St. Petersburg Arrest Records

In St. Petersburg, arrests are typically carried out by local law enforcement agencies, such as the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Officers from these agencies can make an arrest either under the authority of an arrest warrant or without one in specific situations. For example, they can arrest someone without a warrant if they witness a felony or misdemeanor being committed or if a municipal or county ordinance is violated, according to Florida Statutes § 901.15.

After an arrest in St. Petersburg, the arrestee is usually booked into the Pinellas County Jail. During the booking process, various details about the arrestee are recorded, including their personal information, physical description, charge details, and mugshot. This information is then used to update or create records and databases about the arrestee, such as a Pinellas County arrest record detailing the incident, the Pinellas County Jail Roster, and prosecution dockets.

Are St. Petersburg Arrests Public Record?

Yes. Under Florida Statutes Chapter 119, also known as the Florida Public Records Law, state, county, and municipal agencies must make records in their custody available to the public unless a relevant law states otherwise. For example, Florida Statutes § 119.071 lists several records and information exempted and protected from public access. They include, but are not limited to:

• Sealed or expunged records
• Juvenile offender arrest records
• Information connected to an active investigation
• Confession of an arrestee before their case's final judgment
• Records that reveal the identity of a confidential informant or source.

St. Petersburg Crime Rate

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department's 2023 Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the city recorded a crime rate of 3,215.8 in 2023, compared to 3,211.7 in 2022 — a 0.7% increase.

The city's violent crime rate fell by 6.9% in 2023 to 571.5, down from 613.9 in 2022. Meanwhile, the property crime rate increased by 1.8%. Larceny remained the most common offense in both years, with 5,253 incidents in 2022 and 5,394 in 2023 — a 2.7% rise. Aggravated assaults followed with 1,304 incidents in 2022 and 1,181 in 2023 — a 9.4% decrease. Furthermore, the St. Petersburg Police Department made 9,733 arrests in 2023, a 14.5% increase from the previous year.

Find St. Petersburg Arrest Records

The St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) makes most arrests in the city. Therefore, individuals seeking arrest records can contact the SPPD. To identify the record correctly, they must provide sufficient information about the sought-after record, such as the arrestee's name, the arrest date, and the location.

Interested individuals can use the SPPD's Public Records Center portal to request public arrest records online. Users must register for an account to access the portal. The SPPD also provides information about recent arrests on its News Releases page. Alternatively, interested individuals can visit the SPPD during regular working hours to request in-person arrest records. The agency is located at and can be contacted at:

1301 1 Ave North
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Phone: (727) 893-7780

When a county, state, or federal law enforcement agency arrests a person in St. Petersburg, record seekers can contact the agency that arrested the person to obtain the record. For example, if the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) conducted an arrest, individuals can use the agency's Public Records Center portal to submit an online request for the arrest record. Alternatively, they can visit the County Sheriff's office to request the record in person at:

10750 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33778
Phone: (727) 582-5865

It is worth noting that information about individuals who were arrested and booked in the Pinellas County jail in the past 30 days is accessible online through the PCSO's Who's in Jail website.

According to F.S. Section 119.07(4)(a)1, government agencies, including law enforcement agencies like the SPPD, are allowed to charge up to 15 cents for a one-sided copy and $1 for a certified copy of a public record they furnish record seekers. As a result, requesters are usually charged a fee for copies of an arrest record they request.

Free Arrest Record Search in St. Petersburg

Some free tools people can use to conduct a free arrest record search in St. Petersburg include:

• The PCSO's Who's in Jail website allows users to find information about individuals who were arrested and booked in the Pinellas County jail within the past 30 days. Users can search for individuals by name, docket number, and booking date on the website.
• The SPPD's News Releases page provides information about arrests and other incidents within St. Petersburg.

Although these online resources may provide access to basic information about arrests in St. Petersburg, record seekers must contact the agency responsible for an arrest directly to get detailed arrest reports. Requests for copies of such reports are typically subject to fees permitted by F.S. Section 119.07(4)(a)1. Similarly, some third-party aggregate websites also provide online access to comprehensive arrest records, which are usually protected behind paywalls.

