Lafayette County Arrest Records

Recent bookings in Lafayette County are managed by the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office in Mayo. The sheriff runs the county jail at 178 NW Crawford Street and keeps all booking records for public access. Lafayette County is one of the least populated counties in Florida, located in the north-central part of the state. Under Florida's public records law, anyone can look up arrest and booking info for people held at the Lafayette County jail. You do not need to give a reason or be a local resident to search these records.

Lafayette County Booking Process

When an arrest takes place in Lafayette County, the person is brought to the jail on NW Crawford Street in Mayo. The booking process begins right away. Staff photograph the person, collect fingerprints, and enter personal details into the booking system. Each record includes the arrest date, charges, arresting agency, and bond amount. This follows Chapter 901 of Florida Statutes, which sets the rules for arrests throughout the state.

Most arrests in Lafayette County come from the sheriff's office. The Florida Highway Patrol also makes arrests on the roads that pass through the county. Since Lafayette County has no incorporated cities, the sheriff's office is the main law enforcement agency for the entire area. The jail is the only intake point. After booking, the person either posts bond, gets released on their own recognizance, or waits in custody for a first appearance before a judge in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.

Booking records become public the moment they are created. There is no wait.

How to Search Bookings

Lafayette County is a very small county, and online search tools may not be available. The best way to check on a recent booking is to call the jail at (386) 294-4381. Give the staff a name, and they can tell you if the person is in custody. They can share basic booking details over the phone as well. For more detailed records or official copies, you will need to make a written public records request to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also maintains arrest records from all counties, including Lafayette County. FDLE offers a criminal history check for $25 through its online record check system. This covers all of Florida and helps when you are not sure which county an arrest happened in. FDLE records may take some time to show what the local Lafayette County jail has.

For state prison records, the Florida Department of Corrections has its own search. It covers people convicted and sent to state prison. It does not show inmates at the Lafayette County jail waiting for trial.

Note: Due to its small size, Lafayette County may have limited online booking tools compared to larger counties.

Lafayette County Sheriff's Office

The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the entire county. It handles patrol, investigations, and jail operations. The sheriff's office also keeps the booking system that stores all recent bookings in Lafayette County. Call (386) 294-4381 for questions about inmates or booking records.

Florida's Chapter 903 sets the rules for bail and bond across the state, including how bond amounts are handled in Lafayette County.

These bail rules apply to every booking in Lafayette County and throughout Florida.

What Booking Records Show

A booking record in Lafayette County contains several pieces of information. It shows the person's full name, date of birth, and a booking photo. The charges are listed with statute numbers. You can see whether a charge is a misdemeanor or felony. Bond amounts are shown for each charge. The record also has the date and time of booking, the arresting agency, and the housing assignment inside the jail.

Some records may show prior bookings for the same person. Court dates get added after a judge sets them. Release dates appear once the person leaves the jail. Keep in mind that a booking record is not a conviction. It only means the person was arrested and processed at the Lafayette County jail. The case still must go through the court system before any finding of guilt is made. Under Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes, all of this info is open to the public.

Public Records Access

Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes makes all government records public. This covers booking records, arrest reports, and jail logs in Lafayette County. You do not need to give a reason for your request. You do not need to live in Florida. The law applies the same in Lafayette County as it does everywhere else in the state.

To make a formal records request, write to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office. Be clear about what you need. Include names and dates if you have them. The agency must respond within a reasonable time. They can charge for copies but cannot charge for the staff time spent locating the records. Most basic booking info in Lafayette County can be gotten with a phone call to the jail. Printed copies or certified documents do cost money.

Note: Juvenile records are not available through public records requests under Florida law.

Bond and Bail in Lafayette County

After booking in Lafayette County, the bond process starts. Florida's Chapter 903 sets the rules for bail and bonds. The bond amount depends on the charge. Some offenses have a set bond on the schedule. Others need a judge to set the amount at a first appearance hearing. Serious charges may lead to bond being denied.

You can post bond in Lafayette County by paying the full cash amount at the jail. A bail bondsman typically charges 10% of the bond as a non-refundable fee. Some people qualify for release on their own recognizance, meaning they pay nothing. The judge decides this at the first appearance. Cash bonds are returned at the end of the case if the person shows up for all court dates. Finding a bondsman in Lafayette County may require looking at options in nearby counties due to the small population.

Lafayette County Jail Operations

The Lafayette County jail is on NW Crawford Street in Mayo. It is a small facility that serves the entire county. The jail handles intake, housing, and release. When someone is booked, the process can take a couple of hours. Staff check for warrants, look into medical needs, and verify any holds from other agencies during intake.

Visitation at the Lafayette County jail follows a set schedule. Call (386) 294-4381 for current hours and rules. Phone service is available for inmates to make outgoing calls. The Florida Department of State keeps a directory of county jails in Florida, and Lafayette County is included in that list. If you need to search jails in several counties, that directory can save you time.

Cities in Lafayette County

Lafayette County has very few communities. Mayo is the county seat and the primary town. Lafayette County has no incorporated cities beyond Mayo. All arrests in the area go through the Lafayette County jail for booking. No communities in Lafayette County have populations large enough for their own booking pages. All records are kept at the county level through the sheriff's office on NW Crawford Street.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Lafayette County. If an arrest happened in one of these areas, search that county's booking records.