Walton County Booking Search

Walton County 24 hour booking records are managed by the Walton County Sheriff's Office in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The sheriff's office operates an online inmate inquiry system powered by Tyler Technologies, giving the public free access to current booking data and jail roster information. Florida law treats these records as public, so anyone can search them without an account or fee. The tool runs around the clock.

Walton County Booking Records and Inmate Inquiry

The Walton County Sheriff's Office uses a Tyler Technologies inmate inquiry system for its public-facing jail search. This tool lets you search for current inmates by name, subject number, or booking number. You can also filter by date range using the From and To date fields. The system shows everyone held at the Walton County Jail, known internally as WCJ TOC.

Each booking record in the system includes several data fields. You will see the person's name and their subject number, which is a unique identifier assigned by the sheriff's office. The booking number is separate and ties to a specific arrest event. The in-custody status tells you whether the person is still being held. Charges are listed along with bond amounts when they have been set. This system is more detailed than some county search tools because of the Tyler Technologies platform behind it.

Records update as new bookings are processed. The data is not real-time, but it refreshes regularly. For the most current info on a very recent arrest, you can call the jail at 850-892-8196. Staff can check their internal system and confirm custody status immediately.

How to Search Walton County Arrest Records

Visit the Walton County Sheriff's Office website and look for the inmate inquiry link. You can also go directly to the Tyler Technologies portal. The search form has several fields. You can enter a name, a subject number, or a booking number. The date fields let you narrow your search to a specific time period. This is useful if you are looking for a booking that happened on a particular day.

The search is free. No login is required. It works on any device. Under Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, booking records must be made available to the public. The sheriff's office uses this online tool to meet that obligation. You do not need to file a formal request to view the data, though you can if you need official copies.

The screenshot below shows the Walton County inmate inquiry system.

The Tyler Technologies system provides detailed inmate records including subject numbers, booking numbers, and custody status for Walton County.

For formal copies of records, contact the sheriff's office at 752 County Highway 83 North in DeFuniak Springs. The general phone number is 850-892-8111. Written public records requests can be submitted in person or by mail. Copies may carry a small fee, but the online search is always free.

Walton County Jail and Booking Process

When someone is arrested in Walton County, they are transported to the Walton County Jail for booking. The process involves recording the person's name, date of birth, and physical description. Officers take a photo and collect fingerprints. All charges are entered into the Tyler Technologies system. A subject number is assigned if the person does not already have one. A new booking number is created for the arrest event. Bond is set based on the charges or by a judge's order.

Walton County stretches from the Alabama border south to the Gulf of Mexico. The county includes beach communities along 30A and in the South Walton area, as well as the inland city of DeFuniak Springs. The sheriff's office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. During tourist season, the beach areas see a significant increase in arrests. All of these bookings go through the same county jail and appear in the same search system. The summer months tend to have higher booking volumes than the rest of the year.

The housing designation WCJ TOC in the system refers to the Walton County Jail's internal housing classification. Inmates are assigned to different sections based on their charges, gender, and security level. The search results may show this housing info, which tells you where within the jail the person is being held.

Under Section 901.243 of Florida law, anyone who is booked into jail has the right to make phone calls within a reasonable time after the booking process. This applies at the Walton County Jail.

Public Records Access for Walton County 24 Hour Bookings

Section 119.011 of the Florida Statutes defines public records broadly. Any document made or received by a government agency in the course of official business qualifies. Booking records are government records. The Walton County Sheriff's Office must make them available to anyone who asks. The online inmate inquiry tool is the primary way the office meets that requirement.

Some records will not show in the search. Sealed or expunged records are removed from public access. Juvenile cases never appear on the adult roster. Some personal information is protected under Section 119.071, which covers exemptions for Social Security numbers and certain sensitive data. But the core booking data, name, charges, dates, bond, and custody status, remains public for all adult inmates.

The FDLE maintains statewide criminal history records that go beyond what any single county offers. You can access the FDLE Criminal History portal for a broader search. That costs $24 per request under Section 943.053. The FDLE website has full details on the process. For free, quick Walton County booking checks, the sheriff's Tyler Technologies tool is the way to go.

Remember that a booking record documents an arrest, not a conviction. The court system determines whether someone is guilty. Charges can be reduced, dropped, or dismissed. The booking entry is a record of the arrest event and the charges at that time.

Cities in Walton County

DeFuniak Springs is the county seat. Freeport, Paxton, and the beach communities along 30A are other communities in the county. None of these places meet the population threshold for a separate booking page. All arrests in Walton County, whether they happen at the beach or inland, are processed through the Walton County Jail and appear in the Tyler Technologies inmate inquiry system.

Nearby Counties

Walton County borders several counties in the Florida Panhandle. If you cannot locate a booking here, try the neighboring counties below.