Miami, Florida Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

ByQuarks Systems

Independent Miami criminal records guide

Miami, Florida Criminal Records Search: Court Cases, Arrests, Jail Records, FDLE Checks and Public Records

Use this guide to search Miami and Miami-Dade County criminal court records, felony cases, misdemeanor cases, case dockets, certified criminal history copies, recent jail custody, police records, FDLE criminal-history checks, Florida DOC offender records, Florida sex-offender registry records and federal PACER cases.

Miami criminal records are not stored in one single public database. A Miami-Dade court case, Clerk certified copy, jail custody record, police report, FDLE criminal-history search, Florida DOC offender result, sex-offender registry entry and federal criminal case each has a different official route.

Official Miami-Dade, Florida and federal sources reviewed October 13, 2026
Miami-Dade court records Felony and misdemeanor cases MDCR inmate search FDLE background checks No HTML H1
Open Criminal Case Search Open Inmate Search Open FDLE Checks
Miami criminal records route finder A visual map showing Miami-Dade criminal court records, certified copies, inmate search, police records, FDLE criminal history, Florida DOC offender search, sex offender registry and PACER federal records. Start Here Pick the record type Official route Court Case Clerk CJIS State History FDLE Jail / Arrest MDCR / police Federal Case PACER DOC / Registry FDC / FDLE
Independent website notice: CriminalCourtRecord.org is an independent public-information guide. It is not the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation, Miami Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Corrections, PACER, any court, any sheriff’s office, any police department, or any background-check company. This page does not run a background check, does not provide legal advice, and does not guarantee that any record exists.

Miami Criminal Records Usually Mean Miami-Dade County Records

If you are searching for a criminal case from Miami, Florida, the main local court route is usually the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller criminal case search. Use the Circuit Criminal route for felony-level court matters and County Criminal route for misdemeanor, criminal traffic and related county criminal matters. Use Miami-Dade Corrections for current inmate custody and FDLE for Florida criminal-history checks.

A jail booking, arrest report, police incident, charge, bond entry or online docket event is not the same as a conviction. For serious use, verify the final disposition through the Clerk, FDLE, certified records or the correct official custodian.

Choose Record Type Official Links Responsible Use

Quick Answer: How To Search Miami, Florida Criminal Records

For Miami criminal court cases, start with the Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search. For official or certified copies, use the Clerk’s certified copy or public records process. For current inmate custody, use Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate search. For Florida statewide criminal-history checks, use FDLE. For state prison or state supervision information, use Florida Department of Corrections offender search. For sex-offender registry information, use FDLE’s registry. For federal criminal cases, use PACER.

Criminal court case Use Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search.
Certified case copy Request it from the Miami-Dade Clerk, not a third-party site.
Current jail custody Use Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate search.
Florida background check Use FDLE criminal-history records, not only court screenshots.
Most common mistake: People search one Miami-Dade tool and assume it covers every record. Court cases, jail custody, police reports, FDLE criminal history, FDC offender records, registry records and federal PACER cases are separate sources.

Which Miami Criminal Records Source Should You Use?

The correct route depends on what you need to prove. A court docket helps you follow a case. A certified copy is stronger for official use. A jail lookup is for custody. A police public-records request is for incident or arrest reports. FDLE is the statewide criminal-history route.

Need Use this official route What it can show What it does not prove by itself
Miami-Dade criminal court case Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search Felony, misdemeanor, criminal traffic and court case information where available Complete Florida criminal history or federal records
Certified court copy or official disposition Miami-Dade Clerk certified copies / public records request Certified copies tied to felony, misdemeanor or civil infraction case history Records from every other Florida county or federal court
Current inmate custody Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate search Name, date of birth, custody location, charges, bond amount, jail number, booking date/time and mugshot where available Conviction or final court outcome
Police report, arrest form or incident report Miami-Dade Central Records Bureau, City of Miami public records, or correct police agency Police reports, arrest forms, crash reports or agency records where public and releasable Final court disposition or statewide criminal history
Florida criminal-history check Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal history records Florida criminal-history information based on FDLE rules and search type Federal records or every out-of-state record unless covered by the check type
State prison or state supervision record Florida Department of Corrections offender search Felony offenders sentenced to state prison or state supervision County jail-only records, county probation-only records or complete court files
Federal criminal case PACER or PACER Case Locator Federal district, bankruptcy and appellate case information where available Miami-Dade state court criminal cases

Step-by-Step: How To Search Miami Criminal Court Records

Use this process when your goal is a Miami-Dade criminal court case, docket, case status, final disposition or certified court copy. If your goal is a Florida statewide criminal-history check, use FDLE instead.

1

Decide whether you need a court case, jail record, police report or background check

Use the Clerk for criminal court cases, MDCR for current jail custody, police records routes for incident reports and FDLE for Florida criminal-history searches.

