Start with the Clerk’s criminal case database
If you are trying to find a felony, misdemeanor, criminal-traffic case, hearing, docket entry or court document filed in Leon County, the best first stop is the Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. The Clerk maintains the county’s official court case records and provides a public online search for electronic criminal cases.
Do not search every criminal record in the same place
A Leon County court docket is not the same thing as an arrest report, jail booking, local background check or statewide Florida criminal history. Knowing which agency created the information can save a great deal of time.
Criminal court case
Filed charges, plea information, court events, judicial assignments, docket activity, dispositions and publicly accessible documents.
Arrest / jail information
Current Leon County Detention Center custody, booking details, Sheriff records requests and limited local background checks.
Florida criminal history
Statewide Florida criminal-history information maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Which Leon County court handles felonies and misdemeanors?
Leon County is part of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, which also includes Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla counties. Leon criminal records are divided primarily between Circuit Court and County Court.
Felony cases
Florida circuit courts have trial jurisdiction over felony prosecutions. In the Clerk’s search system, Leon County felony matters are generally identified with the CF court-type code.
Criminal Customer Assistance — Felony: (850) 606-4070
Misdemeanor cases
Florida county courts generally hear misdemeanor criminal matters and criminal-traffic matters within their jurisdiction. Leon County misdemeanor cases commonly use the MM code.
Criminal Customer Assistance — Misdemeanor: (850) 606-4130
How to search the official Leon County criminal case database
The Clerk’s public search includes electronic civil, criminal and traffic case information except cases or information that are confidential or otherwise exempt from public access.
Open Leon County Court Records Search Read Clerk access rules
Select the criminal record type
On the search screen, choose Criminal / CF / MM when searching Leon County felony or misdemeanor case records.
Choose how you want to search
The current search interface supports Name, Case Number and Ticket Number.
Use DOB when available
For a name search, use the first and last name and add date of birth when possible. This is especially helpful when the person has a common name.
Open the matching case
Check the case number, defendant information and filing details before assuming that a search result belongs to the person you are researching.
Read the charges and progress docket
Look beyond the initial charge. Review plea entries, decision dates, court action, charge disposition and later docket activity.
Request or open the document if needed
A docket entry and the underlying document are different things. If an image exists, you may be able to obtain the document online. Otherwise, the Clerk may need to retrieve or scan it.
Leon County search fields that can narrow a difficult name search
The Clerk’s search interface has more flexibility than a basic name box. Using these options can reduce false matches.
Last and first name
Start with the defendant’s legal name. If nothing appears, try the most likely spelling variation before concluding that the case is absent.
Date of birth
DOB is available as a search field and is useful when multiple people have the same name.
Wildcard behavior
The search provides options such as Begins with and Contains the text, which can help with incomplete or variant names.
Case number
Use this when known. It is generally the fastest route to the exact court file.
Ticket number
Useful for criminal traffic and citation-related matters when the citation number is available.
Date range
The search includes begin/end date fields that can help limit broad results.
How to read a Leon County criminal docket correctly
The Clerk provides its own definitions for information displayed in court cases. The most important fields for criminal-record research are the charge section, judicial information, progress docket and events.
| Field | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Charge # | Number assigned to each offense listed in the case. | A single case can contain multiple charges with different outcomes. |
| Action Code | Statute/offense code connected to the charge. | Helps identify the legal offense involved. |
| Description | Description associated with the charged offense. | Use it with the action code; do not read it as a conviction by itself. |
| Plea / Plea Date | Plea entered and the date it was entered. | May show guilty, not guilty, nolo contendere or other plea activity. |
| Decision Date | Date the court or jury reached the listed decision. | Useful for locating the final phase of a charge. |
| Court Action | Decision rendered by the court or jury. | Look here for outcomes such as adjudication of guilt or not guilty. |
| Charge Disposition | Clerk processing code connected with the decision. | Helps confirm how the individual charge was closed or resolved. |
| Docket Date | Date a document or action was entered into the Clerk’s case system. | Not always the same as the date the underlying event occurred. |
| Docket Text | Description associated with that docket entry. | Use this to follow the sequence of filings, orders and events. |
| Events | Hearing type, date/time, location, judge and related event information. | Helpful when checking upcoming or prior court appearances. |
Docket entry vs. actual court document
A docket is the chronological index of activity in a case. The underlying document might be an information, motion, order, judgment, sentencing document, notice, release paper or another filing.
