Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets

Where Can You Search Hillsborough County Criminal Records?

Hillsborough County criminal records are maintained by several public agencies. The correct website depends on whether you want a court docket, final judgment, arrest record, jail information or statewide Florida criminal-history check.

How to Search Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records Using HOVER

HOVER stands for Hillsborough Online Viewing of Electronic Records. It is operated by the Clerk of Court & Comptroller for Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

The Florida Supreme Court has authorized remote access to many public case indexes, court dockets and nonconfidential document images through this service.

Anonymous public users can search eligible records without creating a registered account. Certain records and document images are restricted to authorized users or are unavailable remotely.

Step-by-step: Find a criminal case by name

1. Open the official HOVER website.

   Visit hover.hillsclerk.com. Make sure the website identifies the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller.

2. Select Party or Business Name Search.

   Choose the party-name search option from the list of available search methods.

3. Enter the defendant’s name.

   Use accurate legal-name information. If several people share a similar name, additional identifying case details will be important.

4. Apply court and date filters.

   Where supported, narrow results by court type, case type or relevant filing date.

5. Review the search results.

   Look for the case number, case style, filing date, case type and current case status.

6. Open Case Information.

   Select the matching case to view its details and available court activity.

7. Read the criminal charges and court events.

   Review the Charges, Events, Hearings and Disposition areas when available.

8. Identify the final outcome.

   Check for a dismissal, plea, conviction, acquittal, sentence, withheld adjudication or another disposition.

9. View or request documents.

   Open available public document images or follow the Clerk’s instructions for paper files and certified copies.

What search options does HOVER provide?

What can you see after opening a criminal case?

The HOVER Case Information page can display several categories of information, depending on the court file.

• Case events: Docket dates, document descriptions and filing activity.
• Charges: Offense descriptions, degrees, offense dates and dispositions.
• Hearings: Available criminal court scheduling information.
• Bonds: Certain bond amounts, types and status information.
• Dispositions: Available charge and sentencing information.
• Document images: Publicly releasable documents associated with the case.
• Appeals: Available appellate-related entries connected with the court record.

Hillsborough County Felony Court Records Search

The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court handles felony prosecutions in Hillsborough County. The Clerk’s Circuit Criminal Department files, processes and maintains the related court records.

These records can include charges, indictments or informations, pretrial motions, hearings, judgments, sentencing records and appeals-related entries.

Examples of felony proceedings

• Felony drug offenses
• Robbery and burglary prosecutions
• Homicide and other serious violent crimes
• Felony theft and fraud cases
• Sex-related felony offenses
• Other offenses within Florida Circuit Court criminal jurisdiction

How to find a felony case in HOVER

1. Open the HOVER Case Search.

   Start with the defendant’s name or known case number.

2. Identify Circuit Criminal cases.

   Look for the appropriate criminal case category in the result.

3. Review the case details.

   Check the filing date, charge descriptions and assigned case information.

4. Open the Events and Disposition sections.

   Review the court proceedings and final disposition of each reported charge.

5. Request the final judgment if needed.

   Use eCertify or the Clerk’s court records process for the actual filed judgment or sentence.

Many felony matters begin with an arrest or initial court appearance. A recent booking record may exist before all felony charging and court proceedings have been entered in the Circuit Criminal docket.

Hillsborough County Misdemeanor Criminal Court Records

The Clerk’s County Criminal Department maintains court records for misdemeanor offenses and certain noncriminal, nontraffic infractions.

Florida County Courts generally hear misdemeanors that are not within Circuit Court jurisdiction.

Many cases arising in Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Ruskin, Temple Terrace and Plant City can be searched through the same HOVER service.

Common County Criminal case types

• Qualifying misdemeanor theft charges
• Simple battery and related misdemeanor allegations
• Criminal mischief misdemeanors
• Qualifying misdemeanor drug offenses
• County or municipal ordinance matters within County Court jurisdiction
• Other first- or second-degree misdemeanors under Florida law

Search by defendant name

Open HOVER, select the party-name search, and review the County Criminal results. If the person has more than one case, examine each case separately because dispositions may differ.

County Criminal records may contain law-enforcement arrest paperwork, prosecutor charging documents, party filings, court minutes and disposition information.

Criminal traffic cases are different from civil tickets

The Clerk’s Traffic Department maintains Hillsborough County traffic citation records. Some traffic cases are criminal, while ordinary noncriminal traffic infractions follow separate procedures.

