Pinellas County Booking Search

Recent bookings in Pinellas County are processed at the county jail at 14400 49th Street North in Clearwater. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office runs this facility, which sits on 54 acres and is the 28th largest jail in the United States with a capacity of over 3,000 inmates. The jail is nationally accredited. Online information inquiries for persons booked into the Pinellas County Jail are available for persons currently incarcerated and persons released within the last 30 days. Clearwater serves as the county seat, and all booking records are open to the public under Florida law.

Pinellas County Inmate Search

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office provides several online tools for searching booking records. The inmate search lets you look up people currently held at the jail or released within the past 30 days. You can search by name, alias, booking date, or address. The system also lets you filter results by race, sex, docket number, arresting agency, charge, or arrest type. This level of detail makes it one of the more flexible inmate search tools in Florida.

The sheriff's office also provides a Who Is in Jail page that gives an overview of the current jail population. For more detailed arrest information, the arrest inquiry tool lets you look up specific booking records. All of these tools are free and available around the clock. They pull data straight from the jail management system, so the information stays current for Pinellas County.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office main website serves as the central hub for all jail and booking information in the county.

Start here for links to all of the search tools available for Pinellas County booking records.

How Pinellas County Arrests Work

When someone is arrested in Pinellas County, the person is taken to the jail on 49th Street North in Clearwater. The booking process begins at intake. Staff take a photo, collect fingerprints, and log personal details into the system. A record is created with the arrest date, charges, arresting agency, and bond amount. This follows Chapter 901 of Florida Statutes, which sets arrest rules for the whole state.

Pinellas County has many law enforcement agencies that feed into the same jail. The sheriff's office handles unincorporated areas. Police departments in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, and other cities make arrests within their limits. All of these agencies transport arrested individuals to the Pinellas County jail for processing. This central intake system means one search covers arrests from any local agency in the county. After booking, the person can post bond, get released on recognizance, or stay in custody until a first appearance.

Note: Pinellas County's jail processes thousands of bookings each month, and the online tools are the best way to keep track of recent activity.

Pinellas County Search Tools

Pinellas County offers more online booking search options than most Florida counties. Here is a breakdown of what each tool does and when to use it.

The Who Is in Jail page on the sheriff's website gives a general overview of the current jail population in Pinellas County. It is a good starting point if you just want to browse recent bookings.

This page links to the more detailed search tools for Pinellas County inmates.

The inmate search tool lets you run specific queries by name, date, or other criteria. It covers both current inmates and those released within the past 30 days.

Use this tool when you have a specific name or date to look up in the Pinellas County system.

The arrest inquiry tool focuses on booking-specific data. It shows detailed information about individual arrest events in Pinellas County.

The arrest inquiry is helpful when you need details about a specific booking event rather than a general name search.

Pinellas County Records Requests

Most booking data in Pinellas County is available through the online tools at no cost. For records not posted online, you can file a public records request. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes gives everyone the right to request government records. You do not need to give your name. You do not have to say why you want the records.

The Clerk of Court office at 14250 49th Street North, 4th Floor, Clearwater, FL 33762, handles some court-related records for Pinellas County. Copies cost $1 per page, and certification is $2 extra. For jail-specific records, contact the sheriff's office at 727.464.6415. The agency must respond in a reasonable amount of time. They can charge for copies but not for the labor to locate records. Written requests can be mailed to the jail at the 49th Street North address.

Bond and Release in Pinellas County

The bond process in Pinellas County starts after booking is complete. Chapter 903 of Florida Statutes governs bail and bonds across the state. Bond amounts depend on the charges. Some offenses have preset amounts on the schedule. Others need a judge to set the bond at a first appearance hearing. For serious charges, bond may be denied entirely.

There are several ways to post bond in Pinellas County. Cash bond means paying the full amount to the jail. A bail bondsman typically charges 10% as a non-refundable fee. Some people get released on their own recognizance at the judge's discretion. The release process after bond is posted can take a few hours given the size of the Pinellas County facility. Cash bonds are returned at the end of the case if the person makes all court dates. With over 3,000 beds, the jail handles a large volume, so processing times can vary.

Note: Pinellas County offers video visitation for inmates; you must register at the visitation portal and schedule by midnight the day before, as same-day visits are not available.

Statewide Search Options

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains arrest records from all 67 counties, including Pinellas. FDLE's record check costs $25 and covers the entire state. This is useful when you do not know which county an arrest occurred in or when you want a comprehensive view beyond just Pinellas County. Keep in mind that FDLE data may lag behind what the local jail system shows.

The Florida Department of Corrections runs a search for state prison inmates. This covers people who have been convicted and sent to state prison. It does not include people held at the Pinellas County jail awaiting trial. Use the county tools for local bookings and the state tools for a wider search. The Florida Department of State lists a directory of all county jails in Florida as well.

Pinellas County Jail Contact

The Pinellas County jail is one of the largest jail facilities in the Tampa Bay area. It handles all bookings for the county and serves every municipality within its borders.

Calling the jail at 727.464.6415 is the fastest way to check on someone in custody. The online tools are available 24 hours a day and cover current inmates plus those released in the last 30 days. For formal records requests, you can write to the jail or the clerk's office at the addresses above.

Cities in Pinellas County

Pinellas County is densely populated with many cities and towns. St. Petersburg is the largest city. Clearwater is the county seat. Largo, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, and many other communities are within the county. All arrests from these areas go through the Pinellas County jail for booking.

Other cities in Pinellas County include Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Seminole, and Oldsmar. All bookings from these areas are handled at the county level.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pinellas County. If an arrest happened in a neighboring area, you will need to search that county's records separately.