Leon County’s Clerk warns that not every progress-docket entry has an image. Older cases are particularly likely to have fewer online document images because the office was not always scanning records electronically.
The public case system can display a Request Document option next to eligible progress-docket entries. The Clerk reviews requested documents for required redactions before release.
When the Clerk’s Secure Web may help
Anonymous public users can access redacted public case information, but Florida court access rules limit what may be displayed remotely. Leon County also operates a Secure Web system for registered access.
The Clerk states that registered users can self-serve eligible court images for several public case types. Access to protected or sensitive categories depends on the user’s role and the governing court-access rules.
Open Secure Web registration
Start from the Clerk’s Court Records or Records Request page so you are using the official registration path.
Complete the viewing application
The Clerk’s court-record guidance says the application must be completed and signed.
Have the application notarized
Leon County specifically instructs applicants to complete the notarization step before returning the application.
Return it to the Clerk
The current court-record instructions direct applicants to scan and return the completed application to clerk_judicial@leoncountyfl.gov.
How to find an older Leon County criminal case
An older case can be more difficult because the docket may exist even when the original images were never scanned. Leon County also maintains historical material in formats such as microfilm, offsite storage, CDs, ledgers and index cards.
The Clerk’s assisted Records Request service specifically covers situations including:
- older cases with no online image
- records stored offsite
- microfilmed records
- records stored on CD
- ledger or index-card material
- extensive multi-court record searches
Leon County court copy and certification options
The cheapest route depends on whether the image is already available online. When an eligible image is available through self-service, the Clerk allows public users to view, print or download certain court records from home or office without an in-office copy charge.
| Service | Current Clerk fee | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Online self-service image | Free when available | Ordinary research or personal reference. |
| Clerk record search | $2 per year searched | When staff must conduct a record search under the statutory fee schedule. |
| Standard court-record copy | $1 per page | Paper/scanned copy when the free online image is not available. |
| Certification | $2 per document | Adds the Clerk’s certification to a qualifying copy. |
| Exemplified certificate | $7 | Higher authentication level when specifically required. |
Fees can change. Verify the amount on the Clerk’s current Fees page before mailing payment or requesting a large record set.
Electronic certified copies
Leon County offers an eCertify option for eligible images. When available at the case level, it can produce an electronically certified, tamper-resistant copy without requiring an in-person courthouse trip.
Need what was said in court? A docket is not a transcript
Docket entries summarize case activity; they do not reproduce everything spoken during a hearing or trial. For that, you may need an official written transcript or available court audio.
The Second Judicial Circuit Court Reporters Office provides official written transcripts in most felony and county criminal proceedings and audio/CD access for certain digitally recorded proceedings.
Non-appeal proceeding
The Circuit currently lists the rate at $5 per page.
Appeal proceeding
The Circuit currently lists the rate at $6.25 per page.
Not every proceeding is available for transcription or audio. Confirm availability with the Second Judicial Circuit Court Reporters Office before ordering.
Finding hearings, court dates and courtroom information
The case docket may display event information such as the hearing type, date, time, location and assigned judge. The Second Judicial Circuit also publishes courtroom schedules and judge calendars.
Check Second Circuit calendars
Leon County’s Criminal Division says arraignment and/or case-management dates are typically scheduled after formal charges are filed. A very recent arrest therefore may appear in jail or arrest systems before every later court event appears in the docket.
In-person criminal record help at the Leon County Courthouse
Leon County Courthouse
Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller301 S. Monroe Street, Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Main Clerk:
(850) 606-4000
Felony:
(850) 606-4070
Misdemeanor:
(850) 606-4130
Second Judicial Circuit
301 South Monroe StreetTallahassee, FL 32301
Court administration: (850) 606-4401
Use the Clerk for the court record itself; use Circuit judicial resources for judge calendars, court reporting, courtroom procedures and related judiciary information.
Leon County Courthouse location
The primary courthouse and Clerk criminal-record location is in downtown Tallahassee at 301 South Monroe Street.
Map is lazy-loaded so it does not block the main article content on initial page load.
