Okeechobee County Arrest Records

Florida laws authorize the arrest of suspected offenders for a crime once probable cause has been established. Okeechobee County law enforcement may perform a warrant/warrantless arrest of a suspect at the crime scene, hand out a notice to appear(Fla. Stat.901.1503,) or detain a suspect temporarily (Fla. Stat.901.151).

The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office generates and maintains incident reports or arrest records for these events, depending on whether the individual was taken into custody. For persons taken into custody, the arresting agency documents certain information about the arrestee and the arrest. These include mugshots, the alleged crime, physical descriptions, arrest events, and release details. Criminal case proceedings typically originate from arrests, and records generated from arrests may be included in Okeechobee County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Okeechobee County?

Yes, Okeechobee County arrest records are generally available to members of the public. Florida Statutes, Chapter 119, governs public access to public records, including arrest records. Interested persons may examine and copy arrest records maintained by Okeechobee law enforcement.

Nonetheless, certain limitations may apply to the public access of arrest records. For example, Statute 985.04 restricts public access to juvenile arrest records except if they involve a serious felony. Other arrest information and records that may be prohibited from public review include:

• Arrest reports and information on active law enforcement investigations
• Personal identification data like social security number
• Any information contained in an arrest record that can breach public peace or endanger a person
• Records that have been sealed, expunged, or labeled confidential by law
• Information about confidential witnesses and informants
• Information about victims of a sexual crime
• Hospital reports and mental illness diagnoses
• Sensitive information that may violate privacy rights.

Record subjects, their immediate family members, and legal representatives may be able to access sealed arrest records by presenting valid identification and other supporting documents. Certain agencies such as law enforcement may also be permitted access to restricted information for official uses. Concerned individuals may file a petition to subpoena a sealed arrest record and obtain a court order to that effect.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Okeechobee County arrest records generally provide details about an arrestee, the type and severity of the offense, law enforcement interrogations, and criminal justice proceedings. Some vital arrest information available for public access includes:

• Personal information of the suspect, such as name, birth date, gender, and occupation
• Physical descriptive features such as height, weight, scars/tattoos, skin, and hair coloration
• Mugshots and fingerprints
• Date, place, and time of the arrest
• Information about the arresting agency and officer
• Events preceding and following the arrest
• The severity and type of the alleged crime
• The case disposition and status
• Booking, detention, and bail details
• Court hearing/arraignment dates.

Okeechobee County Crime Rate

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement publishes an annual Statewide County Report through its Uniform Crime Reports(UCR) program. Data collated in 2021 for Okeechobee County disclosed that the total crime index was 989. The crimes reported included 1 murder, 31 rapes, 18 robberies, 96 aggravated assaults,170 burglaries, 561 larcenies, and 112 motor vehicle thefts. The crime rate is 2526.3 per 100,000 citizens, with larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and aggravated assault being the most common crimes in Okeechobee County.

Okeechobee County Arrest Statistics

Based on the FDLE 2021 county and municipal arrest report, Okeechobee County law enforcement made 1,796 arrests in 2021, including 1,726 adult arrests and 70 juvenile arrests. The arrest rate was 4587.7 per 100,000 persons in said year. Law enforcement made arrests for murder(1), rape (11), robbery (15), aggravated assault (51), burglary (38), larceny (43), and motor vehicle theft (28). Part II offenses that accounted for the total arrest count comprised kidnap/abduction (2), arson (1), simple assault (218), and drug-related arrests (366).

Find Okeechobee County Arrest Records

The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office is the primary custodian of arrest records in the county. To search for arrest records at the Sheriff’s office, requestors have to provide a name, arrest date, birth date, and a valid means of identification. Fees may apply if a requestor wishes to make copies of the arrest records at the Sheriff’s Office.

Okeechobee County residents who wish to look up or obtain county arrest records may submit requests online or via email at records@okeesheriff.com. Interested persons may also query the Sheriff’s Office in person between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays using the following information:

504 NW 4th Street,
Okeechobee, FL 34972
Phone: (863) 763-3117
Fax: (863) 763-6366

Arrest records may also be retrieved at state or federal levels if the subject was arrested by a state or federal criminal justice agency in Okeechobee County. For example, the Florida Department of Corrections has an online searchable database for obtaining statewide arrest and incarceration information. Similarly, federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be queried to access arrest information of Okeechobee County residents.

Free Arrest Record Search in Okeechobee County

Florida Sunshine Laws grant Okeechobee County citizens the right to review and duplicate arrest records generated and maintained by law enforcement agencies in the county. A walk-in visit to the sheriff’s office and other local police departments during official hours may guarantee free access to arrest records; however, making copies usually incurs charges.

