Fort Lauderdale Booking Records
Recent bookings in Fort Lauderdale are handled by the Broward Sheriff's Office, which runs the main county jail at 555 SE 1st Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department makes arrests within city limits, but all bookings go through the BSO jail. The Broward Sheriff's Office provides online access to inmate records through its Arrest Search Portal. Under Florida's public records law, anyone can search these booking records without giving a reason. Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County and the largest city in the county, so a big share of bookings at the jail come from arrests made here.
Fort Lauderdale Quick Facts
Fort Lauderdale Arrest Search
The Broward Sheriff's Office runs an online arrest search tool that covers all of Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale. You can search by name, date of birth, or booking number. The system shows arrest details, charges, bond amounts, and booking photos. Results come from the BSO jail system and stay fairly current. This is the fastest way to check on recent bookings in Fort Lauderdale without going to the jail in person.
To use the tool, go to the BSO Arrest Search Portal. Type in the last name of the person you want to find. You can add a first name to narrow results. The search pulls records from the main jail at 555 SE 1st Avenue and any satellite facilities. Each result shows the booking date, all charges, bond status, and the arresting agency. If the person has been released, the release date and time are listed too. This covers Fort Lauderdale arrests as well as bookings from every other city in Broward County.
The Broward Sheriff's Office Arrest Search Portal is the primary resource for looking up recent bookings in Fort Lauderdale.
You can access this search tool on the Broward Sheriff's Office website at no charge.
Note: Bond amounts shown in the arrest search may change after a judge reviews the case at the first court hearing.
How Fort Lauderdale Arrests Are Processed
When someone is arrested in Fort Lauderdale, the officer brings them to the BSO main jail for booking. The process starts with intake, where staff take a photo and fingerprints. Personal details are logged into the system. Each charge is entered with its statute number and classification. A booking number gets assigned and the record becomes public. The whole process follows Chapter 901 of Florida Statutes, which sets the rules for lawful arrests across the state.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is the main agency making arrests inside city limits. They handle everything from traffic stops to felony investigations. But once an arrest is made, the booking side of things goes to BSO. Other agencies that bring people to the same jail include the Florida Highway Patrol, federal agencies, and smaller municipal departments in Broward County. Bond amounts depend on the charges. Chapter 903 of Florida Statutes lays out the bail rules that apply in Fort Lauderdale and the rest of the state.
BSO Jail in Fort Lauderdale
The main Broward County jail is right in Fort Lauderdale at 555 SE 1st Avenue. This is one of the largest jail systems in Florida. It serves all 31 cities in Broward County plus the areas under sheriff patrol. The facility handles thousands of bookings each year.
| Jail Address | 555 SE 1st Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (954) 831-5900 |
| Arrest Search | BSO Arrest Search |
| Website | www.sheriff.org |
If you need to visit someone at the jail, check the BSO website for current visitation rules and hours. The jail uses a scheduled system for visits. For records requests by mail, write to the Broward Sheriff's Office at the jail address. Include the full name and date of birth of the person whose records you need. Response times vary based on the volume of requests they get in Fort Lauderdale.
Public Records Access in Fort Lauderdale
Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes gives everyone the right to access public records. Booking records, arrest reports, and jail logs are all public in Fort Lauderdale. You do not need to be a resident of Florida. You do not need to state a purpose. The law applies to the BSO, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and every other government agency in the city.
For records beyond what the online arrest search shows, you can file a public records request with BSO or the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Put your request in writing and be clear about what you need. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them. The agency must respond within a reasonable time. They can charge for copies but cannot charge for the time spent searching for records. Most booking data for Fort Lauderdale is free to view online through the arrest search tool.
Note: Some records may be exempt from public access under specific Florida statutes, such as those involving ongoing investigations or sealed cases.
Statewide Search Tools
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement offers a statewide criminal history check. It costs $25 and pulls records from every county. Use the FDLE record check page to start. This is useful when you are not sure if someone was arrested in Fort Lauderdale or in another part of Florida.
The Florida Department of Corrections search covers people in state prison. It does not show people in the Broward County jail awaiting trial. Use this for tracking someone after a conviction. The Florida Department of State jail directory lists all county jails and their search tools, which is helpful if you need to search outside of Broward County.
What Booking Records Show
A booking record from the BSO jail in Fort Lauderdale contains several data points. The person's name and date of birth are at the top. A booking photo is taken at intake. All charges are listed with statute numbers and whether they are misdemeanors or felonies. Bond amounts appear for each charge. The arresting agency is named, so you can tell if the arrest came from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department or another agency.
Booking and release dates are part of the record. Court dates show up once set. A booking record does not mean the person was found guilty. It only shows they were arrested and booked into the jail. The case must still go through the court system in Fort Lauderdale before any determination of guilt is made. Prior bookings for the same person may also show up in the search results.
Nearby Cities
Fort Lauderdale is surrounded by many cities in Broward County. All of them share the BSO jail system, so bookings from these areas appear in the same arrest search tool. Here are some of the larger nearby cities with their own pages.
Broward County Booking Records
Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County. All bookings from city arrests go through the Broward Sheriff's Office jail. The county page covers the full BSO jail system, fee details, all cities served, and other resources for searching recent bookings across Broward County.