Recent arrest or jail booking? Use the Sheriff before the court docket
If the question is whether someone is currently in the Leon County Detention Center, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office inmate search is more direct than the court database.
The Sheriff states that the online inmate system displays people currently in custody at the Leon County Detention Center and provides booking-related information.
Leon County Detention Center
535 Appleyard DriveTallahassee, FL 32304
Phone: (850) 606-3500
Records Management Bureau
3333 West Pensacola Street, Suite 100Tallahassee, FL 32304
Records: (850) 606-3317
How arrest paperwork reaches the criminal court file
Leon County’s Clerk explains that its criminal office receives initial paperwork from the Sheriff after an arrest and prepares the official court file. Arrest documents and applicable release paperwork can then become part of the progress docket and, when eligible, may be imaged for public viewing.
This is why a recent booking record and a later court docket should not be treated as identical snapshots of the case.
Leon County warrant information has an important limitation
The Leon County Sheriff publishes an online warrant page, but it is not a complete list of every possible outstanding warrant.
The current public page is specifically described as a search for outstanding first- and second-degree felony warrants. The Sheriff states that this public listing excludes defendants with warrants older than five years or warrants issued within the previous two months.
Open LCSO felony warrant search
If you are checking whether you personally have a current warrant
The Sheriff’s Judicial FAQ states that warrant information is not provided over the telephone, electronically or through the mail for this purpose. The agency instructs people seeking confirmation of their own warrant status to visit the Sheriff’s Office in person with identification.
Warrants / Civil: (850) 606-3450
Leon County local background check vs. Florida statewide criminal history
These are two different searches. The Sheriff’s local check can be useful when the question is specifically about Leon County arrests. It should not be mistaken for a statewide Florida criminal-history report.
| Search | Coverage | Current base fee | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCSO local background check | Arrests within Leon County | $5 per person | Local Leon County arrest-history inquiry. |
| FDLE criminal history | Florida statewide criminal-history repository | $24 per search | Broader Florida criminal-history search. |
| Leon court search | Leon County court cases | Online search is free | Charges, docket activity, dispositions and court documents. |
How to request the Sheriff’s Leon-only check
The Leon County Sheriff currently accepts records/background requests through its online public-records portal, by mail and in person through the Records Management Bureau.
The local background check requires the agency’s completed Local Criminal Records Check form for each name. The Sheriff says the result only shows arrests within Leon County.
For a Florida-wide record, use FDLE instead
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the state’s central repository for Florida criminal-history information. A Leon County Clerk case search only covers court records maintained for Leon County; it does not automatically search every Florida county.
Immediate online result
Current public-search fee: $24, plus the stated card-processing charge for the instant-search payment.
Staff-conducted search
Current search fee: $24. FDLE lists different processing times for certified and non-certified results.
Review your own record
FDLE provides a separate no-fee Personal Review process for an individual checking the completeness or accuracy of their own Florida criminal history.
Florida criminal history options FDLE Personal Review
If the criminal case was appealed, check the appellate docket too
A Leon County trial-court docket may show the notice of appeal, but the appellate court maintains the later appeal docket and appellate documents.
Leon County is within the Florida First District Court of Appeal’s region. Florida’s appellate courts now use the Appellate Case Information System (ACIS) for online public dockets and available case documents.
Search Florida appellate cases in ACIS First District Court of Appeal
Why a sealed or expunged case may disappear from ordinary public access
Florida restricts public access to qualifying records that have been lawfully sealed or expunged. The absence of a record from a normal public search therefore does not necessarily establish that the underlying event never occurred.
For ordinary court-ordered sealing or expungement under Florida’s process, a person generally begins by applying to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility. FDLE currently lists a $75 nonrefundable application fee and says processing is typically around 12 weeks for a complete application packet.
Florida seal & expunge process
Special Leon County record path for older felony judgments and Amendment 4 research
Leon County provides a specialized records resource for people researching court information connected with Florida’s Amendment 4 and restoration-of-voting-rights questions.
The Clerk currently explains that Leon County judgments with an adjudication of guilt from 1996 forward can be researched through Official Records, while an Amendment 4 case-level search is available for records from 2010 forward.