2

Start with Miami-Dade Clerk criminal case search

Open the Criminal Justice Online Case Search and search by case number when possible. If searching by name, use exact spelling and compare multiple details.

3

Confirm the court level

Check whether the case is Circuit Criminal, County Criminal, criminal traffic, municipal/county ordinance, or another case type.

4

Read the docket and disposition carefully

A charge, hearing, arraignment, bond event or warrant entry is not the same as a conviction. Look for final disposition, plea, dismissal, judgment, sentence or other outcome language.

5

Use inmate search only for custody status

If the person may currently be in Miami-Dade custody, use the MDCR inmate search. Then return to the Clerk record to verify court outcome.

6

Request certified copies when needed

If a record is for legal, immigration, licensing, employment or official use, request certified copies through the Miami-Dade Clerk instead of relying on a screenshot.

7

Use FDLE, FDC, registry or PACER when the local court route is not enough

Use FDLE for Florida criminal history, FDC for state offender records, FDLE registry for sex-offender/predator information and PACER for federal criminal cases.

Search tip: Miami is inside Miami-Dade County, so many “Miami criminal records” searches should start with Miami-Dade Clerk or Miami-Dade Corrections. For a City of Miami police report, use the City or Miami Police records route.

Miami Criminal Records Problem Finder

Select what you need and why you need it. This helper runs only in your browser and does not collect names, dates of birth, case numbers, addresses or private identity details.

Find the right official route

Miami-Dade Criminal Court Records: Felony, Misdemeanor and Criminal Traffic

Miami-Dade Criminal Court includes Circuit Criminal and County Criminal operations. Circuit Criminal generally handles major felony-level criminal matters, while County Criminal handles misdemeanor, criminal traffic, municipal/county ordinance and related matters.

Use the Clerk criminal case route for

  • Felony criminal case lookup
  • Misdemeanor criminal case lookup
  • Criminal traffic case status
  • Case number confirmation
  • Bond hearing or docket status clues
  • Disposition and judgment information where available

Do not use it as

  • A complete Florida background check
  • A federal case search
  • A current jail roster
  • A police incident report request
  • A certified record unless ordered from the Clerk
  • A guarantee that no record exists anywhere else
Official record note: The online case search is helpful for public access, but the Clerk should be consulted for official court record accuracy and certified copies.
Open Criminal Case Search Open Criminal Court Info

Certified Miami-Dade Criminal Records and Court Copies

When you need an official record, use the Miami-Dade Clerk certified-copy or public-records route. A certified copy is commonly stronger than an online screenshot for court, licensing, immigration, employment, school or legal use.

Request certified copies for

  • Criminal case disposition
  • Judgment or sentence
  • Docket or case history
  • Felony case records
  • Misdemeanor case records
  • Civil infraction case history where relevant

Prepare before requesting

  • Full legal name searched
  • Case number if known
  • Approximate filing or offense date
  • Document type needed
  • Plain copy or certified copy preference
  • Payment and delivery method
Request Certified Copies Clerk Public Records Request

Miami-Dade Inmate Search, Jail Records and Booking Information

Use Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate search when you need current custody, jail number, booking or bond information. Jail information is not the same as the final criminal court record.

What you need Use this source Important warning
Current inmate custody Miami-Dade Corrections inmate search Current custody does not prove conviction.
Booking date, jail number or bond amount MDCR inmate search or official custody information Charges and bond can change as the case moves through court.
Final outcome after arrest Miami-Dade Clerk criminal case search or certified court record Only the court route usually confirms final disposition.
State prison after sentencing Florida Department of Corrections offender search FDC does not replace Miami-Dade case documents.
Important: Arrest and booking information can be useful for locating someone, but it is not proof of guilt. Always check the court disposition before relying on it.
Open MDCR Inmate Search In-Custody Search Help

Miami Police Reports, Arrest Forms and Public Records Requests

Police records are separate from court records. If you need an arrest form, incident report, crash report, police clearance letter or body-camera-related public record, start with the agency that created or maintains the record.

Use police/public-records routes for

  • Police incident reports
  • Arrest forms
  • Florida crash reports
  • Police clearance letters
  • Body-worn camera records where releasable
  • City or county public-records requests

Use the correct agency

  • City of Miami records for City of Miami-held records.
  • Miami Police Records Unit for Miami Police reports.
  • Miami-Dade Central Records for county public-safety records.
  • Other city police departments if the incident happened outside City of Miami.
  • Clerk of Court for case records and dispositions.
Jurisdiction tip: “Miami” is often used casually for many places in Miami-Dade County. Confirm whether the event happened in City of Miami, unincorporated Miami-Dade, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables or another municipality before requesting records.
City of Miami Public Records Miami-Dade Central Records Miami-Dade Public Records

FDLE Florida Criminal History Check for Miami Records

FDLE is Florida’s central criminal-history repository. Use FDLE when you need a Florida criminal-history search, certified/non-certified Florida criminal history result or official state criminal-history route instead of a Miami-Dade case docket.

