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  1. Lake County Court
  2. Lake County Arrest Records

Lake County, Florida Arrest Records

Lake County arrest records are official records of individuals arrested by the county’s law enforcement. They contain and provide detailed information about apprehended offenders and individuals in custody for various offenses in the county. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the primary law enforcement agency in Lake County, along with city police departments (such as the  Clermont PD and the Leesburg PD), creates and maintains these records. Arrest records generally include incident/arrest reports and booking information.

Lake County arrest records enable people to conduct local criminal background checks, promote openness and transparency, and contribute to criminal court records and statewide criminal offender record information. 

Because arrest records are created in connection with official law enforcement activity, they are considered public records under the Florida Public Records Law. This law, beyond guaranteeing the openness of government records, also governs the extent to which these records, including arrest records, are accessible to the public.

However, the creation, maintenance, and disclosure of ‘criminal history record information,' which encompasses arrests, charges, and case dispositions statewide, is governed by the  Florida Department of Law Enforcement Act (Chapter 943, Florida Statutes). The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is the custodian of criminal history information for the State of Florida.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Lake County, Florida?

Yes. Arrest records are public information in Lake County under the Florida Public Records Law. This law establishes the public’s right to inspect and/or copy records made or received by government agencies, such as law enforcement agencies. As such, arrest records in Lake County are open to any person, regardless of residency or citizenship, for inspection and copying at any reasonable time. However, records exempt by law or restricted by court order are not subject to disclosure.

While the law does not require individuals to provide an ID when requesting an inspection or copies of public records, it requires that any person requesting these records, such as arrest records, should:

  • Identify and direct their request to the appropriate custodian of the records
  • Specify and provide sufficient details of the record being sought to the responsible agency
  • Pay any applicable search and copy fees
  • Use the request or access channels provided by the custodian agency, such as in person, by mail, by phone, or online

What Do Public Lake County Arrest Records Contain?

The types of information commonly found in Lake County arrest records include:

  • Full name of the arrestee
  • Physical description of the arrestee, such as date of birth, age, race, sex, hair color, eye color, height, and weight
  • Arrest date and time
  • Booking date and time
  • Arrest officer number
  • Booking officer number
  • Arrest agency
  • Arrest location
  • Release date/time (if applicable)
  • Charges, including the charge category
  • Bond type & amount
  • Case number
  • Photograph (mug shot)

While all the above are public under the law and commonly available in public arrest records, the following are exempt from disclosure in these records under Section 119.071 of the Florida Public Records Law and Section 943.053 of the Florida Statutes for personal privacy and public safety reasons, and additionally, to protect minors, law enforcement investigations, and sensitive information:

  • Juvenile arrest information (FSS 119.071 (2)(c))
  • Active criminal investigative and intelligence information (FSS 119.071 (2)(c))
  • Confessions (FSS 119.071 (2)(e))
  • Any record/information sealed or expunged by court order
  • Any information whose release would reveal the identity of confidential informants (FSS 119.071 (2)(f))
  • Law enforcement personnel's details, such as name, phone number, and home address
  • Sensitive information, such as social security numbers and bank account numbers
  • Information that would reveal the identities of victims of certain crimes (e.g., sexual offenses
  • Information whose release would compromise an active criminal investigation

Lake County,  Florida Arrest Search

Arrest record searches in Lake County may be conducted with any of the underlisted state/federal resources or agencies: 

  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE): As custodian, the FDLE allows individuals to search and/or obtain statewide criminal history information (including arrest records) through Florida criminal history record checks. The process can be conducted online. It, however, costs $24.00 to conduct a check.
  • Offender Information Search: A search portal by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) that allows individuals to search by name and number for arrest and inmate records of offenders in holding facilities managed by the state government.
  •  FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS): The FBI, through its Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, provides nationwide criminal history records, which include information on arrests, charges, and dispositions. To request a record, submit an “Identity Summary History Check” request online, by mail, or through an FBI-approved channeler. The fee is $18 per request.
  • BOP Inmate Locator: Use this tool to locate arrest and inmate records for individuals in federal custody by name or number (such as BOP register number, DCDC number, FBI number, and INS number). 

Lake County Inmate Locator

To find Lake County arrest records online, interested persons should use the 'Inmate Search,' which is the county’s inmate locator. It is a search-by-name-only feature provided by the sheriff’s office for inmates’ arrest and booking information lookups. Upon search, it provides information, such as the inmate/arrestee’s full name, DOB, age, charges, charge category, arrest date & time, booking date & time, arrest agency, bond type/amount, and mug shot. 

In addition to the inmate search feature, interested persons can contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for arrest and inmate information. The office, through its public records officer, handles public records requests for these records, including requests for copies.