Criminal Background Check in Florida

Depending on the scope of the search, record seekers can conduct a criminal background check in Florida through any of the following:

• The St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD): The SPPD's Police Record Division provides over-the-counter services that allow interested persons to order local (Pinellas County) criminal history background letters at $5.00 per letter. Requesters can visit the SPPD record counter during regular business hours (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM) to request these letters. The SPPD also accepts free telephone inquiries at (727) 893-7521 or (727) 893-7555.
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) serves as Florida's central repository for criminal history records. Consequently, the FDLE can provide complete criminal history records of individuals in Florida. People interested in obtaining a Florida criminal history record check can do so through the FDLE's online resources, such as the FDLE Instant Florida Criminal History Search website and the FDLE SHIELD, at a $24 fee.

St. Petersburg Inmate Search

St. Petersburg has no local jail that houses offenders within the city. Instead, individuals are usually booked into the Pinellas County Jail or another nearby local jail after being arrested in St. Petersburg. These facilities typically only hold people serving short sentences (less than a year) or those awaiting trial. Subsequently, offenders convicted of a felony or given sentences of more than one year are transferred to a state-run facility overseen by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC).

If an individual was booked into Pinellas County jail, inquirers can use the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) Who's in Jail website to search for an inmate's information. However, interested persons can also search for information about individuals transferred to a state-run facility through the FDC's Corrections Offender Network Web Applications.

St. Petersburg Police Record Lookup

St. Petersburg police records can be requested online through the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) Public Records Center portal. However, users must register or log in to their accounts to access the portal. Users can also check the status of their request through the portal. Alternatively, record seekers can visit the SPPD's Police Records Division during regular business hours to request police records in person. The agency typically charges specific fees for copies of police records, depending on the record type. According to the SPPD's fee schedule, these include but are not limited to:

• Incident report: $.15 per single sided page
• Photograph requests on CD/DVD: $3.00
• DUI Video requests on CD/DVD: $3.00
• Public Records Requests that require extensive clerical assistance: $28.75 per hour.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record in St. Petersburg?

Unless an arrest is sealed or expunged, it can remain on a person's criminal history records indefinitely. However, local criminal justice agencies retain arrest reports locally on file until they become obsolete, superseded, or lose their administrative value, according to the Florida Department of State's General Records Schedule GS2.

How Can I Get My Record Expunged for Free in St. Petersburg?

Expungement is a legal process that destroys or restricts public access to a criminal history record. Only records that meet the statutory requirements under Florida law are eligible for expungement in St. Petersburg. Furthermore, there are various methods of expungement, which are detailed on the FDLE's seal and expunge process page. Some of the most common include:

• Administrative expungement: Records generated due to arrests made contrary to law or by mistake qualify for administrative expungement. Florida Statutes § 943.0581 and Florida Administrative Code Rule 11C-7.008 govern the application procedures for this type of expungement. Those with eligible records can apply for an administrative expungement through the FDLE.
• Court-ordered expungement: Individuals who wish to apply through this process must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the FDLE. The certificate confirms that the record to be expunged is eligible for expungement under applicable laws such as F.S. §§ 943.059 and 943.0585. The FDLE's seal and expunge page provides detailed instructions on how to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. The application process typically takes up to 12 months to finalize and is subject to a $75.00 processing fee. After obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility from the FDLE, the applicant can petition the Pinellas County Circuit Court for a court-order expungement.

Questions and further inquiries regarding the record expungement process can be directed to the FDLE via email at SEinfo@fdle.state.fl.us.

St. Petersburg Warrant Search

St. Petersburg arrest and beach warrants are generally issued through the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and executed by local law enforcement agencies, such as the SPPD and Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Therefore, record seekers can query these agencies by phone or in person to check the status of warrants. For instance, the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court may be reached at (727) 464-7000.

Do St. Petersburg Warrants Expire?

No. St. Petersburg warrants do not have an expiry date. They generally remain executable until the suspect is apprehended. Notwithstanding, the issuing court can recall or quash a warrant.