The Ninth Judicial Circuit serves Orange and Osceola counties.
Examples of official Florida county criminal-record searches
These examples show why a Florida court search must often be localized by county.
| County | Official search | Useful local detail |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | Criminal Justice Online Case Search | Searches felony and misdemeanor cases and supports certified-copy ordering from qualifying docket entries. |
| Broward | Broward Clerk Case Search | Supports felony, misdemeanor, traffic, case-number and party-name searching. Broward says many criminal documents filed from January 6, 2014 forward are viewable electronically. |
| Hillsborough | HOVER Court Records | Search by case number, uniform case number, citation, party/business name, date range and case type. |
Florida Rule 2.420 and access to court records
Florida judicial records are governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 and the Supreme Court’s electronic-access standards.
The rule begins from a general principle of public access to judicial-branch records, but confidential information, sealed material and other legally protected records are excluded.
This distinction is especially useful when an online docket lists an event but does not show the related document image.
Florida arrest records and police reports
A recent arrest often appears locally before a court case or FDLE criminal-history search gives you the full picture.
Florida Public Records Law: how to request police or agency records
Florida has a broad public-records system under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The Florida Attorney General explains that public records made or received in connection with official government business are generally open to inspection unless a specific exemption applies.
The Attorney General’s citizen guidance states that public records generally can be requested without explaining why you want them, without showing identification and without making the request in writing.
Police / sheriff / state-agency records
Chapter 119 is commonly the route for requesting qualifying public records from executive and local government agencies.
Court records
Florida court records are governed by judicial access rules such as Rule 2.420. For the case file itself, contact the Clerk of Court.
A practical Florida public-records request
- identify the agency that created the record
- give the person’s name and incident date
- include the report or case number if known
- describe exactly what you want
- request electronic copies if practical
- ask for a cost estimate if the request may be large
- keep the agency confirmation or tracking number
- ask for the statutory basis if access is denied
Florida warrant search and FDLE Wanted Persons
Florida has a useful statewide public warrant resource: the FDLE Florida Crime Information Center Wanted Persons Search .
FDLE says the database contains Florida warrant information reported by law-enforcement agencies and authorized for public release.
Search fields include:
- last name
- first name
- middle name or initial
- nickname
- date of birth or age
- race and sex
A result can include the offense, reporting agency, agency case number, warrant number, warrant date, aliases and other identifying information.
Florida inmate, prison and supervision records
Use the Florida Department of Corrections Offender Search for qualifying state correctional records.
Florida DOC’s public corrections databases can be useful for people sentenced to Florida state prison or state supervision.
Current state prisoners
Search people currently recorded in Florida’s state prison population.
Prior releases
Use the released-population search when the person is no longer incarcerated in state prison.
State supervision
Florida DOC maintains public information for qualifying offenders under state community supervision.
Florida sexual offender and predator search
FDLE maintains a separate Florida Sexual Offender and Predator Registry .
Search options include name as well as geographic searches by address, city, county or ZIP code. The registry can also display aliases and qualifying status information.
FDLE also warns that positive identification cannot be established without fingerprint comparison.
Florida criminal appeals: use ACIS
Florida has a separate statewide portal for appellate case information: the Florida Appellate Case Information System (ACIS) .
ACIS currently provides public docket access for the Florida Supreme Court and all six District Courts of Appeal.
Public users do not need to register simply to search public records.
Case number
Useful when you already have the appellate case identifier.
Party name
Use Party Search when you know the person’s name but not the appellate case number.
Case category
Additional filters can help narrow large result sets.
Available filings
Public case documents can be viewed when they are available and not restricted.
Appeal → ACIS.
Federal prosecution → PACER.
