Gainesville Booking Records
Recent bookings in Gainesville are processed at the Alachua County jail on NE 39th Avenue. The Gainesville Police Department handles most law enforcement calls within city limits, and the University of Florida Police Department covers the UF campus. Both agencies bring arrested individuals to the Alachua County jail for booking. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and maintains the online inmate search tool. Under Florida's public records law, booking records are open to anyone. Gainesville is the county seat and the largest city in Alachua County with close to 149,000 residents.
Gainesville Quick Facts
Gainesville Booking Records Search
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office has an online inmate search tool that covers all bookings in Gainesville and the rest of the county. You can search by name and see current inmates along with their charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. The tool pulls directly from the jail's database, so the information stays current. It is free to use and works from any device with internet access.
To search for someone booked in Gainesville, go to the sheriff's inmate lookup page. Enter the person's last name. You can add a first name to narrow the results. Each record shows the booking number, date of booking, charges with statute numbers, and bond status. If the person has already been released, the record may still appear for some time. The arresting agency is listed, so you can tell if the arrest came from Gainesville Police, UF Police, or the sheriff's office itself.
The Gainesville Police Department is the main law enforcement agency that handles arrests within city limits.
After an arrest, the Gainesville Police transfer the person to the Alachua County jail for formal booking.
How Arrests Work in Gainesville
Several agencies make arrests in Gainesville. The Gainesville Police Department covers the city. The University of Florida Police Department patrols the campus. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office handles the areas outside city limits. All three agencies bring arrested people to the same place for booking.
The Alachua County jail sits at 3333 NE 39th Avenue in Gainesville. When someone arrives at the jail, staff take a booking photo and fingerprints. They log the person's name, date of birth, and other details into the system. Each charge is entered with its Florida statute number and whether it is a misdemeanor or felony. Bond amounts get set based on the charges. This entire process follows Chapter 901 of Florida Statutes, which governs arrests statewide. The bond process falls under Chapter 903.
Note: University of Florida Police arrests show up in the same Alachua County booking system as all other Gainesville arrests.
Alachua County Jail Details
The Alachua County jail is the sole booking facility for the county. It is in Gainesville and handles all local arrests. The jail is run by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
| Jail Address | 3333 NE 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32609 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (352) 491-4444 |
| Website | www.alachuasheriff.org |
Visitation at the Alachua County jail follows a set schedule that depends on the housing unit. Check the sheriff's website for current hours and rules. The jail also has a phone system for inmates to make calls. For questions about someone booked in Gainesville, call the jail directly or use the online inmate search. Written records requests can be mailed to the jail address.
The jail serves all of Alachua County, not just Gainesville. Towns like Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, Micanopy, Newberry, and Waldo all route their bookings through this facility. Gainesville arrests make up the largest share since it is by far the biggest city in the county.
Public Records Law in Gainesville
Florida has one of the most open public records laws in the country. Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes says that any record made or received by a government agency is public. Booking records, arrest reports, incident reports, and jail logs all fall under this rule. You do not need to live in Gainesville. You do not need to say why you want the records.
To file a formal records request, contact the Alachua County Sheriff's Office or the Gainesville Police Department in writing. State what you need as clearly as you can. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them. The agency must respond within a reasonable time. They can charge for copies but not for the work of finding the records. Most booking data for Gainesville is already free to view online through the sheriff's inmate search tool, so formal requests are usually only needed for detailed reports or older records.
Statewide Search Tools
If you need to search beyond Gainesville and Alachua County, Florida has state-level resources. The FDLE record check pulls criminal history from all 67 counties for $25. This is the best option when you are not sure where an arrest happened. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs this system.
The Florida Department of Corrections has a search tool for people serving state prison time. It does not cover the Alachua County jail. Use it for people who have been convicted and sent to a state facility. The Florida Department of State keeps a directory of all county jails and their search tools. It is a useful starting point if you need to look up bookings outside of Gainesville.
Note: FDLE records may take a few days to reflect recent arrests, so the local Alachua County search is still the best option for very recent Gainesville bookings.
Booking Record Details
A booking record from Gainesville contains the person's full name and date of birth. A booking photo is taken at the jail during intake. Charges are listed with Florida statute numbers and misdemeanor or felony labels. Bond amounts appear for each charge. The arresting agency is named, whether it is the Gainesville Police Department, UF Police, or the sheriff's office. The booking date and time are recorded. Release dates are added once the person leaves.
Court dates show up in the record after a judge sets them. Keep in mind that a booking record is not a conviction. It only means someone was arrested and processed at the Alachua County jail. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Prior bookings for the same person may appear in the search results alongside the most recent one.
Gainesville Law Enforcement Agencies
Gainesville has two main police forces in addition to the county sheriff. The Gainesville Police Department is the city's own agency. It patrols city streets, responds to 911 calls, and investigates crimes within Gainesville. The University of Florida Police Department covers the UF campus, which sits in the middle of the city. Both departments are separate, but they coordinate and both use the Alachua County jail for bookings.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office handles calls outside the city limits and also runs the jail. If an arrest happens in an area just outside Gainesville but still in Alachua County, the sheriff's office is likely the arresting agency. All three departments show up in the booking records with their own names. This can help you figure out where an arrest took place when you search for recent bookings in the Gainesville area.
Alachua County Booking Records
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County. Every booking in the city goes through the Alachua County jail. The county page has more detail on the sheriff's office, the full jail facility, all cities served, and additional tools for looking up recent bookings across Alachua County.