Obtain Free Alachua County Arrest Records (Lookup Resource)

Access free Alachua County arrest records via official sources today.

Thanks to federal and state public record laws, the general public has the right to find out who’s been arrested in Alachua County, Florida.

This resource provides searchers with clear, step-by-step guidance on tracking down arrest records in Alachua County, along with details on how to find a bail bondsman or post bail to get a loved one released from jail.

Retrieve Free Alachua County Arrest Records or View Mugshots

Thanks to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and the Florida Sunshine Law, everyone has the right to request access to many types of records maintained by state, county, and local agencies. These include arrest records, which can be searched for free online.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office manages the county’s jail, which holds arrestees awaiting bail or trial, as well as post-trial convicts for up to one year.

The Sheriff’s Office allows members of the public to use an Inmate Lookup tool online for free.¹ This service allows researchers to see only current inmates of the Alachua County Jail.

To search the inmate roster, you can enter the first and last names of the individual or select “View All” to see a list of every current inmate of the jail.

The Inmate Lookup Tool displays each individual’s full name, race, sex, age, and mugshot.

You can also find out the date and time when the individual was booked in the jail, as well as in what pod they’re currently located. This tool does not allow users to view what charges someone has been arrested on.

For more information, you can contact the Sheriff’s Office by phone at 352.367.4000. The office is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can also call the Department of the Jail directly by dialing 352.491.4444.

Or you can visit the sheriff’s office and jail during business hours at this address:

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
2621 Southeast Hawthorne Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32641

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office also receives public records requests. If you wish to request arrest or police records from Alachua County law enforcement agencies, you can do so in person by visiting the Records Customer Service Window at the address above. The window is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you’re interested in requesting copies of police arrest records, including dash cam recordings, you can call the appropriate Sheriff’s Office department at 352.367.4006.

You can also request copies of police records by emailing [email protected] or by using the online Public Records Request form.²

Interested parties can also find out information about arrests in Alachua County by contacting the various local police departments located within the county. Although the local police departments don’t operate their own jails — all offenders are booked at the Alachua County Jail — they may be able to provide information about very recent arrests sooner than the sheriff’s office.

For example, you can contact the Gainesville Police Department to request more information about police activity. The department’s Records Section allows researchers to submit public records requests online by using the Records Request form found online.³

To find out arrest information, select “Incident Report” from the “Record Request Type” drop-down list.

You can then enter the police report number or — if you don’t know it — enter the name of the person you’re looking up, as well as the date and location of the incident. Fees may vary, depending on the report.

You can choose to receive electronic copies of the requested records via email or have the office mail paper copies to you. You can also pick up paper copies of incident reports in person at the following address:

Gainesville Police Department
545 Northwest 8th Ave.
Gainesville, FL 32601

If you have questions about submitting a public records request to the Gainesville Police Department, you can call the records unit at 352.393.7565 or send a fax to 352.334.2464. The office is open Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Finally, there are also third-party services such as VINELink that can provide information about arrestees in Alachua County.

The next section of this resource for locating arrest records in Alachua County will cover how to find out information about someone’s previous criminal history.

Uncover Information on Previous Offenses & Arrests Made in Alachua County Florida

It’s possible to request information about previous arrests through the records department of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The department’s webpage includes an online form for making direct records requests. Alternatively, you can email your records request to [email protected].

Requests concerning someone’s previous criminal history can also be made in person by visiting the Records Customer Service Window at the following address:

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
2621 Southeast Hawthorne Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32641

The Records Customer Service Window is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

You can also contact the Sheriff’s Office by calling 352.367.4000, 7 days a week, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.⁴

Another resource for finding out someone’s previous arrest history is the Alachua County Clerk of the Court. This office is responsible for maintaining Alachua County Court records, which date back to 1928.

Individuals are welcome to search the court’s database of criminal records online for free through a General Index Search.⁵

At the minimum, researchers must provide the last name of the person in question.

For each file, you’ll be able to see the full name of the defendant, as well as their date of birth, the offense date, charges, disposition, and a list of relevant court events.

The records included in the Alachua County Clerk of the Court’s online database date back to 1990. If you wish to view records older than 1990, you can do so in person by visiting the Alachua County Courthouse at the following address:

Alachua County Courthouse
201 East University Ave.
Gainesville, FL 32601

The Clerk of the Court’s office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You can also submit a request for copies of public records to the address above or via email to [email protected]. The cost of court records is $1 per page. The court may charge an additional research fee.

For more information you can contact the Alachua County Clerk of the Court’s record division at 352.374.3625.

City law enforcement departments can also be good sources of information about someone’s prior arrest histories.

The Police Department of Gainesville — the most populous city in Alachua County — allows interest parties to request information about arrest records. To do so, you can contact the department’s Records Section and use the online Records Request form.⁶

When using this form, you can locate arrest records by selecting “Incident Report” under “Record Request Type.”

If you’re unaware of a police report number, you can look up incidents by supplying the name of the party in question, as well as the date and location of the incident. Depending on the requested record, the police department may charge a fee for research services.

The Gainesville Police Department issues electronic copies of records via email or paper copies via mail or in-person pickup. If you wish to pick up the report copies in person, you can do so at this address:

Gainesville Police Department
545 Northwest 8th Ave.
Gainesville, FL 32601

For more information, you can call the Gainesville Police Department’s records unit at 352.393.7565 or send a fax to 352.334.2464 during business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday).

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Division of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) is responsible for maintaining information about people’s criminal histories in Florida.

You can use the Criminal History Search, which combs the CJIS’s database of records.⁷ The cost is $24 plus a $1 processing fee, payable only with a credit or debit card. Once you’ve submitted your request, the result should be instantly viewable and printable.

For more information, you can contact the CJIS by phone at 850.410.8161 or mailing the following address:

Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
Attn: Criminal History Services
P.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302

You can also visit the department in person at this address:

FL Dept. of Law Enforcement
2331 Phillips Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32308

Business hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If someone you know has been arrested in Alachua County, you may be interested in finding out how to post bail for their release. The next section of this article will cover the pertinent details.

How To Find a Bail Bondsman or Post Bail for Someone Arrested in Alachua County

Typically, if an offense is not serious (such as murder), an arrestee may be released from the Alachua County Jail when someone posts bond.⁸

The sheriff’s office allows individuals to post bond for someone who has been arrested. This may be posted in the form of cash, or you can submit a money order or cashier’s check made payable to the “Clerk of the Court.” All money orders and cashier’s checks must include the arrestee’s full name, as well as their jail identification number (which you can find by using the Inmate Lookup tool).

You can bring the cash, a money order, or a cashier’s check to post bail and go to the jail’s lobby between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. After-hours, you may use the service window located outside the front entrance to the jail.

Once the bond has been posted, the arrestee will be released. If the arrestee attends all court hearings as required, your bond will be refunded to you. However, if the arrestee neglects to comply with the court’s requirements, you will forfeit your bond money.

It’s also possible to post bond in Alachua County with the help of a bail bondsman or agency. The agency must be registered with the Clerk of the Court.

To find a bail bondsman or agency, you can enter the terms “Alachua County registered bonding agency” into google or another search engine.

Bail bondsmen charge a 10% fee for their services. Even if the arrestee complies with all of the requirements of the court, the 10% fee will not be refunded.

There are plenty of resources for finding out about arrests made in Alachua County, Florida. Using the tips and links in this streamlined resource, you should be able to conduct a search of Alachua County arrest records to find the information you’re looking for in no time.