Office of Lake County Sheriff

360 West Ruby Street

Tavares, FL 32778

Phone: (352) 343-2101

Public Records Officer

350 West Main St., 2nd Floor Lobby

Tavares, FL 32778

Phone: (352) 343-9582 or (352) 343-9524

Email: publicrecords@lcso.org

Active Warrant Search in Lake County

An arrest warrant is a court order issued by a judge or magistrate authorizing a law enforcement officer to arrest and take into custody an individual suspected of a criminal offense. It is issued based on probable cause that the named individual has committed or is committing an offense punishable under state law. For example, Section 901.02 of the Florida Statutes provides that a judge may issue an arrest warrant if, after examining the complaint and the evidence submitted by law enforcement, the judge is satisfied that probable cause exists to issue a warrant for a crime.

Per Rule 3.121 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, an arrest warrant must be in writing and issued in the name of the State of Florida. Additionally, the warrant must:  

  • Set forth substantially the nature of the offense
  • Command that the named individual be arrested and brought before a judge 
  • Specify the name of the individual to be arrested or, if not known, designate the individual by any alias or description by which they can be identified with reasonable certainty
  • State the date of issuance
  • State the county of issuance
  • Be signed by the issuing judge
  • If applicable, set the bail amount or other conditions of release, and the return date

Warrants fall within the scope of public records under the Florida Public Records Law. As a result, interested parties can search them in Lake County through law enforcement agencies, such as the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Searches may be conducted by phone, mail, or in person. However, law agencies may limit disclosure to executed warrants. While courts also provide warrant information, they do not release warrant details or provide copies of warrants that have not yet been executed (per Rule 2.420(C)(6)—Public Access to Judicial Branch Record). The 

The table below summarizes the agencies or resources for active warrant searches in Lake County.

Agency / Resource

Purpose

Search Methods

Notes

Lake County Sheriff’s Office

Maintains and executes warrants

In person, phone, by email

Does not maintain a warrant list or search portal

Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

Maintains the county’s court records (including warrants)

In person, by mail, phone, online

Maintains a case search portal for court records

FDLE’s Public Access System (PAS)

Wanted persons search in Florida

Online

Allows searches for wanted persons with warrants across the state 

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Lake County

Individuals seeking arrest records in Lake County can find them for free through the Inmate Search feature. The feature allows individuals to search for arrest records of past and present inmates of the Lake County Jail. The search criteria are the inmate’s first and last name. However, because inmate information changes quickly, it may contain factual or other errors or exclude older records.

Furthermore, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office provides free review or inspection of arrest records. However, this is limited to in-person queries. Otherwise, third-party aggregator sites should be used. Most third-party sites offer free arrest record searches. Although free searches may yield limited information.

Lake County Arrest Report

A Lake County arrest report is different from a Lake County arrest record. While an arrest report is the narrative that the arresting officer prepares in the aftermath of an arrest, an arrest record is a law enforcement agency’s documentation of persons apprehended and taken into custody. Also, an arrest report is specific to a single arrest, while an arrest record is not limited to a single arrest incident but covers all arrests or arrests within a period of time, such as one year, five years, or ten years.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Lake County

Arrest records can either be expunged or sealed in Lake County. While expungement physically destroys or obliterates a record or portions of it, sealing hides a record from public view and renders it inaccessible to unauthorized parties (Sections 943.045(16) and 943.045(19) of the Florida Statutes, respectively).

Florida provides for different types of expungement and sealing. These include:

  • Administrative expungement—under which records of arrests made in error or contrary to law are destroyed (Fla. Stat. § 943.0581 and Rule 11C-7.008 of the Florida Administrative Code)
  • Automatic sealing—under which the records of arrests that resulted in dismissal, nolle prosequi, or a not-guilty verdict after trial are made confidential and restricted from public access (Section 943.0595(2))
  • Lawful self-defense expungement—under which the arrest record for a crime committed in self-defense is expunged (Section 943.0578)
  • Court-ordered expunction or sealing—under which certain records are destroyed or hidden from public view (Sections 943.059 and 943.0585)

The eligibility criteria for a court-ordered expunction of arrest records are that the arrestee must have had no prior expungement or sealing, and the arrest resulted in dropped or dismissed charges, no charges filed, or acquittal. Meanwhile, individuals eligible for a court-ordered sealing are those whose cases ended in a withheld adjudication. That is, they entered a guilty or no-contest plea to their charges and have not previously had their records expunged or sealed.

The steps to expunge or seal an arrest record depend on the type of expungement or sealing. The steps for each type of expungement under which individuals can petition or apply to destroy or hide their records from public view are outlined on the FDLE’s “Expunge and Seal Process” web page.

How Do You Remove Lake County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Follow these steps to remove Lake County arrest records from the internet.

  • Determine whether the record in question is eligible for expungement or sealing
  • If eligible for automatic sealing, for example, request sealing from the Lake County court where the case was filed. However, if eligible for administrative expungement, apply to the FDLE or the court for a court-ordered expunction or sealing
  • Once expunged or sealed, all relevant agencies will remove the record from the internet. However, if the record still appears online, contact the relevant agency or the third-party site with a copy of the court order (if the expungement or sealing was court-ordered) to have it removed