Search Miami-Dade Criminal Records & Arrest Records

Searching Miami-Dade Criminal Records

The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller runs the Criminal Justice Online Case Search (CJIS) for criminal cases. CJIS covers felony, misdemeanor, and branch cases. You can search by case number, state case number, citation or police number, defendant name, or jail number. Standard searches are free, though users who are not logged in must clear a CAPTCHA. Registered users skip the CAPTCHA and reach more features.

Arrest records are a separate thing from court records. An arrest is a law-enforcement event recorded at booking by Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. A criminal case record begins when the State Attorney files charges with the Clerk. Someone can be arrested and never charged, and a charge can be dropped or end in acquittal. Use the Miami-Dade inmate records page to check current custody, and this page plus court records for the case file itself.

The CJIS portal opens to a search menu. The screenshot below links to the live system.

From the CJIS menu a searcher picks the method that matches the information they already have.

Felony and Misdemeanor Cases in Miami-Dade

Florida splits criminal jurisdiction by severity. Circuit Criminal in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit hears felonies, which carry possible state prison time of one year or more or, in capital cases, death. County Criminal hears misdemeanors, criminal traffic, and county or municipal ordinance violations. The split matters when you search, because the case code in CJIS tells you the court level.

CJIS case codes are short. B stands for Branch, F stands for Felony, and M stands for Misdemeanor. A local criminal case number combines the case code, the case year, a six-digit sequence, and an optional suffix for co-defendants. The State Attorney's office uses examples like F12001234 for a felony and M12001234 for a misdemeanor. Knowing the code helps you confirm you are reading the right file.

CJIS Criminal Search Fields

The criminal portal offers several search methods. Each one needs different inputs. The table below lists the main fields drawn from the live application.

Note: CJIS document images and the Order Certified Copies workflow may need login, and access depends on the Florida Supreme Court Access Security Matrix.

Arrest Records vs Criminal Case Records

People often expect one search to show everything. It will not. The arrest record and the court case record live in different systems run by different agencies. The comparison below shows the split.

For active warrants tied to a case, see Miami-Dade warrant records. To find someone currently held, use the inmate records page.

Reading a Florida Criminal Disposition

The disposition is the outcome of each charge. Florida uses some terms that surprise first-time readers. A charge is only an accusation. A conviction means a judgment of guilt. Florida also allows a withhold of adjudication, where the judge accepts a plea or finding of guilt but withholds formal adjudication, so the person avoids many civil effects of a conviction.

Capias

A Florida arrest writ, often issued after a failure to appear.

Withhold of adjudication

Guilt is established but no formal conviction is entered.

ROR

Release on own recognizance, with no cash bond.

Indictment

A grand jury charging document, used for the most serious felonies.

Information

A charging document filed directly by the State Attorney.

Surety bond

A bond posted through a licensed bail bond agent.

Sealing vs Expunction in Florida

Florida treats sealing and expunction as two different forms of relief. Sealing restricts public access while leaving the record with named agencies. Expunction generally requires those agencies to destroy or obliterate the record, with narrow exceptions. The governing statutes are Florida Statute 943.059 for sealing and Florida Statute 943.0585 for expunction.

A petitioner usually must get a certificate of eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before filing in the court that handled the case. Juvenile records may be automatically expunged under Florida Statute 943.0515 depending on age and outcome. The Clerk cannot give legal advice or complete petitions.

Disposition Letters and Certified Copies

The Clerk issues certified criminal history disposition letters for $7. If you do not know the year or case number, the Clerk adds a search fee of $2 per year per name. Requests can be made online, by mail, or in person. Mail goes to the right suite at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building by case type.

For the full fee schedule and request methods, see the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court page.

Felony Drug Court and Specialty Programs

Miami-Dade runs several problem-solving programs that can change a criminal outcome. Felony Drug Court holds special bond hearings daily at the criminal courthouse, where qualifying defendants can enter a drug rehabilitation program instead of going to trial. The Miami-Dade Veterans Treatment Court serves eligible veterans with substance use or mental health needs, and successful completion can lead to dismissal or charge reduction. More detail on these programs sits on the home page specialty courts section.

State Attorney, Public Defender, and Victim Services

Two offices anchor criminal cases in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The State Attorney prosecutes. The Public Defender represents people who cannot afford private counsel. Florida uses the title State Attorney, not District Attorney.

The Public Defender handles about 75,000 cases a year and helps former clients find work, seal or expunge records, and restore civil rights. The image below opens the Public Defender homepage.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Victim Services Program adds crisis support, compensation referrals, and a Hate Crimes Unit shared with the State Attorney's office.

Restricted Criminal Records in Miami-Dade

Some criminal records never appear in a public search. Juvenile delinquency files are confidential under Florida law and Rule 2.420. Sealed and expunged records are removed from public search tools. Grand jury material and active investigative information are also protected. Victim identifying information may be shielded under Marsy's Law.

Related Miami-Dade Searches

For active warrants, see Miami-Dade County warrant records. To find someone currently in jail, use inmate records. For full court files and dockets, see court records and court dockets. Traffic offenses that become criminal are covered on the traffic court records page.