Saturday, September 7, 2013

Florida Criminal Records Free List Online

By Ben Kingsley


For those who are looking to conduct criminal background checks in Florida, they might want to check out the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal History Information, which houses thousands of Florida arrest records updated every day. The online site is a self-service application and researchers are required to pay for every search that they make through the online portal.

Although arrest records are public records, there are some reports that are restricted for the public. These reports include sealed and expunged cases and juvenile cases that have not been charged with felony. These reports are only available for authorized agencies and law enforcement agencies.

The FDLE self-service application is easy to use although one has to pay $24 for every report that he/she might want. Once the person doing the research looks for the information, depending on the information provided, the search query might return more than one result. The researcher has the option to choose from the results provided. Do remember that once one clicks to retrieve the record that they want, they will be charged the fee.

To start logging in and using the application, the researcher must input his/her credit card information as the fee is directly deducted from the person's card once they request for a report. The fee is non-refundable and a search that returns a "no result" will not be refunded the fee so it is essential that one should include all pertinent details of the information they want. An email verifying the charge is sent to the person's email address including an e-receipt. The application runs through SSL encryption and no credit card information of the cardholder is saved. Once the person decides on the record that they want, they either can download the report or send it through their email. Regular mail is not applicable in this instance. For individuals who require certification of the criminal report, they can send the report together with the fee and send it to the FDLE office.

Another option open is for researchers to print the "Criminal History Information Request" form, attach the $24 in cheque or money order and mail it to the FDLE office. Processing time would take about a week's time including delivery time. Although the FDLE is the central repository of all criminal records, the results might not be factual unless the FDLE has a fingerprint card and a comparison is performed to determine if the record and the actual person are the same.

Do take note that there are some public criminal records that are restricted from the public and can only be obtained by authorized law enforcement agencies. These cases are normally filed under sealed or expunged cases and cases where juveniles are involved. There is another option that is available for individuals who are looking for information and the internet is host to several free online search websites where one can carry out background checks.




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