Putnam County Arrest Records
Recent bookings in Putnam County are handled by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, which runs the county jail at 130 Orie Griffin Boulevard in Palatka. The sheriff's office provides an inmate search tool and manages all booking records for the county. Putnam County is in northeast Florida along the St. Johns River, with Palatka as the county seat. Booking records here are public under Florida law, and anyone can look them up without needing to state a reason or show any form of identification to the sheriff's office.
Putnam County Quick Facts
Putnam County Inmate Lookup
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate search tool for looking up people booked into the county jail. You can search by name to find booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and mugshots. The tool is free and pulls from the jail's booking system. It works from any device with internet access. This is the quickest way to check on recent bookings in Putnam County without having to call the jail or visit in person.
When you run a search, each result shows the booking number, the date and time the person was brought in, all charges filed, and the bond status for each charge. You can see which agency made the arrest and where the inmate is housed in the jail. If someone has been released, their record may still appear for some time. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office keeps these records as part of its duties under Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes.
Note: The inmate search shows current jail inmates and may also include recently released individuals for a limited time in Putnam County.
How Putnam County Arrests Work
When someone is arrested in Putnam County, the person is transported to the jail at 130 Orie Griffin Boulevard in Palatka. The booking process starts at intake. Staff photograph the person, collect fingerprints, and enter personal details into the jail management system. Each booking creates a record with the arrest date, charges, arresting agency, and bond amount. This follows Chapter 901 of Florida Statutes, which governs how arrests are handled across the state.
Most arrests in Putnam County come from the sheriff's office or the Palatka Police Department. Both agencies bring arrested people to the same county jail for processing. The jail is the single intake facility for all arrests in Putnam County. After booking, the person can post bond, get released on their own recognizance, or stay in custody until a first appearance hearing before a judge. The intake process can take a few hours depending on the volume of bookings that day.
Booking records become public right away in Putnam County. There is no waiting period.
Searching Putnam County Records
The online inmate search is the fastest way to find recent bookings in Putnam County. It costs nothing and works at any hour. You just need a name to get started. For older records or more detailed arrest reports, you can file a public records request with the sheriff's office. Florida law gives everyone the right to these records, and the agency must respond in a reasonable amount of time.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains arrest records from all 67 counties, including Putnam. FDLE's online record check costs $25 and covers the entire state. This is useful when you do not know which county an arrest took place in. FDLE data may take longer to appear than what the local Putnam County jail shows, since records need time to flow from the county level to the state system.
Florida's Chapter 119 public records law guarantees open access to government records, including booking data held by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
This statute is the legal basis for public access to all booking records in Putnam County and across Florida.
Public Records Access
Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes says that all records made or received by a government agency are open to the public. This includes booking records, arrest reports, and jail logs in Putnam County. You do not need to give your name. You do not have to explain why you want the records. You do not need to be a Florida resident. The law is broad and applies to everyone.
To make a formal records request in Putnam County, contact the sheriff's office at 386.329.0854 or write to the jail at 130 Orie Griffin Boulevard in Palatka. Be specific about what you need. Include the person's name and any dates or booking numbers you have. The agency must respond within a reasonable time. They can charge for copies but not for the staff time to find the records. Most basic booking data can be checked online without filing a formal request. You only pay when you need physical copies or certified documents from Putnam County.
Putnam County Bond Process
After someone is booked at the Putnam County jail, the bond process begins. Chapter 903 of Florida Statutes governs bail and bonds across the state. The bond amount depends on the charge. Some offenses carry a preset bond on the schedule. Others require a judge to set the amount at a first appearance hearing. For serious charges, bond may not be available.
You can post bond in Putnam County a few different ways. Cash bond means paying the full amount to the jail directly. A bail bondsman charges about 10% of the bond as a non-refundable fee. Some people qualify for release on their own recognizance, which means they do not post any money but agree to show up for all court dates. The judge makes this call at the first appearance. Cash bonds are returned at the end of the case if the person meets all their obligations. The bondsman fee is never returned in Putnam County.
Note: Bond amounts displayed in the inmate search may be updated after a judge makes a ruling at the first appearance hearing in Putnam County.
Statewide Search Tools
Beyond the Putnam County jail search, there are state-level tools that cover all of Florida. The Florida Department of Corrections has an offender search for state prison inmates. This covers people who have been convicted and sent to a state facility. It does not show people held in the Putnam County jail waiting for trial. Use the county search for local bookings and the FDC tool for people in state prison.
The Florida Department of State keeps a directory of all county jails and their inmate search tools. Putnam County is listed there alongside every other Florida county. This is a useful starting point if you need to search multiple counties or are not sure where an arrest took place. The directory links to each county's jail search page, making it easy to move between systems.
Putnam County Jail Contact
The Putnam County jail is the central facility for all bookings and inmate housing in the county. Contact the jail for questions about someone in custody or to request records.
| Jail Address | 130 Orie Griffin Blvd, Palatka, FL 32177 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 386.329.0854 |
| Website | www.pcso.us |
| County Seat | Palatka |
For quick questions about an inmate, calling the jail is the fastest option. The online inmate search on the sheriff's website is available around the clock. Written requests for records can be mailed to the jail at the Orie Griffin Boulevard address in Palatka. The sheriff's website also has information on how to submit records requests for Putnam County.
Booking Record Details
A booking record in Putnam County includes the person's full name, date of birth, and booking photo. Charges are listed with their statute numbers. You can see whether each charge is a misdemeanor or felony. Bond amounts appear for each charge. The record also shows the booking date and time, the arresting agency, and the housing unit in the jail. All of this data is generated at the time of intake.
Court dates get added once a judge schedules them. Release information shows up after the person leaves custody. Keep in mind that a booking record is not a conviction. It simply means the person was arrested and processed at the Putnam County jail. The case has to go through the courts before any guilt is determined. Under Chapter 119, all booking data in Putnam County is part of the public record.
Cities in Putnam County
Putnam County includes several small cities and communities. Palatka is the county seat and the main population center. Other communities include Crescent City, Interlachen, Pomona Park, and Welaka. All arrests in these areas are processed at the Putnam County jail on Orie Griffin Boulevard. No cities in Putnam County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page, but all bookings are handled at the county level by the sheriff's office.
Nearby Counties
These counties share a border with Putnam County. If an arrest may have happened in a neighboring area, you need to search that county's records separately.