The Clerk identifies examples of criminal traffic violations such as DUI, reckless driving, qualifying suspended-license offenses and leaving the scene of an accident.

Criminal traffic citations can require a mandatory court appearance. Do not assume a criminal citation can be resolved simply by paying an ordinary traffic fine.

How to Find Hillsborough County Criminal Court Dates

If you need to find an arraignment, pretrial conference, trial, sentencing hearing or other court event, use HOVER’s Court Hearing Lookup.

The court hearing search is separate from simply looking up a criminal defendant’s name.

1. Open the HOVER home page.

   Select Court Hearing Lookup.

2. Enter the supported court or case criteria.

   Use accurate information to identify the correct proceeding.

3. Review the available hearing results.

   Check the date, time, courtroom or associated court information where shown.

4. Confirm the proceeding.

   Review the latest filed order or notice associated with the criminal case.

5. Contact the assigned court if needed.

   For urgent scheduling questions, confirm details through the appropriate judicial division or Clerk.

Can you receive criminal court date text reminders?

Yes. The Clerk offers a text-message notification service for scheduled hearings and court-related payment reminders.

The notification service itself is free, although mobile carrier messaging charges may apply.

The instructions are available through HOVER’s FAQ and General Information section.

How to Get Certified Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records

Hillsborough County offers electronic certification of qualifying court filings through Clerk eCertify.

The Clerk also provides ordinary document copies and permits eligible paper-file viewing through its courthouse records process.

How the Clerk’s electronic certification fees work

The Clerk’s eCertify system purchases the entire selected filing as one document. It does not allow you to choose only selected pages of a multi-page filing. Individual page requests must be handled separately through the Clerk’s applicable copy process.

Order a certified criminal judgment online

1. Find the criminal case in HOVER.

   Search using the case number or defendant’s name.

2. Open the case’s Events section.

   Locate the judgment, sentence, dismissal order or other desired document.

3. Check for the certification shopping-cart icon.

   An available certification icon indicates that the document can be ordered using eCertify.

4. Add the document to your cart.

   Review the selected filing, number of pages and displayed certification charges.

5. Enter the required purchaser details.

   Provide your contact information and a working email address.

6. Complete payment.

   Follow the Clerk’s secure payment-processing instructions.

7. Download the electronically certified record.

   The Clerk sends the document download link by email after the order is processed.

How to request paper files or older court documents

If the Clerk maintains a paper file, HOVER can display a Paper Court Records Exist or order-for-viewing option.

The Clerk’s instructions allow eligible paper files to be preordered for viewing in Tampa or Plant City.

1. Locate the case.

   Open its Case Information page in HOVER.

2. Find the paper-file or File Location section.

   Choose the available order-for-viewing action.

3. Select the viewing location.

   Choose a supported courthouse location.

4. Enter contact details.

   Provide a valid email address if you want notification when the file becomes available.

5. Submit the paper-file request.

   The Clerk notifies requesters when the file can be viewed.

The Clerk advises allowing approximately four business days for qualifying requests from nonparties, because records may need to be reviewed and redacted.

Ordered paper files are generally held for ten business days after receipt at the selected viewing location.

If the paper-file ordering control is not available, email the case number to filesordered@hillsclerk.com to ask about file location and availability.

Hillsborough County Criminal Courthouses in Tampa, Plant City & Brandon

You can access Clerk services at several Hillsborough County locations. Some in-person criminal file-review services are specifically offered through the Tampa and Plant City courthouse offices.

These are Clerk service locations, not a guarantee that every criminal hearing or case file is available at each counter. Verify your case’s assigned courtroom and the office offering the specific records service before visiting.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Arrest Records and Jail Inquiry

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office operates a separate online Arrest Inquiry system for adult arrests recorded in its electronic jail-management system.

The records can help identify recent bookings, current custody, reported charges, bond amounts and booking photographs.

The Sheriff’s arrest information is not a substitute for a court docket or criminal conviction record.

How to search an arrest by name

1. Open the HCSO Arrest Inquiry website.

   Read the Sheriff’s disclaimer regarding criminal charges and court outcomes.

2. Enter the person’s name.

   Use the search fields displayed by the official system.

3. Review the matching adult arrest records.

   Compare identifying information to distinguish people with similar names.

4. Check the booking and charge information.

   Look for the available booking dates, reported charges, bond information and custody details.

5. Find any corresponding court case.

   Use HOVER to determine whether formal charges were filed and how they were resolved.

