Indian River County Court
Indian River County Arrest Records

Indian River County, Florida Arrest Records

Indian River County arrest records are official records generated after offenders are taken into custody by law enforcement. These records document arrest incidents, including the individuals involved, the alleged offenses, booking details, the arresting agency, and the holding facility. Arrest records are created mainly by the arresting agency. In River County, arresting agencies include the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and city/municipal police departments. While the sheriff’s office is the custodian of arrest and inmate records, city/municipal police departments, such as the Vero Beach Police Department, may maintain arrest records.

Law enforcement agencies maintain arrest records as part of their administrative records. However, beyond this, these records form part of a person’s criminal history information and allow for openness, transparency, and public insight into law enforcement.

Arrest records are ‘public records’ under the Florida Public Records Law, which defines public records as all documents, materials, or information made or received in connection with the transaction of official business by any state, county, or municipal agency. According to this law, ‘public records’ in Florida are open for personal inspection and copying by any person.

Note that while the Florida Public Records Law governs access to public records across all state and local agencies, Florida Statutes Chapter 93 (called the Department of Law Enforcement Act) specifically provides the guidelines for the dissemination of criminal offender record information by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE is the central repository for criminal history information in Florida.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Indian River County, Florida?

Yes, arrest records are public information in Indian River County under the Florida Public Records Law, which establishes that records made or received by government agencies (including law enforcement agencies) are public records and are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. Pursuant to this law, law enforcement agencies have a duty to allow the inspection and copying of arrest records by any person desiring to do so at any reasonable time —unless a record is exempt or restricted by statute or court order.

Under the law, “any person” can inspect or copy arrest records in Indian River County, whether they are residents of the county or not. Also, the custodian agency is not required to demand an ID or ask a requester to disclose the purpose of a public records request. However, any person requesting arrest records must:

Request them from the right custodian (i.e., Indian River County Sheriff’s Office)
Pay whatever fees are required for the duplication of a copy of a record
Provide sufficient information/details that can help the agency identify and retrieve the record

What Do Public Indian River County Arrest Records Contain?

An Indian River County arrest record contains the following under the law:

The full name, date of birth/age, race, and sex of the arrestee
The physical descriptors of the arrestee, such as height, weight, eye color, and hair color
The local address of the arrestee
The date, time, and location of the arrest
The date and location of the offense
The arresting agency
The charges (including the charge classification—i.e., felony or misdemeanor)
The booking number
The arrestee’s photograph or mug shot
The court case number
Release date (if applicable)
Bail/bond information (e.g., amount, type, number)
Appearance dates (if applicable)

Under Section 119.071 of the Florida Public Records Law and other statutes, certain records are exempt from disclosure for privacy, safety, and confidentiality reasons. Some of the exemptions include:

Active criminal investigative and intelligence information (FSS 119.071 (2)(c))
Juvenile arrest records (FSS 119.071 (2)(c))
Confessions (FSS 119.071 (2)(e))
Any information that could reveal the identity of confidential informants (FSS 119.071 (2)(f))
Sealed or expunged records/information
Law enforcement personnel information
Social security numbers and bank account numbers
Any information that could reveal the identity of a victim of certain crimes (such as sexual offenses) or compromise an active criminal investigation.

According to the law, if a record is exempt, the custodian must withhold the entire record from access. However, if only portions of a record are exempt, the custodian must redact only the exempt part and release the rest.

Indian River County, Florida Arrest Search

The state and federal resources for locating arrest information in Indian River County include the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Offender Information Search by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), and the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator.

The FDLE is the custodian of criminal history record information for the state of Florida, and provides public access to this information through a Florida criminal history record check for $24.00. Checks are typically conducted online via the instant search, certified/non-certified search, or ORI search. Individuals can find statewide arrest information via a criminal history record check.

The Offender Information Search allows individuals to search for and look up the arrest information and inmate records of persons incarcerated in state-run prison facilities. Search criteria include last name, first name, and DC number.

The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) allows individuals to conduct an 'Identity Summary History Check,’ which provides nationwide arrest information related to fingerprint submissions, including the name of the arresting agency, the arrest dates, the arrest charge, and the disposition of the arrest (if known).

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator helps individuals locate and look up arrest information of offenders in federal custody.

Indian River County Inmate Locator

The Indian River County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail, maintains an inmate locator that allows individuals to search for and view detailed arrest records of persons currently incarcerated or booked into the jail facility from August 1, 2005. To use this locator, visit "Inmate Search" and search for Indian River County arrest records with the last name, first name, booking date, release date, booking number, or date of birth of the arrestee. A viewable list of the previous day's bookings and mugshots is available on the tool’s homepage. Record seekers can go through the list and click on an arrestee’s name to view their detailed arrest record.

Alternatively, record seekers can contact the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office for arrest records. As the custodian of these records, the sheriff’s office (through the Records Unit) handles requests for personal inspections and copies.

Indian River County Sheriff's Office

4055 41st Avenue

Vero Beach, FL 32960

Phone: (772) 569-6700

Records Unit: (772) 978-6215

Active Warrant Search in Indian River County

An arrest warrant is a court order that authorizes law enforcement to apprehend an individual for a criminal offense. It commands law enforcement to arrest a named individual and either bring them before the judge or hold them in custody until they can appear. Under Florida law, judges and magistrates are responsible for issuing arrest warrants, which they do based on probable cause established by a sworn complaint and proof submitted by law enforcement (Florida Statutes 901.02).