How to get Florida criminal court copies
For court documents, request the copy from the Clerk of Court that maintains the underlying criminal case. The exact fee and online ordering system differ by county.
| Record needed | Where to request | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Online case docket | County Clerk of Court case search | Checking charges, events and disposition. |
| Plain document copy | Clerk maintaining the case | Ordinary research or personal reference. |
| Certified court copy | Clerk maintaining the case | When an agency, court or official process requires certification. |
| Certified disposition | Clerk in the county where the case originated | Often important for seal/expunge applications or correcting criminal-history information. |
| Archived criminal file | Clerk records/archive unit | Older cases not fully digitized. |
Miami-Dade, for example, currently allows certified criminal-history disposition letters to be requested online, by mail or in person. The county currently lists certified copies at $7, with an additional search fee when the case year or number is unknown.
What if an older Florida criminal case is not online?
Electronic access is not the same thing as record existence. Older records may be stored in archives, microfilm, paper files or another legacy system.
Find the correct county
Use FDLE, an old arrest record, case number or sentencing information to identify where the case originated.
Check the Clerk’s historical coverage
Some counties publish document-image cutoff dates or distinguish current cases from archives.
Submit a court-record request
Ask the clerk whether the older file is stored electronically, on microfilm, in paper form or off-site.
Allow for retrieval time
Older archived files may take longer than records available immediately through the public portal.
Florida criminal-record sealing and expungement
Florida has several different sealing and expungement processes. Court-ordered sealing and court-ordered expungement are governed primarily by Sections 943.059 and 943.0585, Florida Statutes.
The first step for an ordinary court-ordered seal or expunction is generally to apply to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility.
For an expunction application, FDLE also requires the written certified statement portion to be completed by the appropriate State Attorney or Statewide Prosecutor.
FDLE currently reports a typical eligibility-processing time of approximately 12 weeks for complete applications and says it does not expedite them.
Florida automatic sealing is different from court-ordered sealing
Florida also has an automatic-sealing process under Section 943.0595, Florida Statutes. FDLE explains that qualifying criminal-history records in its system can be automatically sealed when the Clerk of Court electronically submits an eligible certified disposition.
This means someone researching a record should not assume that a change in FDLE visibility has automatically changed every court, police or local-government record.
What to do when a Florida criminal-history record is wrong
A person who believes their FDLE criminal-history record is incomplete or inaccurate can use the Personal Review and challenge process.
Useful supporting material can include:
- certified court disposition
- dismissal documentation
- court order
- arresting-agency correction
- case number
- arrest date
- fingerprint verification
- seal or expunge order
FDLE Criminal History Record Maintenance Section: 850-410-7898
Florida juvenile criminal records have different access rules
Juvenile records should not be treated as ordinary adult criminal records. Florida law and court-access rules restrict many juvenile records, while specific statutes create separate pathways for juvenile sealing or expungement.
FDLE also provides an Early Juvenile Expungement process for qualifying individuals under the requirements established by Florida law.
Federal criminal records in Florida are separate
A federal criminal case filed in Florida will not be found through FDLE or a Florida county Clerk as the authoritative federal case record.
Use PACER for federal court cases.
Florida has three federal judicial districts: Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
Using Florida criminal records for employment or tenant screening
Public access does not mean every use of the information is unrestricted.
The Federal Trade Commission explains that when an employer obtains a criminal background report from a company that compiles consumer background information, the Fair Credit Reporting Act can require disclosure, written authorization and specific adverse-action procedures.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement headquarters
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
2331 Phillips RoadTallahassee, FL 32308
Main FDLE number: 850-410-7000
Applicant / criminal-history services: 850-410-8161
Criminal History Record Maintenance: 850-410-7898
Expunge Section: 850-410-7870
Applicant Services Unit
Florida Department of Law EnforcementP.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302
FDLE currently lists Applicant Services hours as Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Eastern.
Verify office hours before making a special trip because state holidays and operational changes can affect availability.
Florida criminal-record search tips that save time
Use FDLE and court records together
FDLE gives statewide criminal-history information; the Clerk gives the original court case.
Know the county
Florida trial-court records are primarily accessed through county clerks.
Felony means circuit court
Florida circuit courts hear felony prosecutions.