How far back do Hillsborough County arrest records go?

The Sheriff’s official Arrest Inquiry explains that adult arrest records are available for arrests occurring since January 1, 1995, when the Sheriff’s Office has an electronic record of the event.

The system also has specific timing and public-visibility rules.

Hillsborough County jail facilities

How to request a police or arrest report

If you need an actual Sheriff’s incident or arrest report rather than a public booking summary, use the Sheriff’s Office public records request process.

The correct record custodian depends on which agency investigated the incident. Reports prepared by Tampa Police, Plant City Police or another agency may need to be requested from that agency rather than HCSO.

FDLE Background Check vs. Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) maintains Florida’s statewide criminal-history repository.

A HOVER search covers qualifying Hillsborough County court records. FDLE’s criminal-history service checks information reported to its statewide system, subject to public-access restrictions.

How to order a statewide Florida criminal-history check

1. Open the FDLE Florida Checks page.

   Review the currently available search options.

2. Choose the search type.

   Select Instant Search or the applicable Certified/Non-Certified option.

3. Enter the required identifying information.

   Use accurate names and other information requested by the system.

4. Pay the applicable charge.

   Review the stated payment-processing fee before completing the transaction.

5. Review the results.

   Check the agency information, charges and reported dispositions.

6. Verify disputed outcomes with the court.

   Use HOVER or another appropriate court to confirm specific Hillsborough County proceedings.

Can you review your own Florida criminal history without an FDLE search fee?

Yes. FDLE operates a separate Personal Review program for eligible individuals who want to review and challenge their own Florida criminal-history information.

The Personal Review process requires submitting identification-related information and a fingerprint card. FDLE does not charge a Personal Review processing fee, although the fingerprinting provider may charge for taking the fingerprints.

The procedure is restricted to the individual whose record is being reviewed or that person’s authorized attorney.

Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records Search Fees

Copying, research, postage, payment-processing and certification charges may differ by request type. Confirm the total directly with the Clerk or other issuing agency before ordering.

Florida Prison Records, Federal Cases and Sealed Criminal Files

Can Hillsborough County criminal records be sealed or expunged?

Qualifying Florida criminal records may be eligible for sealing or expunction under applicable state law.

The Clerk operates an Expungement and Sealing Unit, which provides information and forms for qualifying court procedures.

Sealing restricts public access to certain records; expunction provides different legal relief under Florida law. Eligibility depends on the case and statutory requirements.

The Clerk warns that expunging a record from its public court records does not automatically remove the information from every external database that may already contain a copy.

Why Can’t You Find a Hillsborough County Criminal Court Record?

A missing HOVER result does not prove that a criminal case never existed. The record may be restricted, paper-only, held by another jurisdiction, recently filed or associated with different identifying information.

Understanding criminal case statuses

When reviewing HOVER, consider the meaning of the final disposition rather than relying only on whether a case is labeled open or closed.

• Pending: Further court action may still occur.
• Dismissed: The specified charge was terminated without a conviction on that charge.
• Acquitted: The defendant was found not guilty.
• Convicted: A legally recognized conviction was recorded.
• Adjudication withheld: A Florida-specific disposition with legal consequences that differ from an ordinary adjudication of guilt.
• Closed: The court system records the case as closed, but the actual outcome must be determined from its disposition and orders.

Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records Search FAQs

Official Hillsborough County Criminal Court Records Links

Use the following Clerk, Sheriff, Florida state and federal resources for the current records systems and official request instructions.

• Hillsborough HOVER — Official Public Court Records Search
• HOVER — Case Number, Name and Citation Search
• HOVER — Court Records, Paper Files, Reminders and FAQs
• Hillsborough County Clerk — Circuit Criminal Department
• Hillsborough County Clerk — County Criminal Department
• Hillsborough County Clerk — Criminal Traffic and Citations
• Clerk eCertify — Electronic Certified Criminal Court Documents
• Clerk’s Official Copy, Certification and Court Fees
• Hillsborough Clerk Courthouses, Hours and Locations
• Clerk Court Records Public Data Files and Case Indexes
• Hillsborough County Sheriff — Arrest and Jail Inquiry
• Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office — Official Website
• Hillsborough Sheriff — Jail and Department Locations
• FDLE — Florida Criminal History Record Checks
• FDLE — Personal Criminal History Review
• Hillsborough Clerk — Expungement and Sealing
• Florida Appellate Court Case Search
• PACER — Federal Criminal Court Records