Leon Clerk Amendment 4 records guidance
Leon County search tips that prevent the most common mistakes
Use CF for felony, MM for misdemeanor
Selecting the criminal record category before entering the name keeps the search focused.
Case number beats a common name
Once you find the correct file number, save it. It is the most reliable way to return to the case.
Add DOB
When two people share a name, date of birth can dramatically reduce a mistaken match.
Older CT case? Change search path
Leon’s system specifically directs CT cases before January 1, 2004 to Civil Name Search.
Docket entry does not mean image
Check whether a document image actually exists before assuming it can be downloaded instantly.
Recent booking? Search jail first
Very recent custody information may be easier to locate through LCSO before later court events appear.
Read every charge separately
One case can contain several charges and each charge can have a different disposition.
Check appellate ACIS
If a docket shows a notice of appeal, the later appellate activity will be in the appellate system.
Use FDLE for statewide history
Leon County’s court system is not a substitute for searching the rest of Florida.
What the public online court search may not show
Public access is intentionally limited in some situations. Depending on the record, the public website may not display:
- sealed or expunged court records
- confidential information protected by court rule or statute
- certain sensitive juvenile information
- every underlying document from an older docket
- records no longer retained under judicial retention rules
- statewide criminal history outside Leon County
- federal criminal cases
- complete warrant information
If the case itself is public but the document is unavailable remotely, contact the Clerk rather than assuming the record does not exist.
Federal criminal cases in Tallahassee are separate
A federal criminal prosecution is not filed in the Leon County Clerk’s county/circuit criminal database merely because the events happened in Tallahassee. Federal cases use the United States District Court system and federal PACER records.
Search federal cases through PACER
Questions people commonly have before searching
1. Is the Leon County criminal court case search free?
Yes. The Clerk provides public online case-search access without a search fee. Charges can apply when Clerk staff must retrieve, scan, copy, certify or perform other fee-based records services.
2. Can I search a Leon County criminal case by name?
Yes. The official search supports name, case-number and ticket-number searches. Name searches can also use date of birth and wildcard options to narrow results.
3. What do CF and MM mean in the Leon County court system?
CF is used for felony criminal matters handled in Circuit Court. MM identifies misdemeanor cases generally handled in County Court.
4. Why can I see a docket entry but not the document?
Not every docket entry has a scanned image. This is especially common in older cases. You may need to use the Request Document option, Secure Web or a Clerk-assisted records request.
5. How much does a certified Leon County court record cost?
The Clerk’s current statutory fee schedule lists standard court copies at $1 per page when a paid copy is required and certification at $2 per document. Eligible online images may also support electronic eCertification.
6. Does the Leon County inmate search show convictions?
No. The Sheriff states that its online inmate information reflects booking/custody information and should not be treated as a criminal background check or final court disposition.
7. Can I search every Leon County warrant online?
No. LCSO’s public warrant page is limited to outstanding first- and second-degree felony warrants and expressly excludes some warrants based on age and date of issuance.
8. Does a Leon County background check cover all of Florida?
No. The Sheriff says its local background check only shows arrests within Leon County. Use FDLE when you need a statewide Florida criminal-history search.
9. Where do I search a Leon County criminal appeal?
Start with the Leon County trial-court docket. For appellate activity, Florida’s appellate courts use ACIS, and Leon County cases commonly proceed through the First District Court of Appeal when appellate jurisdiction lies there.
10. Can a dismissed case still appear in a criminal-record search?
Yes. Florida criminal-history and court records can continue to reflect an arrest or filed case even when a charge was dismissed or otherwise resolved without a conviction, unless access is later restricted through a lawful sealing, expungement or other confidentiality process.
Primary official resources used in this guide
Court interfaces, access rules and fees can change. These government sources are the best places to recheck a procedure before ordering records or relying on a result.
- Leon County Clerk — Court Records
- Leon County Clerk — Court Records Search
- Leon County Clerk — Circuit & County Criminal Division
- Leon County Clerk — Records Request
- Leon County Clerk — Fees
- Florida Second Judicial Circuit
- Second Judicial Circuit — Court Reporting Services
- Leon County Sheriff — Inmate Search
- Leon County Sheriff — Records & Local Background Requests
- Leon County Sheriff — Warrant Search
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Florida Criminal History Checks
- Florida First District Court of Appeal