Alachua County Arrest Records

Arrest records are official records that document information about the apprehension or detention of a citizen by law enforcement agencies due to accusation or suspicion of a crime. They give insight into an individual’s connection with law enforcement agencies. As such, they are an important part of a subject’s criminal history records and state/federal records.

Arrest records for Alachua County are created during the booking process. This procedure involves recording the arrestee's personal details, personal property, the reason for the arrest, the location of the arrest, and the arresting officer's information. The officer in charge may take the arrestee’s photograph and fingerprints. After booking, the arrestee may be permitted to go home before trial or detained in the Alachua County Jail. A judge usually takes this decision, and it is dependent on the arrestee's criminal history and the nature of the crime. Alachua arrest records are maintained by the Sheriff's office and other arresting agencies. Where relevant, they may also be featured within Alachua County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Alachua County?

Yes, Alachua's arrest records are public per Florida Public Records Law. Therefore, the information obtained during booking can be disclosed to the public upon request. However, some information in arrest records may be exempt from public disclosure. They include:

• Victim’s personal and medical records
• Juvenile records
• Details that will compromise an ongoing investigation
• Information that will jeopardize the safety of parties involved in the case

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Alachua County contain important information about the arrestee, including:

• The arrestee’s full name
• The arrestee’s personal information (age, date of birth, and residence)
• The arrestee’s physical description (complexion, height, race, hair color, and so on)
• Details of the arrest (time, date and location)
• Reasons for arrest and charges filed
• Custody status (if the subject is still in jail)

Note: The above information may not be disclosed if it would compromise an ongoing investigation or endanger the subject.

Alachua County Crime Rate

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), 8,714 offenses were reported to Alachua police departments in 2020. Up to 58% of those reports (5,121 reports) were for larceny, making it the predominant crime in the said year. The department also recorded 1,423 aggravated assaults and 853 burglary cases.

Alachua County Arrest Statistics

Alachua County police departments made 5,919 arrests in 2020. About 1,809 arrests (30.6%) were for miscellaneous offenses like disorderly conduct. Up to 731 arrests were made for simple assault, while drug-related offenses accounted for 10.7% of the total arrests. About 7.8% of the arrestees in the said year were juveniles.

Find Alachua County Arrest Records

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office collaborates with other local police departments and law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and order. Therefore, all law enforcement officers in the county have the right to arrest any individual suspected of or caught committing an offense. Federal and state agencies may also arrest county residents if they are caught violating federal or state laws.

Individuals arrested by Alachua police departments and local law enforcement agencies are detained in the Alachua County Jail. To find an inmate, inquirers may visit the Sheriff’s office in person or contact the Sheriff's Department of the Jail at (352) 491-4444. Both measures require you to provide the inmate’s full name or booking ID.

Individuals incarcerated by state and federal agencies may be detained in the Alachua County Jail or any state or federal prison in Florida. You can locate them through any of these means:

• If the inmate was arrested by a federal agency, you can search the Federal Bureau of Prisons online portal to determine the federal prison where they are being detained.
• You can contact the Central Booking Division of the Sheriff’s Office to find where a state inmate is being detained, as they also handle booking for state arrests.
• For state inmates, you can search the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) Offender Information Search portal to determine the jail they are being detained in.
• You can also contact the arresting agency to find an inmate or utilize their inmate search tool if it is available.

Free Arrest Record Search in Alachua County

Per the Florida Public Record Law, almost anyone can request arrest records from Alachua police departments or other local law enforcement agencies. Inspection of Alachua arrest records is free. However, requests for records of more than 20 pages and duplication of arrest records attract a fee.

Interested persons can use the Sheriff’s Inmate Search tool to obtain details of an arrest, including the booking date and custody status of the arrestee. Searches on the portal can be conducted using a name or booking number. You can also visit the Sheriff’s Office or the arresting agency in person to request the records of interest. Note that some arresting agencies may only have records of arrests made by them.

Alternatively, residents can request arrest records from the Sheriff's office via email or online using the Sheriff’s Public Records Request online form. The Sheriff's office accepts payments for arrest records in the form of cash, check, credit card, or money order.

Another option is to conduct an arrest records search on third-party websites. Some third-party websites compile public records from different government agencies in the state, and they provide these public records to the public upon request. However, their services are not always free. You may be required to subscribe or pay for the records.

Get Alachua County Criminal Records

Alachua criminal history records are official reports that contain details of every contact an individual has had with the criminal justice system, including arrests, pending warrants, and court dispositions. Per Florida Law, Alachua criminal records are public records. However, juvenile criminal records are exempted from public disclosure. Therefore, almost anyone can request adult criminal records from the records custodian, but juvenile records are only released to the record subject, the subject’s parents/guardians, law enforcement agencies, and certain employers.

