Florida Statewide Criminal Records
(Florida Availability)

Arrests made by state, county and municipal agencies in all of Florida’s 67 counties can be reflected in statewide arrest records. 

The key words are "can be." While the coverage and convenience offered by what appears to be a single, all-encompassing search might seem advantageous; there is one major disadvantage. Many arrests, mostly misdemeanors, will never be found in a statewide search. 

Worse, even some felonies can be missed. Here’s why: Before information can be disseminated at the state level, the offense has to be reported by the arresting agency. If for any reason this does not occur, the arrest will not be on record. 

Additionally, although coverage encompasses all 67 counties, arrests by federal agencies are not on record in the state system. Therefore, because statewide criminal records are not always as current as county level records, and since they do not always reflect all arrests that might have taken place, any serious criminal record search should include checks of county and federal criminal records.

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