To find out if someone is on probation in Florida, start with the Florida Department of Corrections offender search for felony probation, then check the clerk of court records in the county where the case was handled for misdemeanor probation. The two are supervised by different systems, so one search alone can leave you with a misleading “no results.”
Felony Probation vs. Misdemeanor Probation
Florida splits probation supervision between two systems, and knowing which one applies determines where you look.
Felony probation is supervised by the Florida Department of Corrections through its Office of Community Corrections.1Florida Department of Corrections. Probation Services Anyone under FDOC supervision shows up in the state’s online offender search.
Misdemeanor probation is different. Florida law lets county courts assign supervision to public or private entities operating under the county commission or the court itself rather than FDOC.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Chapter 948 – Probation and Community Control Many counties contract with private probation companies for these cases. Someone on misdemeanor probation will not appear in the FDOC database at all. County court records are the place to check.
Searching the FDOC Offender Database
The Florida Department of Corrections runs a free Supervised Population Information Search on its website. It’s the fastest way to confirm whether someone is on state probation, community control, parole, conditional release, or another form of FDOC-supervised status.3Florida Department of Corrections. Florida Department of Corrections – Offender Search
Results show the person’s name, FDOC identification number, and current supervision status. The data refreshes weekly, with termination dates and location changes updating nightly.3Florida Department of Corrections. Florida Department of Corrections – Offender Search What you won’t get is the specific conditions of probation. Curfews, drug testing, no-contact orders, and other stipulations live in the court file, not in the offender search.
An empty result doesn’t mean the person is free and clear. They may be on misdemeanor probation supervised at the county level, or their record may have been sealed or expunged.
Checking County Court Records
Every Florida county clerk of court operates an online portal for searching criminal case records. You can search by defendant name, case number, or citation number, and dispositions indicate whether probation was part of the sentence.4Miami-Dade County. Criminal Justice Online Case Search – Clerk of the Courts Each county runs its own system, so interfaces and search fields vary. Some require only a name; others ask for a date of birth to narrow results.
Online results are not the official court record. For that, consult the clerk’s office directly.4Miami-Dade County. Criminal Justice Online Case Search – Clerk of the Courts If you need the sentencing order itself with specific conditions, duration, and special stipulations, visit the clerk of circuit court in the county where the case was adjudicated and request the criminal case file. Florida’s public records law makes state, county, and municipal records open for personal inspection and copying.5Justia Law. Florida Code 119.01 – General State Policy on Public Records
Copying fees apply. As one reference point, Palm Beach County charges $1.00 per page for standard copies, with certified copies costing an additional $2.00 per document plus $1.00 for a cover page with an authentication code.6Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County. Copies and Records Research Fees Other counties set their own schedules. A plain copy is usually enough for personal knowledge; certified copies are typically required for official proceedings such as immigration petitions.
Statewide Criminal History Through FDLE
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement offers a separate statewide criminal history search through its CCHInet system. Unlike the FDOC search, which only shows people currently under state supervision, FDLE pulls from the Computerized Criminal History database and covers Florida criminal history broadly, including arrests and dispositions that may reference probation sentences.
A name-based search costs $24 by statute, plus a $1.00 credit card processing fee, for a total of $25 per search. The fee applies whether or not the search returns any results. If multiple possible matches come back, you review the list and select the right person. Requesting a second person’s record costs another $25.7Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE Criminal History Information on the Internet Results are delivered instantly and can be printed or emailed. They are not certified, so they won’t work for immigration or international adoption purposes.
Federal Probation Is Not in State Systems
If the conviction was in federal court, none of the Florida systems will show it. Federal cases live in PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), which covers all federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts nationwide.8Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records
PACER requires a free registration. Searches cost $0.10 per page, including searches that return no matches, and the cost for any single document is capped at $3.00. If you accumulate $30 or less in charges during a quarter, the fees are waived.8Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records To check for federal probation or supervised release, search the person’s name in the PACER Case Locator, find the criminal case in the Southern, Middle, or Northern District of Florida, and open the judgment. It will specify any term of supervised release or probation.
What You Won’t Find in Any Public Search
Florida’s open-records policy has real limits, and knowing what’s off-limits saves you from misreading a blank result.
Juvenile Records
Information from Florida’s juvenile justice system is confidential and exempt from the state’s public records law. Judges, court employees, law enforcement, and treatment providers who handle juvenile cases cannot disclose that information to the general public.9Justia Law. Florida Code 985.04 – Oaths, Records, Confidential Information Exceptions exist for juveniles taken into custody for acts that would be felonies if committed by adults, or those transferred to the adult system. Otherwise, juvenile probation records don’t turn up in a public search.
Sealed and Expunged Records
Florida allows individuals to petition a court to seal or expunge a criminal history under specific conditions. Expungement requires, among other criteria, that the person was never adjudicated guilty and is no longer under court supervision for that case.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 943.0585 – Court-Ordered Expunction of Criminal History Records Sealing has similar eligibility requirements and involves a $75 processing fee to FDLE for a certificate of eligibility.11Florida Senate. Florida Code 943.059 – Court-Ordered Sealing of Criminal History Records Once a record is sealed or expunged, it disappears from public search results, and in most circumstances the person can legally deny the arrest ever occurred.
Active Investigations and Redactions
Active criminal intelligence and investigative information is exempt from disclosure, as is information that would reveal surveillance techniques, confidential informant identities, or crime victim identities in certain cases.12Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 119.071 – General Exemptions From Inspection or Copying of Public Records Even within otherwise public court filings, sensitive identifiers like Social Security numbers are routinely redacted.
Using What You Find for Hiring or Housing
Checking someone’s probation status out of personal curiosity is one thing. Using it to make a hiring or leasing decision brings federal legal requirements into play.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires employers to provide a clear, standalone written disclosure and to obtain the applicant’s written consent before running a background check. If the employer decides not to hire based on the results, they must follow a two-step adverse action process: a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report, then a final decision notice after the applicant has had a chance to dispute any errors.
Federal equal employment guidance adds another layer. The EEOC directs employers to treat applicants with similar criminal records consistently regardless of race or national origin, and to assess how the criminal history relates to the actual job. Three factors matter most: the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and the nature of the job.13U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Criminal Records Arrest records, which are not proof that a crime was committed, should be treated differently from convictions. A blanket “no criminal history” policy risks a disparate impact claim if it disproportionately affects applicants of a particular race or national origin.
When Online Tools Aren’t Enough
You can reach FDOC Probation and Parole Field Services at (850) 717-3444 or co-supervision@fdc.myflorida.com.3Florida Department of Corrections. Florida Department of Corrections – Offender Search Staff can help with questions about individuals under state supervision that the online search doesn’t fully answer. For misdemeanor probation, contact the specific county probation office or the clerk of court in the county where the case was handled. FDOC has no involvement in those cases.