Need Likely route What to check before starting
Florida criminal-history search FDLE Florida criminal history check Search type, fee, identifiers, certified/non-certified option and result limitations
Personal review or record question FDLE personal review / criminal history records help Whether you need a personal review, certified history or correction route
Certified Miami-Dade court disposition Miami-Dade Clerk FDLE search is not the same as a certified Clerk case copy
Federal or out-of-state case PACER or the other state/federal source FDLE Florida checks do not replace every other jurisdiction’s search
Plain-English difference: Miami-Dade Clerk search helps you inspect a local court case. FDLE criminal-history search is a statewide Florida criminal-history process.
Open FDLE Florida Checks FDLE Personal Review

Florida Department of Corrections Offender Search

Use Florida Department of Corrections offender search when a person has been sentenced to Florida state prison or state supervision. FDC is not the same as Miami-Dade jail custody and does not replace a Miami-Dade court file.

Use FDC offender search for

  • Florida state prison information
  • State supervision records
  • DC number searches
  • Felony offenders sentenced to FDC
  • Current and prior FDC offense information where available

Do not use it as

  • A Miami-Dade jail custody search
  • A county probation-only search
  • A certified Miami-Dade court disposition
  • A complete criminal-history report
  • A federal inmate or federal court search
Open FDC Offender Search

Florida Sex Offender and Predator Registry Search in Miami

FDLE maintains Florida’s sexual offender and predator public registry. Use this route for registry-specific information in Miami or anywhere in Florida, but do not treat it as a complete criminal-history report.

Search carefully

  • Use the official FDLE registry route.
  • Search by name, address or neighborhood where available.
  • Compare identifying information before assuming a match.
  • Read FDLE registry warnings and limitations.

Understand the limits

  • Registry data is not every criminal record.
  • A registry result does not replace court documents.
  • Registration status can change based on law, court orders and agency updates.
  • Report errors or public-safety concerns through official FDLE or law-enforcement routes.
Open FDLE Registry Search Offenders / Predators

Federal Criminal Records in Miami: Use PACER

Federal criminal cases in Miami are separate from Miami-Dade Clerk records, FDLE criminal history and county jail records. Use PACER or the PACER Case Locator for federal criminal court records.

Use PACER when

The case is in a U.S. District Court, U.S. Court of Appeals or another federal court system.

Search by court if known

If you know the federal court or district, search that court after signing in.

Use Case Locator if unsure

If you do not know the federal court, use PACER Case Locator as a national index.

Federal/state split: A person can have a Miami-Dade state case, a federal case, both or neither. Searching only Miami-Dade Clerk records will not automatically find federal cases.
Open PACER Find a Case on PACER

What To Do When You Cannot Find a Miami Criminal Record

A no-result search does not always mean there is no record. The case may be under another spelling, another case number, another Miami-Dade court division, a different Florida county, a municipal police agency, federal court, sealed record category or another custodian.

Problem Possible reason Best next step
Name search has no match Different spelling, alias, middle name, wrong county, wrong court type or online index limit Try case number, alternate spelling, date range and Clerk criminal case search
Inmate search has no result Person may not be in current MDCR custody, may be released, transferred or in another jurisdiction Check Clerk case search, FDC offender search or the correct jail/agency
Police report not found Wrong police agency, missing incident number, restricted report or report not yet releasable Confirm whether City of Miami, Miami-Dade or another municipality handled the incident
FDLE result differs from court record Reporting timing, identity matching, missing disposition or different record source Review FDLE instructions and verify certified court disposition with the Clerk
Federal case missing Federal cases are in PACER, not Miami-Dade Clerk or FDLE search Search PACER or PACER Case Locator
Old or restricted record missing Sealing, expungement, juvenile confidentiality, redaction, retention limits or non-public status Ask the official custodian or a qualified Florida attorney about access rules
Avoid false conclusions: “No result found” does not prove that no record exists, and a name match does not prove identity. Serious decisions require official verification.

Sealed, Expunged, Juvenile and Restricted Florida Records

Some Miami or Florida criminal records may not be visible through public online search because of sealing, expungement, juvenile confidentiality, redaction, active investigation exemptions, court order, privacy law or agency-specific restrictions.

Records may be unavailable when

  • The case or arrest was sealed.
  • The case or arrest was expunged.
  • The record involves juvenile confidentiality.
  • The document contains protected personal information.
  • The case is not available online.
  • The record is held by a different agency or court.