According to Rule 3.121 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, an arrest warrant, when issued, must:

Be in writing and in the name of the state of Florida
Set forth the nature of the offense
Specify the name of the person to be arrested, or if unknown, designate the person by any name or description by which they can be identified with reasonable certainty
Specify the date and county of issue
Be signed by the judge
Command the defendant’s arrest and production before a judge

Warrants are generally considered public records under the Florida Public Records Law. However, unexecuted warrants may be restricted under the law to protect ongoing law enforcement efforts. Additionally, per Rule 2.420(C)(6)—Public Access to Judicial Branch Record, copies of arrest and search warrants retained by judges, clerks, or other court personnel are confidential until execution of said warrants or until law enforcement determines that execution is impossible.

Nonetheless, to search for a warrant in Indian River County, interested parties should contact the Warrants Unit of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office at (772) 978-6719. The following information may be required to process a request: the defendant’s full name, DOB, and case number.

The table below summarizes the agencies individuals can contact or search for warrant information.

Agency / Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office	Maintains and executes warrants (Florida Statutes 901.04 )	Phone, in-person, e-mail	Handles requests via the Records Unit
Warrants Unit (IRCSO)	Handles and responds to warrant inquiries	In-person, phone	Warrant disclosure is subject to exemptions
Indian River County Clerk of Courts	Maintains and disseminates court records	Online, in-person, e-mail, phone	Access to warrant information via court records
Public Access System (PAS) by FDLE	A database of Florida Warrant Information	Online search	Allows users to lookup wanted persons with warrants across the state

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Indian River County

Interested persons can find arrest records for free in Indian River County by using the Inmate Search, which allows individuals to search for and view detailed Indian River County arrest records from August 1, 2005, to date by the arrestee’s last name, first name, booking date, release date, booking number, or date of birth. While the tool provides inspection, it does not allow duplication of arrest records.

In addition, individuals can visit the sheriff’s office “public records” page to download a daily arrest compilation report (PDF). Each daily report contains detailed information on individuals booked into custody that day, including their full name, address, phone, charges, arrest date and time, offense date and location, and bond amount (if applicable). While this option allows individuals to download copies, the reports are limited to the last 10 days.

Alternatively, public records requests may be submitted to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (Records Unit) in person, by mail, by email, or by phone. While requests for copies attract charges, inspection is typically free. Note that record inspection is only available in person.

Indian River County Sheriff's Office

Records Unit

4055 41st Avenue

Vero Beach, FL 32960

Phone: (772) 978-6215

Email: publicrecordsrequest@ircsheriff.org

Indian River County Arrest Report

An arrest report in Indian River County is an official document created by the arresting officer after an arrest. The arrest report provides a first-hand account of the incident, including details such as the circumstances of the arrest, the person involved, the evidence, and the witnesses (if applicable). This report is not the same as an arrest record, which is an agency record of individuals booked into custody.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Indian River County

An Indian River County arrest record can be expunged or sealed, provided it is eligible under the laws governing this process in Florida (i.e., Sections 943.0585 and 943.059 of the Florida Statutes). While section 943.045(16) defines expungement as “the court-ordered physical destruction or obliteration of a record or portion of it by any criminal justice agency having custody of it,” section 943.045(19) defines sealing as “the preservation of a record under such circumstances that it is secure and inaccessible to any person not having a legal right of access to the record or the information contained and preserved therein.”

Depending on the circumstances of the arrest, a record may be expunged or sealed under any of the following:

Administrative expungement, if the arrest was made in error or contrary to law (Fla. Stat. § 943.0581 and Rule 11C-7.008, Florida Administrative Code)
Automatic sealing, if the arrest resulted in dismissed or nolle prossed charges or a not-guilty verdict (under Section 943.0595(2))
Lawful self-defence expungement, if the crime leading to the arrest was committed in self-defense (per Section 943.0578)
Court-ordered sealing or expungement (under Sections 943.059 and 943.0585).

For expungement, eligibility includes no prior expungement or sealing, dropped or dismissed charges, no filed charges, and no conviction following the arrest (acquittal). However, only individuals who pleaded guilty/no contest (withheld adjudication) with no prior expungement or sealing record are eligible for court-ordered sealing. Individuals should follow the FDLE’s “expunge and seal process” to destroy or remove eligible arrest records from public view in Indian River County.

How Do You Remove Indian River County Arrest Records From the Internet?

If Indian River County arrest records are on the internet, follow these steps to remove them:

Determine expungement or sealing eligibility
If the record is eligible for automatic sealing, contact the court where the case was filed to order sealing
If the record is eligible for administrative expungement, apply to the FDLE to destroy the record
However, if the record is eligible for court-ordered expungement or sealing, petition the court to expunge or seal it.
If the petition is granted, contact the relevant agency or third-party site with a copy of the court order to remove the record from the internet.

Note that without sealing or expungement, non-exempt arrest information under the Florida Public Records Law is subject to disclosure, even online.