Lafayette County Arrest Records

Lafayette County arrest records are maintained by the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office in Mayo, Florida. Lafayette County is the least populous county in the state, with fewer than 9,000 residents. The sheriff's office is the only law enforcement and detention agency for the county and manages all arrest bookings at the local jail. There is no online inmate search available for Lafayette County. Under Florida's public records laws, arrest records here are still open to the public just like in any other county. Whether you need to check on a recent booking in Mayo or look up older arrest data, the sheriff's office in Lafayette County is the place to start.

Lafayette County Sheriff Arrest Bookings

The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office operates the jail at 178 NW Crawford Street in Mayo. Every arrest in Lafayette County gets processed here. The booking includes a photograph, charge entry, and bond setting. Once the record goes into the system, it becomes a public document under Florida law.

Without an online search, you need to call or visit to get arrest information from Lafayette County. The jail number is 386-294-4381. Staff can let you know if someone is currently in custody and can share basic details like charges and bond. In-person visits at the sheriff's office in Mayo during business hours also work for records requests. Being such a small county, Lafayette County tends to handle requests with less wait than bigger jurisdictions. A written public records request can be submitted by mail or dropped off in person.

Note: Lafayette County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit along with Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties.

Florida Law and Lafayette County Arrest Records

Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes guarantees public access to government records. This includes arrest records in Lafayette County. Anyone can ask to see them. Section 119.07 says the record custodian has to make them available. For arrest records, the custodian in Lafayette County is the sheriff's office. No stated purpose is needed when you make the request.

An arrest record shows that law enforcement took someone into custody. It includes the date, the name, the charges, and booking details. It is not evidence of guilt. Under Section 943.053, Florida criminal history records are public unless they are sealed or expunged. This covers all Lafayette County arrest data held locally and through FDLE at the state level. Juvenile arrest records stay restricted. Victim identities can be protected. Active investigation files might be withheld until the case closes in Lafayette County.

Below is the FDLE homepage, the main state agency for criminal records in Florida.

FDLE stores criminal history data from all 67 counties, including Lafayette County.

Search Lafayette County Arrests Online

State databases are the primary option for searching Lafayette County arrest records from home. The FDLE Public Access System runs name-based criminal history checks for all Florida counties. The cost is $25 per search, and results are instant. Enter the person's full name and add date of birth if you have it. This tool pulls records from Lafayette County and every other county in Florida.

The Comprehensive Case Information System holds over 150 million court cases from every county clerk. For Lafayette County arrests that led to court cases, you can find charges, docket entries, and case outcomes here. The data comes in real time from each clerk. The FDC Offender Search covers people who went from a Lafayette County arrest to a state prison sentence. The FDLE Wanted Persons database lists active warrants from across Florida, including any from Lafayette County.

Clearing Lafayette County Arrest Records

Qualified individuals can apply to seal or expunge arrest records from Lafayette County. The process begins with an application to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility. The fee is $75, and it takes around 12 weeks. FDLE processes applications in order. No one gets moved to the front of the line.

With the certificate, you file a court petition in Lafayette County. Sealing under Section 943.059 hides the record from public searches. Government agencies with the right clearance can still see it. Expungement under Section 943.0585 requires most agencies to destroy their copies. Only FDLE keeps a confidential version. The certificate expires after 12 months. Section 943.0581 covers administrative expungement for Lafayette County arrests that were made in error. Section 943.0582 provides juvenile diversion expungement for qualifying cases.

Applications are available from the FDLE seal and expunge page or from the Lafayette County Clerk of Court in Mayo.

The FDLE page walks through every step of the seal and expunge process for Lafayette County residents.

Lafayette County Jail and Corrections

The Lafayette County jail is a small facility that holds pretrial detainees and inmates with short sentences. People who receive state prison time after an arrest in Lafayette County get transferred to the Florida Department of Corrections. The FDC handles records requests under Chapter 119 and Section 945.10.

Call the jail at 386-294-4381 for information about current inmates at the Lafayette County facility. For state inmates, use the FDC Offender Search tool online. For older arrest records from Lafayette County that are not in any active system, submit a written request to the sheriff's office in Mayo. Include full names and approximate arrest dates if possible.

Cities in Lafayette County

Lafayette County includes the town of Mayo. It is the smallest county in Florida by population. There are no cities over 75,000. All arrest records go through the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office in Mayo.

Nearby Counties

Lafayette County is in north-central Florida. These neighboring counties each run their own sheriff's office and jail. Contact the correct county if the arrest happened outside Lafayette County borders.