Gainesville Booking Reports
Gainesville booking reports are handled by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. As the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Gainesville is home to about 148,700 residents. The Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and keeps booking records for all arrests in Gainesville. You can search for inmates online through the ACSO inmate search tool. For direct help, call the Sheriff's Office at 352.491.4444. The jail is at 3333 NE 39th Avenue in Gainesville, which is also where bookings are processed for the city and the rest of the county.
Gainesville Quick Facts
Gainesville Arrest and Jail Records
People arrested in Gainesville are booked at the Alachua County Jail. The city does not have its own jail facility. All bookings go through the county system, which is run by Sheriff Chad D. Scott. The jail sits at 3333 NE 39th Avenue in Gainesville, making it easy to reach for anyone who needs to visit or pick up records.
| Agency | Alachua County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 3333 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609 |
| Phone | 352.491.4444 |
| Website | acso.us |
| Inmate Search | acso.us/inmate-search |
When an arrest happens in Gainesville, the arresting officer brings the person to the Alachua County Jail for processing. During intake, staff create a booking report that records the person's name, date of birth, physical description, charges, arresting agency, and the date and time of booking. A mugshot is taken along with fingerprints as required by state law. Bond amounts are set after the initial booking, and all of this goes into the county's records system.
Gainesville also has a city police department. The Gainesville Police Department makes arrests within city limits, but the jail booking still goes through the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. So whether GPD or ACSO makes the arrest, the booking report ends up in the same place.
Search Gainesville Booking Reports Online
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search on their website. This tool lets you look up people who are currently in the Alachua County Jail, including anyone booked from Gainesville. You can search by name to find booking details, charges, and bond information.
The search tool is free to use. No account needed. Just type in a name and hit search. Results show the person's booking info, charges, and current status. This is the most direct way to check on a recent Gainesville arrest without making a trip to the jail. If you need details on someone who has already been released, you may need to call the Sheriff's Office at 352.491.4444 since the online tool may only show current inmates.
The Florida Department of State County Jails List links to every county jail search tool in the state. If you need to check whether someone from Gainesville was booked in a different county, this directory has links to all 67 county jail portals in one place.
Note: The online search will not show juvenile records, sealed cases, or expunged records for Gainesville arrests.
Gainesville Records and Public Access
All booking reports in Gainesville are public records. Florida has one of the strongest public records laws in the country. Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, every person has the right to inspect and copy public records. The law defines public records broadly to include documents, photographs, data, and any other material made or received during official business. Booking reports fall squarely under this definition.
There are some exceptions. Medical and mental health records tied to a jail stay are not public. Under Chapter 943, criminal justice information about juveniles is kept private unless the charges involve a felony-equivalent offense. Records that have been sealed or expunged by court order are also off limits. But the vast majority of Gainesville booking reports are fully accessible to anyone who asks.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is required to respond to records requests promptly. They can charge reasonable fees for copies and staff time spent pulling records. For simple requests about a single Gainesville booking, you can often get the info by phone or through the online search at no cost.
Booking Photos from Gainesville Arrests
Mugshots taken during the Gainesville booking process are public records too. However, Florida law puts limits on how third parties can use them. Florida Statute 901.43 says it is against the law for websites to ask for money to remove a booking photo. If your mugshot is on a for-profit website, you can send a written request asking them to take it down. They have 10 days to comply. The fine is $1,000 per day if they refuse, and $5,000 per day if they put it back up.
The biometric data collected during a Gainesville booking goes further than just a photo. Under Florida Statute 943.051, adults charged with felonies or misdemeanors must provide fingerprints, palm prints, and facial images. These get sent to the state criminal justice information system run by FDLE. The data stays on file and is shared among law enforcement agencies across Florida.
Statewide Search Tools
If someone arrested in Gainesville ends up in the state prison system, their records transfer to the Florida Department of Corrections. The FDC Inmate Population Search covers inmates statewide. It searches five databases at once and refreshes weekly, with release dates updated nightly. Call (850) 488-9859 for questions about state inmates from Gainesville.
FDLE also runs a Sexual Offender and Predator Search that covers all of Florida. You can reach FDLE at (850) 410-7000. The Florida Statutes Online is another useful resource if you want to look up the specific laws that govern booking records and public access rights in Gainesville.
- Alachua County inmate search at acso.us/inmate-search
- FDC statewide inmate search for state prisoners
- FDLE offender database at (850) 410-7000
- BSO Records and Warrants for formal requests
- Florida Department of State jails directory
Get Copies of Gainesville Booking Reports
For certified copies of booking reports from Gainesville, contact the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. You can call 352.491.4444 or visit the office at 3333 NE 39th Avenue in Gainesville. Walk-in requests during business hours are usually processed the same day for simple lookups. Larger requests take more time depending on how many records are involved.
Under Florida's public records law, the agency must acknowledge your request promptly and respond in good faith. Fees are limited to reasonable costs for copies and staff time. If any part of a record contains exempt information (like medical data or sealed case details), the agency must redact that portion and still give you the rest of the record. You do not lose access to the full booking report just because one small part is exempt.
Alachua County Booking Records
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County. The county jail is located right in Gainesville, so the city and county booking systems are deeply connected. For more on the county sheriff's office, jail operations, and all booking report resources, visit the Alachua County page.
Nearby Florida Cities
Gainesville is in north-central Florida. The nearest major cities with booking report pages are listed below. Each uses its own county sheriff's office for jail bookings.