Interested individuals can request Alachua criminal history records from the Sheriff’s office via email, online, or in person. Each request costs $6, which can be paid in the form of cash, check, money order, or business check. Notably, the Sheriff’s office can only provide a list of all arrests made by Alachua police departments. You may have to approach the County Clerk of the Court to obtain details of court dispositions.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is responsible for compiling and maintaining complete Alachua criminal history records containing arrest and court dispositions. To obtain them, inquirers can use any of these online options set up by FDLE:

• The Instant Florida Criminal History Search online portal provides uncertified criminal records.
• The Florida Criminal History Search portal provides access to certified and uncertified criminal records. Notably, the subject’s demographic information is required for this search, and responses are sent via mail.
• The ORI-based Florida Criminal History Search requires you to provide a valid ORI.

Excluding the ORI-based search, all requests sent to the FDLE attract a fee of $24 and a processing fee of $1, which must be paid by debit or credit card. The cost of the ORI-based search varies among state agencies or authorized entities.

You can also obtain criminal history records from the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This would require you to send a request to the division via mail or online. Notably, this option is restricted to record subjects only, and requests must be sent with proof of payment of $18.

Alternatively, one can conduct online searches on third-party websites. Though privately owned, most third-party websites contain a compilation of public records from various government agencies. Notably, the availability of some criminal records on these third-party websites may vary, and you may also be required to pay a fee.

Alachua County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Alachua County, many individuals tend to use the terms “arrest records” and “criminal records” interchangeably. However, these two terms have distinct meanings.

Alachua arrest records are generated by the Central Booking Division of the Sheriff’s office. Information contained in an arrest record includes the subject’s personal information and details of the arrest charges filed, the arresting agency, the facility where the arrestee was detained, and the incident report. Alachua arrest records do not provide details of events that occur after an arrest, such as trials and court dispositions.

Alachua criminal history records, on the other hand, are compiled and maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. They include details of all incarcerations a subject has faced, pending warrants, court dispositions, mugshots, and fingerprints. Additionally, criminal history records contain the subject’s background information. In simple terms, criminal records contain both arrest records and court records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Permanently. Florida laws do not provide a specific timeline for the removal of arrests from one’s records. Rather, the Florida Department of State General Records Schedule indicates that arrest records should be maintained by justice agencies until the record is “obsolete, superseded or administrative value is lost”. However, eligible parties may be able to request that their arrest records be sealed or expunged.

Expunge Alachua County Arrest Records

Alachua arrest records can be sealed or expunged. When sealed, records become exempt from public disclosure. However, government agencies can still access them. Expungement, on the other hand, involves a complete deletion or removal of the record.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) offers various measures for sealing or expunging arrest records. Per Florida Law, the FDLE will automatically seal a record if the Clerk of the Court sends a qualifying disposition to the department.

Also, wrongly arrested people may request an administrative expungement from the FDLE as stated in the Florida Administrative Code. Individuals who are not qualified for administrative expungement can apply to the FDLE for a certificate of eligibility. This certificate indicates that the record is eligible for expungement per Florida Law. With this certificate of eligibility, the subject can petition the court for court-ordered sealing or expungement.

Details of other sealing/expungement processes are available on the FDLE website. You can also contact the department via email to obtain more information on sealing and expungement processes.

Alachua County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official precept issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes a law enforcement officer to apprehend an individual who is suspected or caught committing a crime. While warrants are issued before an arrest is made, Florida Law permits an officer to make a warrantless arrest if the individual committed an offense in the presence of an officer or if there is probable cause to believe that the individual committed an offense.

Alachua arrest warrants must contain the following information:

• The subject’s name
• The offense
• Name of the arresting officer and/or the officer who requested the warrant
• Name of the issuing judge/magistrate
• Signature of the issuing judge/magistrate

Alachua County Arrest Warrant Search

To determine if an individual has a pending arrest warrant in Alachua County, inquirers can visit the Sheriff’s Warrants Bureau in person or contact them at (352) 367-4138. Alternatively, you can search the FDLE Wanted Person Search portal. This portal contains details of all pending arrest warrants in Florida.

Criminal court records highlight details of a court hearing including the issuance of a warrant, therefore, interested persons can conduct an online search for criminal court records on the Clerk of the Court’s official website. Another option is to request criminal history records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as criminal records include details of all pending warrants.

Do Alachua County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Alachua arrest warrants do not expire. Per the FDLE General Records Schedule, arrest warrants remain valid until they have been “satisfied, canceled, withdrawn or otherwise disposed of”.