Clearwater Booking Reports
Clearwater booking reports go through the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, which manages the county jail and handles all bookings in the area. Clearwater has about 116,800 residents and serves as the county seat of Pinellas County. The Sheriff's Office headquarters is at 14400 49th Street North in Clearwater, and the county jail is nearby. You can search for inmates online through the PCSO inmate search tool. For direct help with Clearwater booking records, call 727.464.6415 to reach the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Clearwater Quick Facts
Clearwater Arrest and Jail Records
People arrested in Clearwater are booked at the Pinellas County Jail. Clearwater does not operate its own city jail. All bookings for Clearwater arrests go through the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office system. The Clearwater Police Department makes arrests within city limits, but the booking happens at the county facility. BSO deputies and other law enforcement agencies operating in the area also bring their arrests to the same jail.
| Agency | Pinellas County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 14400 49th Street North, Clearwater, FL 33762 |
| Phone | 727.464.6415 |
| Inmate Search | Available through PCSO website |
The booking process starts when the arresting officer brings someone to the county jail. Staff record the person's name, date of birth, charges, arresting agency, and the date and time of booking. A mugshot is taken. Fingerprints and other biometric data are also collected as part of intake. Bond amounts are set after the initial booking when a judge reviews the charges. All of this data makes up the booking report for a Clearwater arrest.
Pinellas County is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida. The jail handles a high volume of bookings from Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, and many other cities on the Pinellas peninsula. All of these go into one county-wide system.
Search Clearwater Booking Reports Online
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search on their website. This tool lets you look up people currently in the Pinellas County Jail, including anyone booked from Clearwater. You can search by name and view booking details, charges, and bond information.
The search is free. No sign-up needed. Just go to the PCSO website and use their inmate search. Results show booking details and current status. If you need records for someone who has already been released, the online tool may not have them. In that case, call the Sheriff's Office at 727.464.6415 to ask about making a records request for the Clearwater booking report.
The Florida Department of State County Jails List links to all 67 county jail search portals in one place. If you are not sure which county handled a booking or want to check multiple counties, this directory is a good starting point. It includes Pinellas County and every other county in the state.
Note: Juvenile records, medical files, and sealed or expunged records will not appear in the online search for Clearwater bookings.
Clearwater Records Under Florida Law
Booking reports from Clearwater arrests are public records. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes gives every person the right to inspect and copy public records. The law covers documents, photographs, data, and any material made during official business. Booking reports fit this definition, so anyone can request to see them. No reason needed.
Certain data is exempt from public access. Medical and mental health records from a jail stay are private. Criminal justice information about juveniles is kept confidential under Chapter 943 unless the charges involve felony-level offenses. Records that a court has sealed or expunged are not available. But the standard adult booking report for a Clearwater arrest, including name, charges, dates, and mugshot, is fully public.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office must respond to records requests promptly and in good faith. They can charge reasonable fees for copies and staff time. For a simple Clearwater booking report lookup, calling or using the online search is usually enough. Certified copies or large batches of records require a formal written request.
Clearwater Booking Photos
Mugshots from Clearwater bookings are part of the public record. But Florida law limits how third parties use them. Florida Statute 901.43 makes it illegal for for-profit websites to charge money to remove booking photos. If your mugshot is on such a site, send a written request for removal. They have 10 days. The fine is $1,000 per day if they refuse. It goes up to $5,000 per day if they repost the photo after removing it.
During a Clearwater booking, fingerprints, palm prints, and facial images are captured for every adult charged with a felony or misdemeanor. Florida Statute 943.051 requires this biometric data to be sent electronically to the state criminal justice information system run by FDLE. This means a booking in Clearwater creates records both locally and at the state level.
Statewide Search Tools for Clearwater
If someone from Clearwater was sentenced to state prison, their records move into the Florida Department of Corrections system. The FDC Inmate Search covers all state inmates. It searches five databases at once: Absconder/Fugitive, Inmate Escapes, Inmate Population, Inmate Releases, and Supervised Population. The data refreshes every week with nightly updates for release dates. Call (850) 488-9859 for help with state inmate records.
FDLE runs a Sexual Offender and Predator Search that covers all of Florida. Contact them at (850) 410-7000. The Florida Statutes Online portal has the full text of every statute that governs booking records and public access in Clearwater.
- Pinellas County inmate search for current jail inmates
- FDC statewide search for state prison records
- FDLE offender database at (850) 410-7000
- Florida Department of State county jails directory
- Florida Statutes Online for law text
Get Clearwater Booking Report Copies
For official copies of Clearwater booking reports, contact the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 727.464.6415. You can visit the office at 14400 49th Street North in Clearwater during business hours. Written public records requests can also be submitted by mail or email.
Under Florida law, the Sheriff's Office must acknowledge your request promptly. Fees are limited to reasonable copy costs and staff time. If any section of the booking report is exempt (medical data, juvenile info, etc.), the agency will redact that portion and give you the rest. You still get access to the core booking record. Simple requests for a single Clearwater booking are usually handled quickly. Complex or large requests may take several business days.
Pinellas County Booking Records
Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County. The county jail serves all the cities on the Pinellas peninsula, from Clearwater in the north to St. Petersburg in the south. For more on the county jail system, search tools, and all related resources, visit the Pinellas County booking records page.
Nearby Florida Cities
Clearwater is in the Tampa Bay area on the Pinellas peninsula. These nearby cities have their own booking report pages.