Florida Public Records Information

After the Freedom of Information Act came into being in 1966, the state of Florida was required to make public all criminal records, civil and criminal court case information, and all information that is not deemed sealed or confidential by the court, have not been expunged, or involve juvenile offenders or victims. This was done as a public safety measure and the rules of the law apply to Florida public records like driving license information, prison inmate and arrest records, outstanding warrant searches, fishing and hunting licenses, birth, marriage, divorce and death records, and occupational permits.

Reasons to Access Florida Records

A Florida public record search is necessary to safeguard yourself from ill-meaning individuals, released criminals, and absconding offenders. You may search Florida public records to confirm the criminal background of dubious individuals, present evidence at a child custody, divorce or tenant rights hearing, or even arrive at a decision in a pre-employment screening routine.

FL public records are accessible to one and all and over the years, the procedures for accessing these have been simplified.

Sources of Florida Public Records

The department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles houses the records of the drivers registered in the state and posts them on their official web site, http://www.flhsmv.gov/. So if you have a hunch that someone is driving with a suspended or expired license, you may carry out a search to determine the status of the license by entering the number at https://www6.hsmv.state.fl.us/DLCheck/main.jsp. This is often done by employers before they permit a person to operate a company automobile or drive for business purposes. You may also keep a tab on your child’s driving habits using this search engine. 

The National Driver Register office is a central repository that stores information on all drivers whose licenses have been revoked or suspended. You can visit their office at USDOT/NHTSA West Building, NVS-422 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington DC 20590 or call 1-888-851-0436 to inquire about the status of a driver’s license.

The Florida Department of Corrections maintains comprehensive information about offenders serving sentences at the various correctional facilities of the state. You can conduct a prison inmate search at http://www.dc.state.fl.us/AppCommon/. The search process is easy and you can key in various parameters like the name of the individual, his/her physical traits, and other identifiers like the Social Security Number or passport number to obtain a result.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement stores information on sexual offenders registered with the state law enforcement agency at http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do.

The various county, district, and circuit courthouses of Florida are the ideal places to scout for information on civil and criminal court cases. The various records departments and also the court clerk’s office stock information on Florida court records. You can also carry out a Florida public record search of birth, marriage, divorce, separation and death information, permits held by various individuals and business entities listed in Florida, driving licenses, real estate permits at the courthouses. 

Florida public records searches are the easy methods at your disposal to obtain information about individuals, business ventures, and employers and secure your safety against their possible malicious intentions.