The Public Records Portal provided by the Sheriff’s Office is another option available for members of the public to access Okeechobee County arrest records for free. Requestors intending to use this public portal will have to create and Log in to an account to gain access to featured arrest information. One may also visit the Inmate search page on the Sheriff’s website to obtain information about persons incarcerated in the county for free.

Independent record providers, a.k.a third-party aggregate websites, maintain online repositories of arrest records and information widely sourced. Interested persons may look up Okeechobee County arrest records on these sites for a nominal fee or free of charge.

Get Okeechobee County Criminal Records

An Okeechobee County Criminal record or “rap sheet” is an official document that reveals the criminal activities of a record subject at the county, state, and federal levels. It usually comprises arrest details, convictions, acquittals, and sentencing history.

One may obtain Okeechobee County criminal history information from the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement(FDLE). The FDLE charges a nonrefundable fee of $24 for background checks and $1 for processing card payments. The Instant Search option provided by the FDLE is usually the go-to by most requestors as it is faster and more convenient.

Okeechobee County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Okeechobee County arrest records contain information about an individual arrested for an alleged crime, the circumstances leading to the arrest, and other booking information. Arrest records are not definitive proof that an individual committed an offense.

Okeechobee County criminal records are similar to arrest records but are more elaborate and include the outcome of the arrest process, whether the suspect was confirmed guilty or not. They reveal the interactions of a person with the justice system and the ensuing consequences.

Arrest records are usually confined to the county of jurisdiction, whereas criminal records are produced at the state and federal levels. Consequently, the County Sheriff maintains Okeechobee arrest records while the FDLE is the custodian of Criminal histories and records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Florida laws are not specific on how long agencies may keep arrest records. Thus, once created, arrest records may remain on an individual’s record for a lifetime unless sealed or expunged. However, varying internal agency policies and the severity of the alleged crime may influence an arrest records retention and disposal period.

Expunge Okeechobee County Arrest Records

Concerned citizens of Okeechobee County are permitted by state laws to file a petition of relief with a court of jurisdiction requesting the expungement or sealing of an arrest record. The eligibility criteria for sealing or expunging an arrest record are specified in Sections 943.0585 and 943.059 of the Florida Statutes.

Expunged records are obliterated, considered nonexistent, and exempt from public inspection without a court order. Sealed records, on the other hand, are not publicly available but may be accessible by particular entities authorized by state laws. The State of Florida has several expunction/ sealing options including administrative expungement, juvenile diversion expungement, court-ordered sealing/expungement, human trafficking expungement, lawful self-defense expungement, and automatic sealing/juvenile expungement.

Eligible citizens of Okeechobee County who wish to seal/ expunge an arrest record may complete an application for a Certificate of Eligibility form and submit it alongside a filing fee of $75 and other supporting documents to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Attn: Expunge Section
P.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1489.

The FDLE requires approximately 12 weeks to process and return a Certificate of Eligibility to the requestor. Once the Certificate of Eligibility has been obtained, the requestor can then proceed to file a petition of relief alongside other affidavits and legal documents with a court of jurisdiction. A petition of relief is an official appeal seeking the sealing/ expungement of an arrest record. If there are no objections raised during the court hearing, the court issues an order to destroy or seal such arrest records. Certified copies of the court order can then be sent to the FDLE, the arresting agency, local law enforcement, and other related agencies for implementation.

Okeechobee County Arrest Warrants

An Okeechobee County arrest warrant is a legal order issued by a magistrate or judge permitting law enforcement officers to make an arrest. Arrest warrants are typically issued when the issuing judge is convinced that there is probable cause to believe that the individual named in the warrant has committed an offense (Chapter 901 of the Florida Statutes).

To request a warrant, the peace officer must provide sworn testimony and evidence to the judge proving that probable cause for the arrest has been established. Arrest warrants are necessary in cases of felonies, serious misdemeanors, grand jury indictments, parole violations, and failure to appear in court.

Arrest warrants issued in Okeechobee County generally disclose the name of the suspect, the charges, the physical description of the suspect, the issuing court/judge, the issuing date/time, and the signature of the issuing official.

Okeechobee County Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals interested in searching for active warrants in Okeechobee County may query the Sheriff’s office in person during working hours or visit the Sheriff’s Active Warrants page. Requestors are to note that the Sheriff’s office may require a means of identification for in-person requests.

The FDLE’s Wanted Persons online database may also be used to conduct an Okeechobee County arrest warrant search. To use this database, requestors may need to enter a complete name set, alias, date of birth, race, and age of the record subject to filter search results.

Do Okeechobee County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants issued by the judicial branch in Okeechobee County do not expire. Once an arrest warrant is issued it is valid until an arrest has been made by the enforcement officers in the county. An arrest warrant can only become void if the record subject dies or the issuing court recalls the warrant.