Friday, March 28, 2014

Florida Quick Access To Free Criminal Records 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 the government's records are considered public property, and therefore open for the public scrutiny, there are some cases, which are restricted meaning that they are not open for the public's eyes. These cases might be sensitive by nature, have already been sealed, expunged and in some instances, juveniles are involved in the cases. These cases are only open to law enforcement agencies.

Researchers who will use the online portal will be charged $24 for every search inquiry that they make. Each succeeding search result that the researcher wants to perform, including obtaining complete information will cost additional $24. The online search will only allow up to a maximum of five possible matches for any person. It is important that the individual doing the research fill up all the fields in the search query to come up with the best possible match.

The researcher must indicate his/her credit card information before being able to access the self-service application. Once the person starts searching, the fee is charged to their credit card. A no-result or match might come up in certain cases. As the fee is non-refundable, it is important to make sure that one fills in the information completely. The FDLE will send an email to verify that the fee is charged on the person's credit card as well as other services that the latter might use. The site is SSL encrypted and does not keep a record of the person's credit card so one has to indicate it manually every time they avail of the service. Records are available and can be printed directly by the researcher or sent to their own email address. The FDLE does not send information via regular mail. Should the researcher need certification, it is highly advised to do it by sending the form to the office as well as the payment.

For those who cannot access the online application, they can still obtain a copy of the criminal report by printing the criminal history information sheet and send it to the FDLE. Fees and charges may apply and processing can range from two to five days. Please note that although the FDLE houses thousands of records, the office cannot verify the record unless they have in their possession a fingerprint card and that the person in the records has undergone an actual fingerprinting to verify the person's identity.

Although FDLE provides access to public criminal records, there would be times that the request might return no results. Reasons for this might be (a) the records are sealed and expunged, (b) juvenile records, (c) subject to NCIC rules, (d) arrest was not made in Florida and (e) the law enforcement agency failed to take fingerprints of the person. However, other online sites do allow access to these records that one can check out on their own. Some provide basic information free and a small payment for full access.




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