Hillsborough County 24 Hour Booking Search

Hillsborough County 24 hour booking records are maintained by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Tampa, Florida. The HCSO runs a large arrest inquiry database that covers all adult arrests since January 1995. You can search by name at any time through the online portal, and results update every 30 minutes. Florida's public records law makes this data open to everyone, so there is no fee to look up recent arrests or check the current jail roster.

Hillsborough County Arrest Inquiry Database

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office operates an arrest inquiry database that is one of the most extensive in Florida. This system has records for adult arrests going back to January 1, 1995. That is over three decades of booking data available through one search tool. You type in a name and the database pulls up every matching arrest in the system. Current inmates appear along with people who have been released.

The database updates every 30 minutes. This means new bookings show up fairly quick. It is not a live feed, but the gap is short. If you need to confirm something from the last few minutes, call the jail at 813-247-8300. Staff can check real-time records. For most purposes though, the 30-minute refresh cycle is fast enough to catch recent arrests.

People who have been released stay in the system for 90 days after their release date. After that, the record may not show in a basic search through the portal. However, the data still exists in the full HCSO system. You can make a public records request for older entries if you need them. The online tool is best for recent and current bookings.

The HCSO states clearly on the portal that arrest information is a public record under Florida state law, unless it has been sealed or expunged. They also note that an arrest does not mean conviction. These are important things to keep in mind when viewing the results.

How to Search Hillsborough County Booking Records

Go to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office website and look for the arrest inquiry link. You can also navigate directly to the arrest inquiry page. Enter a last name to search. Adding a first name helps narrow results, which matters here because Hillsborough is a big county with a lot of bookings. No account is needed. The tool is free and works on any device.

Search results show the person's name, booking photo, charges, bond amount, and booking date. You can click on a record for more details. The system is designed to handle high traffic since Hillsborough County is one of the most populated counties in Florida. The pages load fast and the layout is straightforward.

Under Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, booking records are public. The HCSO must make them available to anyone who asks. That is the legal basis for the free online tool. You can also request formal copies through the public affairs office at publicaffairs@teamhcso.com. There may be a small copy fee, but viewing through the portal costs nothing.

Hillsborough County Jail and Booking Process

The main jail facility is at 2008 East 8th Avenue in Tampa. This is the Orient Road Jail. When someone is arrested in Hillsborough County, they are brought here for booking. The process includes collecting the person's name, date of birth, and physical description. A booking photo is taken. Fingerprints are recorded. Charges are entered. The record goes into the system and becomes viewable through the arrest inquiry tool shortly after.

Multiple law enforcement agencies operate in Hillsborough County. The sheriff's office is the largest. Tampa Police Department handles the city of Tampa. Plant City Police covers Plant City. Temple Terrace Police serves that area. The Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies also make arrests here. All of them book through the same HCSO jail system, so every arrest shows up in one place regardless of which agency made it.

Booking records in Hillsborough County typically show:

• Full name and date of birth
• Booking photo
• Charges and bond amount
• Arresting agency
• Booking date and time

The right to communicate after booking is spelled out in Section 901.243 of Florida law. Anyone booked into the Hillsborough County jail can make phone calls within a reasonable time after the process is complete.

Below is the Hillsborough County arrest inquiry search portal.

The arrest inquiry tool is one of the most robust county-level booking search systems in the state.

Hillsborough County Records and Public Access Law

Florida's Sunshine Law makes nearly all government records open to the public. Booking data is no exception. When someone is arrested and processed in Hillsborough County, the record is public from that point forward. You do not need to be a resident. You do not need a reason. The law protects your right to see this data.

Some records are restricted. Sealed or expunged cases will not appear in the arrest inquiry system. Juvenile records are handled separately and are not on the public portal. Certain details may be withheld under Section 119.071, which covers specific exemptions. Under Section 119.011, the definition of a public record in Florida is broad and booking data fits squarely within it.

Keep in mind that an arrest record is not a conviction. It means someone was taken into custody and charged. The court system handles the rest. Charges can be reduced, dismissed, or result in a not-guilty verdict. The HCSO makes this point on their own portal, which is a good reminder when reviewing results.

For statewide searches beyond Hillsborough County, the FDLE Criminal History portal lets you check records from across Florida. That costs $24 per search as required by Section 943.053. The FDLE main website has additional resources and information about the process.

Cities in Hillsborough County

Tampa is the county seat and the largest city in Hillsborough County. It is also one of the biggest cities in Florida. Tampa has its own police department, but all arrests from within the city go through the HCSO booking system at the jail on 8th Avenue.

Plant City and Temple Terrace are smaller cities in the county. Both have their own police departments, but arrests from these areas are also processed through the Hillsborough County jail. The booking records all end up in the same system.

Nearby Counties

Hillsborough County borders several other counties in the Tampa Bay area. If you need to check neighboring jurisdictions, each has its own jail and booking records.