Santa Rosa County Arrest Records

Santa Rosa County booking reports are filed by the Sheriff's Office in Milton. Located in the Florida Panhandle just east of Pensacola, this county handles all jail bookings through a single detention facility. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office publishes a booking log so the public can review recent arrests. You can look up who has been brought into the jail and check their charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. Arrest records are open to all under Florida law.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff Booking Records

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and keeps all booking records for the area. The main office is at 5755 East Milton Road in Milton. Call 850.983.1266 for questions about jail bookings or a specific arrest. This is the sole law enforcement agency that operates the detention center in Santa Rosa County.

Every arrest in the county creates a booking report. That report has the person's name, date of birth, charges, arresting officer, and bond amount. These records fall under Florida Statute Chapter 119, which makes all state, county, and municipal records open for personal inspection and copying by any person. Booking reports, arrest logs, and mugshots in Santa Rosa County are covered by this law. No reason is needed to view them.

Santa Rosa County is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit along with Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. Court matters from these four counties move through the same circuit, but booking records stay with the county where the arrest took place.

Search Santa Rosa County Jail Bookings

To find booking reports in Santa Rosa County, check the sheriff's booking log. The log lists recent arrests with charges and booking dates. It is a quick way to see who has been brought into the county jail.

If the booking log does not have what you need, call the jail at 850.983.1266 and ask for the records division. Staff can look up booking records by name or booking number. You can also go in person to the Milton office with a valid ID. Florida law gives any person the right to inspect and copy public records at a reasonable time. The records custodian must allow access. Copy fees follow state guidelines, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office will tell you the charge per page.

The screenshot below shows the Florida Department of Corrections statewide inmate search. This tool covers anyone who has been transferred from the Santa Rosa County jail to a state prison facility.

The Florida Department of Corrections search checks all state prison databases in one search. Use this when someone has moved from the Santa Rosa County jail into the state system. Data refreshes weekly, and release dates update each night.

Note: The state prison search does not include people held at the Santa Rosa County jail.

How Santa Rosa County Books Arrests

When someone is arrested in Santa Rosa County, the booking process starts at the jail in Milton. Officers log the person's name, date of birth, and description. A booking photo is taken. Fingerprints are captured and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement under Chapter 943 of the Florida Statutes. The law requires fingerprints, palm prints, and facial images of adults charged with felonies or misdemeanors to be submitted electronically.

Charges are entered next. Each charge has a bond amount from the court or a standard schedule. The booking report becomes public once the data is in the system. Most Santa Rosa County booking reports show up in the booking log within hours of the arrest.

City police departments in Santa Rosa County, including Milton and Gulf Breeze, bring all arrestees to the county jail. There are no city-run detention centers in the area. Everything goes through the sheriff's facility.

Booking Report Access in Santa Rosa County

Florida's public records law makes booking reports available to everyone. Chapter 119 covers all documents, photographs, and data produced during government business. You do not need to give a reason to view booking records in Santa Rosa County.

Some records have limits. Juvenile arrest records are confidential unless a felony charge is involved. Medical and mental health files from the jail are not public. Sealed or expunged records cannot be viewed. Under Florida Statute 901.43, websites cannot demand payment to remove a person's booking photo. If a for-profit site posts your Santa Rosa County mugshot, send a written removal request. They get 10 days. The civil penalty is $1,000 per day for noncompliance and $5,000 per day if the photo is reposted after removal.

State Resources for Santa Rosa County

State agencies keep records tied to Santa Rosa County bookings. The Florida Department of State has a directory of all 67 county jails with contact details and links. This helps if you want to check Santa Rosa County alongside neighboring counties in the Panhandle.

The FDLE operates the Sexual Offender and Predator search database. You can cross-check this with Santa Rosa County booking reports to see if someone is a registered offender. FDLE also handles statewide criminal history records. Call (850) 410-7000 for criminal background questions related to Santa Rosa County arrests. The Florida Legislature website has the full text of every statute that governs public records access.

The Chapter 943 page shown above covers criminal justice information systems and the rules for fingerprint collection that apply to all Santa Rosa County arrests.

Cities in Santa Rosa County

Santa Rosa County has several small cities and towns. None meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. All arrests in these areas are processed through the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office jail in Milton.

Communities in the county include Milton, Gulf Breeze, Jay, Pace, and Navarre. None of these towns run their own jail. Every booking report goes through the county system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Santa Rosa County. If an arrest occurred near the county line, the neighboring county may have the booking record. Check with both agencies if you are unsure which one handled the arrest.