St. Johns County 24 Hour Booking Search

St. Johns County 24 hour booking records are managed by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, based in St. Augustine. The SJSO runs a public inmate search tool through its SmartWEB portal, giving anyone access to current jail roster data and recent booking entries. Florida law treats booking records as public information, so you can look up who was brought into the St. Johns County jail at any time. The system is free to use and does not require any kind of account or registration.

St. Johns County 24 Hour Booking Records and Inmate Lookup

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office operates a web-based inmate search through its SmartWEB portal. This tool lets you search for anyone currently held at the county jail. You can search by name, and the results will show booking details, charges, and current status. The portal is part of the SJSO's public records system and pulls from the same data that jail staff use internally.

Each booking entry in St. Johns County includes important details. You will see the person's full name, date of birth, and booking date. Charges are listed along with bond amounts when set. The arresting agency is noted as well. This could be the sheriff's office itself, the St. Augustine Police Department, or another agency that operates in the county. All of these agencies book their arrests into the same facility.

The data refreshes as new bookings come in. It is not quite real-time, but updates happen throughout the day. For the most current information on a very recent arrest, you can call the jail directly at 904-829-4303. Staff there can check their live system and give you an answer right away.

How to Search St. Johns County Arrest Records

Start by going to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office website. From the main page, look for the inmate search or SmartWEB link. You can also go straight to the portal. Once there, type in a last name to find a specific person. The results come back in a list format that is easy to scan.

No login is needed. The tool works on any device with a web browser. You can use a phone, tablet, or desktop computer. The search is free and open to all. Under Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, these records must be made available to anyone who asks. The sheriff's office has chosen to put them online to make access as simple as possible.

If you need a formal copy of a booking report or arrest affidavit, you can submit a public records request to the SJSO. The office is located at 4015 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine. You can call 904-824-8304 for general questions. Written requests may take a few days to process, and there could be a small charge for copies. But viewing data through the online portal is always free.

The screenshot below shows the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office booking records system.

The portal shows current inmates with charges, booking dates, and arresting agency details for St. Johns County.

St. Johns County Jail and Booking Process

When someone is arrested in St. Johns County, they are taken to the county jail for processing. The booking process involves recording personal information, taking a photo, and collecting fingerprints. Officers document all charges and set initial bond amounts based on the charge type. The whole process creates a record that becomes part of the public file under Florida's Sunshine Law.

The SJSO handles bookings from across the county. Local police departments in St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, and other municipalities all use the same jail facility. This means the SmartWEB portal has records from every law enforcement agency in St. Johns County, not just the sheriff's office. The arresting agency field in each record tells you who made the arrest.

Booking records in St. Johns County typically include:

• Full name, date of birth, and physical description
• Booking date and time
• All charges filed at time of arrest
• Bond amount for each charge
• Arresting agency and case number

Under Section 901.243 of Florida law, anyone who is booked into a jail has the right to make phone calls within a reasonable time after the booking process. This protection applies at every county jail in the state, including St. Johns County.

Public Records Access in St. Johns County

Florida's public records laws are broad. Section 119.011 defines public records to include virtually any document made or received by a government agency. Booking records fit that definition. The sheriff's office cannot refuse to share them unless a specific exemption applies, and standard booking data does not fall under any exemption.

There are limits to what you will find. Sealed or expunged records will not appear in the online search. Juvenile cases are kept separate and are not part of the adult booking roster. But for any adult brought into the St. Johns County jail, the booking record is there for you to see. Some records may have certain fields redacted under Section 119.071, which covers exemptions for things like Social Security numbers and certain victim information. The core booking data, though, stays public.

The FDLE also maintains statewide criminal history records. You can run a background check through the FDLE Criminal History portal. That search costs $24 per request, as set by Section 943.053. For quick 24 hour booking checks in St. Johns County, the sheriff's free tool is the faster option. The FDLE main website has more info on statewide searches.

Keep in mind that a booking record is not proof of guilt. It shows an arrest took place and what charges were filed. The court system decides whether someone is convicted. Charges can be dropped, reduced, or dismissed entirely. The booking record still exists, but it should be read as a record of an event, not an outcome.

Cities in St. Johns County

St. Augustine is the county seat and the best-known city in St. Johns County. Other communities include St. Augustine Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Hastings, and Elkton. None of these cities have separate booking pages since they all fall below the population threshold. All arrests in St. Johns County, no matter which city they happen in, are processed through the same county jail and appear in the SJSO's SmartWEB system.

Nearby Counties

Several counties border St. Johns County. If you are not sure where someone was booked, try checking the counties listed below. Each one has its own jail and booking search.