The phone number for the Bartow probation office depends on whether your case is a felony or a misdemeanor. For felony supervision, call the Florida Department of Corrections Circuit 10 office at (863) 534-7010. For misdemeanor probation, call Polk County Court Services at (863) 534-2114.1Polk County Government. Court Services Dialing the wrong one is a common mistake, and it can delay your reporting enough to cause real problems with your supervision.
Which Office Handles Your Case
Bartow has two separate probation systems. They don’t share staff and they don’t share records. Which one you belong to depends entirely on the level of your offense.
The Florida Department of Corrections supervises anyone sentenced on a felony charge. That covers standard felony probation, community control (Florida’s version of house arrest), and drug offender probation. The Bartow FDC office is the main intake office for Circuit 10, and the line is (863) 534-7010.
Polk County Court Services handles misdemeanor probation ordered by the county court. Under Florida law, county-level probationers pay a minimum of $40 per month to the entity providing supervision.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 948 – Payment for Cost of Supervision The county office number is (863) 534-2114.1Polk County Government. Court Services
If you’re not sure which applies to you, pull out your sentencing paperwork. It will name either the Department of Corrections or Polk County as the supervising authority. The judgment and sentence document from the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the clearest place to check.
Addresses and Hours
The state (FDC) probation office is at 970 East Main Street, Bartow, FL 33830. Polk County Court Services is at 1745 U.S. Highway 17 South, Bartow, FL 33830.1Polk County Government. Court Services
Both offices keep standard state business hours, generally 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Intake appointments and drug screenings normally require you to appear in person, so a phone call is not a substitute for showing up when you’ve been told to.
Both offices close on Florida’s official state holidays, including Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.3Florida Department of Management Services. State Holidays If a scheduled check-in falls on a holiday, call ahead and reschedule. Arriving at a locked door and skipping the appointment is not a defense if a violation report gets filed.
Federal Probation Is a Different Office
If your case went through federal court instead of a Florida state court, neither Bartow number applies. Federal supervision for this area runs through the U.S. Probation Office for the Middle District of Florida, headquartered in Tampa, at (813) 301-5600.4United States District Court Middle District of Florida. Contact Us Federal probationers also submit monthly reports through a separate electronic system maintained by the federal courts.5United States District Court Middle District of Florida. Electronic Reporting System
What to Have Ready When You Call
Calling without your identifying information wastes your time and the officer’s. Before dialing, gather:
- Your DC number, if you’re on state probation. The Florida Department of Corrections assigns a six-character identification number that serves as your primary identifier in their system. It’s on your sentencing paperwork, or you can look it up through the FDC’s online offender database.6Florida Department of Corrections. Corrections Offender Network
- Your case number, assigned by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and printed on your judgment and sentence document.
- Your probation officer’s name, which appears on your initial supervision order or the reporting instructions you were handed at the courthouse. If you’ve lost that paperwork, the Polk County Clerk of Courts at polkclerkfl.gov may have your case records available online.
With these in hand, front-desk staff can pull your file in seconds instead of leaving you on hold while they search. If you’re calling to reschedule a check-in, report an address change, or ask about a payment, say so up front so the call gets routed to the right person the first time.
If You Can’t Get Through
Phone lines at both offices can run busy, particularly early in the morning and around the start and end of the month when reporting volume is highest. If no one picks up, try again later in the day rather than letting a required contact slide. Document the attempts: note the date, the time, and the number you called. If a missed check-in later becomes a question, a record showing you tried to reach the office is far better than nothing. For anything time-sensitive, following up in person at the address above is the safer move.