Misdemeanor usually means county court
Search the county criminal division for most misdemeanor prosecutions.
Recent arrest? Search sheriff first
County booking data may appear before the court or statewide record is complete.
Verify warrants locally
FDLE’s PAS is useful, but FDLE warns users to verify active status with the reporting agency.
Appeal? Use ACIS
Florida appellate dockets are centralized separately from county trial-court searches.
Get the disposition
A certified disposition can resolve uncertainty about how a charge ended.
Older record? Contact archives
Missing online images often reflect digital-coverage limits rather than missing records.
Use Personal Review for yourself
FDLE’s free Personal Review is the appropriate accuracy-checking route for your own record.
Remember automatic sealing is limited
FDLE says automatic sealing does not automatically seal all local records.
Do not identify by name alone
Compare DOB, middle name, county, case number and other identifiers whenever available.
If your Florida criminal-record search returns nothing
Before assuming no record exists, work through these common possibilities:
- verify spelling of the person’s name
- try middle names or initials
- check former or maiden names
- confirm the correct county
- check FDLE separately from court records
- search recent county jail bookings
- check circuit and county criminal divisions
- search ACIS if the matter was appealed
- contact the Clerk for archived records
- consider sealing or expungement
- check federal PACER if it may be a federal prosecution
- verify the case number when possible
Florida criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Is there a statewide Florida criminal-record search?
Yes. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is Florida’s central criminal-history repository and provides public Florida criminal-history record checks. Trial-court case records, however, are generally searched separately through county Clerks of Court.
2. How much does an FDLE Florida criminal-history search cost?
FDLE currently charges $24 for a public Florida criminal-history record check. Its Instant Search also currently carries a separate credit-card processing charge.
3. Does FDLE show only convictions?
No. FDLE describes Florida criminal histories as records of arrests and prosecutions in Florida. The history can include disposition information, so an arrest entry should not automatically be described as a conviction.
4. Where do I search a Florida felony court case?
Florida circuit courts handle felony prosecutions. Identify the county where the case was filed, then use that county’s official Clerk of Court criminal-case search or contact the Clerk directly.
5. Where do I search Florida misdemeanor cases?
Most misdemeanor criminal cases are handled in Florida county courts. Use the criminal-record search provided by the Clerk of Court for the relevant county.
6. Can I search Florida warrants online?
Yes. FDLE operates a statewide Wanted Persons Search containing qualifying warrant information reported by Florida law-enforcement agencies. FDLE warns that results should not be treated as confirmation that a warrant remains active, so verify the warrant with the reporting agency.
7. How can I check my own Florida criminal record for errors?
Use FDLE’s Personal Review process. FDLE states that this service is available to the subject of the criminal history or their designated attorney and is provided without an FDLE review fee.
8. Where can I search Florida state inmates?
Use the Florida Department of Corrections Offender Search for qualifying state prison, release and supervision information. For someone held in a county jail, use the appropriate county sheriff or detention facility instead.
9. How do I seal or expunge a Florida criminal record?
For ordinary court-ordered sealing or expungement, the first step is generally to apply to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility. FDLE currently charges a $75 nonrefundable application fee. A Certificate of Eligibility does not itself seal or expunge the record; a qualifying court order is still required.
10. Do Florida criminal-record searches include federal cases?
No. Federal criminal prosecutions are maintained in the federal court system. Use PACER for federal court cases and the PACER Case Locator when you do not know which federal district handled the case.
Official Florida and federal sources used for this guide
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Florida Criminal History Record Check
- FDLE — Personal Review of Florida Criminal History
- FDLE — Florida Wanted Persons Search
- FDLE — Sexual Offender and Predator Registry
- FDLE — Seal and Expunge Process
- Florida Courts — Circuit Court Structure
- Florida Courts — County Courts
- Florida Courts — Appellate Case Information System
- Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers — Find a Clerk
- Florida Attorney General — Public Records Guide
- Florida Department of Corrections — Offender Search
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- Federal Trade Commission — Background Check Guidance