Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Hillsborough County, Florida, has about 1.6 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Hillsborough County is held at the county jail, run by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Hillsborough County public records, Hillsborough County arrest records, Hillsborough County warrants, Hillsborough County police reports, Hillsborough County property records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Hillsborough County
The county jail, run by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, holds everyone kept in custody after an arrest in Hillsborough County, from every agency.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at webapps.hcso.tampa.fl.us/arrestinquiry (page title: HCSO Arrest Inquiry), phone (850) 410-8109, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at (850) 410-8109.
The Hillsborough County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 3,600 people on an average day, up from about 3,070 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 4,783 beds, and it ran at 66 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Hillsborough County has about 1.6 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 23 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Hillsborough County Jail
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace make the arrests that end in a booking in Hillsborough County.
The FBI's agency list also places one campus police department, one other agency, seven state agencies and one state police unit in Hillsborough County (the arrest records guide names each one).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's 25,575 for 2025, Tampa's 14,285 for 2025 and Temple Terrace's 521 for 2025.
Together, the three agencies in Hillsborough County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 40,381 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Hillsborough County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Florida Department of Corrections lists its inmates at fdc.myflorida.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Hillsborough County?
Ask the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (850) 410-8109; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at webapps.hcso.tampa.fl.us/arrestinquiry.
How many people are in the Hillsborough County jail?
About 3,600 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 4,783 beds.
What is the phone number for the Hillsborough County jail?
(850) 410-8109, the number on the page of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Hillsborough County go?
To a facility of the Florida Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at fdc.myflorida.com.
Is this the official Hillsborough 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.