Seminole County Arrest Records

Seminole County arrest records are held by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Sanford, Florida. The sheriff runs the county jail and keeps booking data for all arrests made in the county. You can search for arrest records through the sheriff's online tools or by calling the jail. Seminole County sits in Central Florida just north of Orange County, and all local arrests flow through the sheriff's booking system. Florida law makes most arrest records public, so anyone can look up this information in Seminole County without a special reason.

Seminole County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency in the county. It handles all bookings and jail operations. When someone gets arrested in Seminole County, they are taken to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford. The jail staff processes the arrest, takes a booking photo, and enters the record into the system. This booking record becomes a public arrest record under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, which is the state's public records law.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office runs an online portal where you can search for inmates and recent bookings. The site shows the person's name, charges, bond amount, and booking photo. It is free to use. You do not need an account. The data updates regularly, so new arrests show up within hours of booking at the Seminole County jail.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office website shows current inmates and recent arrest records for the county.

This portal is one of the fastest ways to check on a recent arrest in Seminole County.

Search Seminole County Arrest Records Online

There are a few ways to find arrest records in Seminole County. The sheriff's inmate search is the best place to start for recent arrests. It covers people who are still in custody or were just released. For older records, you may need to use the state systems or request copies from the sheriff's records unit.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs the Public Access System, which has statewide criminal history data. This covers Seminole County arrests that go back years. A name search costs $25 through the FDLE system. You can also use CCIS, the statewide court case system, to find charges and case outcomes tied to Seminole County arrests. CCIS has over 150 million case records from all 67 Florida counties. It pulls data in real time from the Seminole County Clerk of Court.

Note: The FDLE search shows arrest history statewide, not just Seminole County records.

Seminole County Arrest Record Laws

Florida has some of the strongest public records laws in the country. The Sunshine Law gives anyone the right to see government records, and that includes arrest records in Seminole County. Under Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, you can ask to inspect or copy any public record. The custodian must give you access. There is no need to explain why you want the records.

Arrest records in Seminole County show that a person was taken into custody. They are not proof of guilt. The record lists the arrest date, the agency that made the arrest, the charges, and booking details. Under Section 943.053 of the Florida Statutes, criminal history records are public unless a court has sealed or expunged them. This applies to all Seminole County arrest records held by the sheriff or FDLE.

Some records have limits. Juvenile arrests are not public in Seminole County. Sealed or expunged records under Section 943.0585 will not show up in a search. Active cases under investigation may also be restricted. But most adult arrest records in Seminole County are open for anyone to view.

FDLE Criminal History Check

FDLE is the state's main agency for criminal records. It runs the Florida Crime Information Center, which stores arrest data from every county including Seminole. You can run a name search on the FDLE website to pull up arrest records. The cost is $24 plus a $1 processing fee. Results come back right away for online searches.

The FDLE portal from the state's criminal history records page is shown here.

This state tool covers arrest records from Seminole County and all other Florida counties.

You need the person's full name to search. Date of birth and gender help narrow results. A Social Security Number is optional but helps with common names. Results may show one match, multiple possible matches, or no record found. If the person has an arrest record in Seminole County, it should appear in the FDLE results unless the record was sealed or expunged.

Sealing Seminole County Arrest Records

Florida law lets some people seal or expunge their arrest records. This process removes the record from public view. To seal or expunge a Seminole County arrest record, you must first apply to FDLE for a Certificate of Eligibility. The fee is $75. Processing takes about 12 weeks from when FDLE gets your completed application.

Under Section 943.059, sealed records stay on file but are hidden from the public. Expunged records under Section 943.0585 are destroyed by most agencies. FDLE keeps a confidential copy. The certificate is valid for 12 months after it is issued. You then file a petition with the court in Seminole County. The Clerk of Court in the 18th Judicial Circuit handles the petition. Not every arrest qualifies. The statutes list offenses that cannot be sealed or expunged.

You can get the application from the Seminole County Clerk of Court or from the FDLE seal and expunge page. FDLE does not speed up the process for anyone. Applications are handled in the order they come in.

Seminole County Jail Information

The John E. Polk Correctional Facility is the county jail in Seminole County. It sits at 100 Bush Boulevard in Sanford. All people arrested in Seminole County are brought here for booking. The jail holds inmates before trial and for short sentences. Those sentenced to state prison get transferred to the Florida Department of Corrections.

For state inmates, the FDC Offender Search lets you look up anyone in the state prison system. This covers people who were arrested in Seminole County and then sent to a state facility. You can search by name or DC number. The FDC processes public records requests under Chapter 119 and Section 945.10 of the Florida Statutes.

You can call the Seminole County jail at 407-665-6650 for questions about someone in custody. Staff can confirm if a person is held there and give you basic booking info. For older arrest records that are no longer in the active system, make a public records request to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

Note: Inmates who post bond may not appear in the online system after release.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Seminole County. If you are not sure where an arrest took place, check the booking agency. The arresting agency determines which county holds the record.