Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Hartford County is a county in Connecticut, and arrests there are made by the state police or the town police. An arrest leaves the same records whoever makes it: the arresting agency's report, the booking at a facility of the Connecticut Department of Correction, and, if the State's Attorney files charges, a case in the Connecticut Superior Court. This guide says who keeps each one, what it costs and who may see it.
This guide covers who makes arrests, booking and the jail, finding an arrest, copies, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Hartford County public records, Connecticut arrest records, Connecticut inmate search and Connecticut criminal records.
Who Makes Arrests in Hartford County
Connecticut has no county sheriff with a patrol role. Arrests in Hartford County are made by the state police or the town police, and in Connecticut the police for a given address is the town police in a town with its own department and the state police elsewhere.
Booking: Where People Arrested in Hartford County Are Held
In Connecticut the jails belong to the state. Anyone held after an arrest in Hartford County is booked into a facility of the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the inmate lookup is the state's.
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison; the Connecticut Department of Correction lists its inmates at portal.ct.gov/DOC/Miscellaneous/Inmate-Information.
How to Find Out About an Arrest in Hartford County
Whether someone was arrested in Hartford County, and what came of it, shows up in two places: the Connecticut Department of Correction's inmate locator, for anyone held; the case index of the Connecticut Superior Court, which shows whether charges were filed and the next court date (the court records page SearchSystems verified is at jud.ct.gov/jud2.htm).
Statewide, Judicial Branch Case Look-up is the Connecticut Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Connecticut is one of the states that lets anyone look up another person's statewide criminal history: conviction records are public and can be requested on anyone by name, through the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification. That record shows what agencies reported to the state, which is wider than one county's court index but can lag it.
Getting a Copy of an Arrest Record in Hartford County
The report of an arrest is released by the agency that made it; the jail and the court hold their own records of the same event, but not the report. Under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer promptly; a request not answered in 4 business days is treated as denied and can be appealed, and it may charge the copy fees set by statute.
- The court file of a case that was filed: the Connecticut Superior Court, through its records page at jud.ct.gov/jud2.htm.
- Your own statewide record: a request to the State Police Bureau of Identification.
Cities in Hartford County: Who Reports the Arrests
The FBI lists no city in Hartford County with an arrest reporting agency of its own.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Hartford County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- New Britain (75,871)
- Bristol (62,195)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out if someone is in jail in Hartford County?
Through the Connecticut Department of Correction's inmate locator at portal.ct.gov; the department holds everyone in custody in Connecticut.
Where are people arrested in Hartford County booked?
In a facility of the Connecticut Department of Correction, which runs every jail in Connecticut.
Are arrest records public in Hartford County?
The court files of criminal cases are public, and so is the statewide criminal history kept by the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification: conviction records are public and can be requested on anyone by name. The arrest report itself is released by the agency that made the arrest, under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.
How do I get a copy of an arrest report in Hartford County?
From the agency that made the arrest: which in Connecticut is the state police or the town police. Under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act the answer is due promptly; a request not answered in 4 business days is treated as denied and can be appealed.
Is this the official Hartford County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.