Florida's statewide criminal-history repository is operated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Florida is a sunshine state for public records — the FDLE Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division offers a public Florida Criminal History Record Check portal that returns conviction and arrest data on Florida subjects without requiring a signed release in many cases. Specialized vulnerable-population screening — child-care, elder-care, foster-parenting — runs through the Agency for Health Care Administration's Background Screening Clearinghouse.
How Florida Criminal Records Work — Deep Dive
FDLE Criminal History Record Check
The FDLE CCHInet self-service search (a service of the FDLE Florida Criminal History Record Check program) is the authoritative single source for Florida-only conviction and arrest history. Searches can be run by name+DOB (public, no signed release required) or by fingerprint (more accurate, required for many employment and licensing purposes). FDLE charges a per-search fee set by statute; results return record images for matching subjects from the statewide Computerized Criminal History (CCH) system fed by every Florida sheriff's office and police department.
Florida's Sunshine Law and what's public
Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes — the state's Public Records Act — gives Florida one of the broadest open-records frameworks in the U.S. Most arrest records, booking photos, court dockets and conviction histories are public absent a specific statutory exemption (juvenile cases, sealed/expunged records, ongoing-investigation files). Local arrests are also published by individual sheriff and police agencies; some municipalities (e.g., Lighthouse Point) publish their own background-check process pages for residents [lighthousepointfl.gov].
Healthcare & vulnerable-population screening
If you are being screened to work with children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities — or to be licensed in a healthcare profession — the screening runs through the Agency for Health Care Administration's Background Screening Clearinghouse. This is a Level 2 screening (national, fingerprint-based) tied to Florida-specific disqualifying-offense lists, and results are shared electronically among participating agencies so the screening doesn't have to be repeated each time you change jobs within the regulated sector.
Frequently Asked Questions: Florida Criminal Records
How do I run a Florida background check?▼
Use the FDLE Florida Checks portal for name-based queries (Florida only). For national, fingerprint-based screening go to the Background Screening Clearinghouse [flhealthsource.gov]. FDLE charges a per-search statutory fee.
Are Florida criminal records public?▼
Mostly yes — Florida's Chapter 119 — the state's Public Records Act — makes arrests, court records and conviction histories public absent a specific statutory exemption such as juvenile cases or sealed/expunged records.
Do I need a signed release to look up someone's Florida record?▼
Not for a public name-based search through FDLE Florida Checks. A signed release is generally required for fingerprint-based Level 2 checks used for licensing or employment.
Who keeps Florida arrest records?▼
Each county sheriff and city police department maintains its own arrest blotter; the data feed into the statewide Computerized Criminal History (CCH) system curated by FDLE. The FDLE portal is the single most efficient statewide search.
How do I clear or seal a Florida record?▼
Sealing and expunction in Florida run through the FDLE Seal and Expunge Section (within Criminal History Services) — eligibility is narrow and limited to specific offense categories. Start at the FDLE Criminal History Services page and follow the Seal/Expunge link before applying.
Criminal Records Databases
94 official Florida criminal records sources.