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.
Sarasota County, Florida, has about 477,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Sarasota County is held at the county jail, run by the Sarasota 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: Sarasota County public records, Sarasota County arrest records, Sarasota County warrants, Sarasota County criminal records, Sarasota County court records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Sarasota County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Sarasota County is held at the county jail, run by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office at sarasotasheriff.org/corrections/jail_booking/index.php (page title: Welcome to Sarasota County Sheriff's, FL), phone 941.861.4601, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the place to look for someone booked recently. A person cited and released at the scene, or held only a few hours by a city department, will not be on it.
The Sarasota County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 1,070 people on an average day, up from about 900 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 1,026 beds, and it ran at 101 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Sarasota County has about 477,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 23 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Sarasota County Jail
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for North Port, Sarasota, Venice and Longboat Key make the arrests that end in a booking in Sarasota County.
The FBI's agency list also places five state agencies, one state police unit, two other agencies and one campus police department in Sarasota County (the arrest records guide names each one).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office's 5,260 for 2025, Sarasota's 2,653 for 2025 and Longboat Key's 299 for 2024.
Together, the three agencies in Sarasota County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 9,095 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota County?
Look on the custody page of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office at sarasotasheriff.org, or call 941.861.4601. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Sarasota County jail?
About 1,070 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 1,026 beds.
What is the phone number for the Sarasota County jail?
941.861.4601, the number on the page of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Sarasota County go?
To a facility of the Florida Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at fdc.myflorida.com.
Is this the official Sarasota 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.