Putnam County Arrest Record Lookup

Putnam County arrest records are managed by the sheriff's office at 130 Sheriff's Drive in Palatka. This northeast Florida county handles all bookings through the Putnam County jail, and the sheriff's office provides an online search for checking current inmates. If you need to find arrest records in Putnam County, you have both local and statewide tools at your disposal. Florida's public records laws make these records available to anyone. The county sits along the St. Johns River and is bordered by several other counties, so knowing exactly where an arrest took place matters when you are looking for the right record.

Putnam County Sheriff's Office Bookings

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and holds all arrest records for the county. The facility is at 130 Sheriff's Drive in Palatka, FL 32177. Call (386) 329-0800 for questions about inmates or bookings. When someone gets arrested in Putnam County, they go through this facility. The booking process logs their name, charges, fingerprints, and a photo. All of it becomes part of the official arrest record.

Putnam County has an online inmate search. You can look up who is in custody by entering a name. The search will return current charges, bond information, and booking dates. For records of people who have already been released, the online tool may not help. In that case, call the jail or file a public records request. Florida's Chapter 119 requires the sheriff's office to provide arrest records to anyone who asks.

Statewide Arrest Record Search Tools

The FDLE criminal history check is the best option for a thorough search. It costs $25 and gives you results from all 67 Florida counties instantly. If someone was arrested in Putnam County and also has records in other counties, this search will show everything. You need the person's full name. A date of birth helps with common names.

FDLE's Public Access System is tied to the Florida Crime Information Center. It is another way to pull up criminal history data for people arrested in Putnam County. Under Section 943.053 of the Florida Statutes, these records are public unless a court has sealed or expunged them. The CCIS court records database also covers Putnam County cases. It has over 150 million records from all Florida counties. You can track a case from the arrest through to the court outcome.

FDLE's Public Access System pulls criminal history data from across Florida, including Putnam County arrest records.

Note: The FDLE search includes records reported by all Florida law enforcement agencies, not just the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Putnam County Arrest Record Access Rights

You have the right to see arrest records in Putnam County. The Florida Constitution and the Sunshine Law guarantee it. An arrest record is created when someone is taken into custody or given a notice to appear. It lists the arrest date, charges, arresting agency, and booking information. It does not mean the person is guilty. Charges can be reduced, dropped, or result in a not guilty verdict. But the arrest record remains unless it is sealed or expunged by court order.

Some types of records are off limits. Juvenile arrest records are not public. Victim names can be redacted. Active investigation files may be held back. If a Putnam County arrest record has been sealed under Section 943.059 or expunged under Section 943.0585, it will not appear in any public search. The person can deny the arrest took place in most situations.

Removing Putnam County Arrest Records

To clear a Putnam County arrest record, you need a Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE's seal and expunge program. The processing fee is $75 and it takes around 12 weeks. Pick up the application at the Putnam County Clerk of Courts in Palatka. Once you have the certificate, petition the court in Putnam County for an order to seal or expunge.

Expungement under Section 943.0585 destroys the record everywhere except FDLE, which holds one confidential copy. Sealing keeps the record intact but blocks public access. The certificate expires after 12 months. If you also want to check whether someone from Putnam County ended up in state prison, use the FDC Offender Search to find their current status and location.

FDLE handles the Certificate of Eligibility that you need before you can petition a Putnam County court to seal or expunge an arrest record.

Nearby Counties

Putnam County borders several other counties. If you are not sure where the arrest took place, check these neighboring county sheriff's offices for the record.