Ask the official custodian

  • Miami-Dade Clerk for court records and certified copies.
  • FDLE for Florida criminal-history checks and seal/expunge information.
  • Miami-Dade or City of Miami records offices for police reports.
  • FDC for state offender information.
  • PACER for federal court records.
  • A qualified Florida attorney for sealing or expungement questions.
FDLE Seal and Expunge Process

Responsible Use, FCRA and Identity-Matching Warnings

Criminal record searches can affect jobs, housing, licensing, immigration, education, reputation and personal safety. Use official sources carefully, confirm identity and verify final disposition before relying on any result.

Do not assume

  • An arrest means conviction.
  • A charge means guilt.
  • A jail record means final court outcome.
  • A name match is the correct person.
  • A police report is a full court record.
  • A Miami-Dade case search replaces FDLE criminal-history checks.

Be careful for screening

  • Employment and tenant screening may trigger FCRA obligations.
  • Use authorized consumer-reporting processes when required.
  • Give required notices when the law requires them.
  • Allow correction or dispute rights when applicable.
  • Do not use sealed, expunged, stale or mismatched records unfairly.
  • Consult qualified counsel for regulated screening decisions.
Practical rule: For serious decisions, use certified court records, FDLE processes or legally compliant background-check procedures — not a screenshot from a broad name search.
FTC Employer Background Check Guidance FTC Landlord Screening Guidance

Miami Local Record Context

Miami criminal records searches often involve multiple agencies because the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, state courts, Florida agencies and federal courts all keep different records. Start with the record type, not just the location name.

Miami-Dade court route

Use the Clerk criminal case search for felony, misdemeanor and criminal traffic court case records handled in Miami-Dade County.

Jail and police route

Use MDCR for current custody and the correct police/public-records custodian for reports, arrest forms or police clearance letters.

State and federal route

Use FDLE for Florida criminal-history checks, FDC for state offender records and PACER for federal criminal court cases.

Miami Criminal Records Glossary

Miami-Dade Criminal Justice Online Case Search
The Clerk’s public route for Miami-Dade criminal court case information.
Circuit Criminal
Miami-Dade criminal court operations generally involving felony-level criminal cases.
County Criminal
Miami-Dade criminal court operations generally involving misdemeanor, criminal traffic and related county criminal matters.
Disposition
The final or current court outcome of a charge or case, such as conviction, dismissal, acquittal, plea, sentence or other result.
MDCR
Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation, the county department route for inmate custody searches.
FDLE
Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida’s central criminal-history records agency.
FDC offender search
Florida Department of Corrections search route for felony offenders sentenced to state prison or state supervision.
PACER
The federal judiciary’s public access system for federal court records.

Miami, Florida Criminal Records Search FAQs

How do I search Miami criminal court records?
Start with the Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search. Search by case number when possible, or by name and other available filters. Confirm case number, court, charge, status and disposition before relying on a match.
Are Miami criminal records the same as Miami-Dade records?
Often, yes for court cases, because City of Miami criminal court cases are generally handled through Miami-Dade County court systems. Police reports may be held by City of Miami, Miami-Dade or another municipal agency depending on where the incident occurred.
Where do I search Miami-Dade felony criminal cases?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk Criminal Justice Online Case Search and look for Circuit Criminal case information. For official documents, request certified copies from the Clerk.
Where do I search Miami-Dade misdemeanor records?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk criminal case search and County Criminal court information. County Criminal generally includes misdemeanor, criminal traffic and certain ordinance-related matters.
How do I find someone in a Miami-Dade jail?
Use Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate search. It can show custody and booking-related information, but jail custody is not proof of conviction.
How do I get a certified Miami criminal record?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk criminal history certified copies page or public records request route. Ask for the exact record you need, such as disposition, judgment or case history.
Where do I get a Florida criminal-history check?
Use Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal-history records. FDLE is the statewide criminal-history route and is separate from a Miami-Dade court case search.
Where do I search Florida state prison or supervision records?
Use Florida Department of Corrections offender search. FDC covers felony offenders sentenced to state prison or state supervision and does not replace county jail or court records.
Where do I search federal criminal cases in Miami?
Use PACER or PACER Case Locator. Federal criminal cases are separate from Miami-Dade court records and FDLE criminal-history searches.
Does a Miami arrest record mean someone was convicted?
No. An arrest, booking, charge or police report is not the same as a conviction. Verify final disposition through the court record, certified copy or official criminal-history process.

Official Sources and Final-Action Links

Use these official links for final searches, certified-copy requests, inmate lookups, police-record requests, criminal-history checks, offender searches, registry searches and federal case research.

Editorial Accuracy and Use Note

This guide separates Miami-Dade criminal court records, certified court copies, jail custody, police records, FDLE Florida criminal-history checks, Florida DOC offender records, registry records and federal PACER cases. It avoids implying that one search covers every Miami criminal public record.

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Last reviewed: October 13, 2026

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