Public Records

The Public Records Unit is the central repository for incident and Florida Traffic Crash Reports generated by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. The Unit is also responsible for the sealing and expunging of arrest records and changes in criminal histories as a result of identity theft.

Members of the public may request the following records through the Public Records Unit:

• Incident reports
• Calls for service
• Local record checks
• Insurance requests
• Uniform Crime Reports
• Statistical Requests (see below for more details)
• Traffic accident reports (see below for more details)

What reports are obtainable and how do I obtain them?
Public Records may be requested from the custodian of public records as follows.

• Records Portal:
                                   Go to http://www.seminolesheriff.org
                                   Go to the How Do I Tab
                                   See Request
                                   Click Public Records
  


• In person:
                                   Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
                                   Records Section
                                   100 Eslinger Way
                                   Sanford, FL 32773


• Telephone:           (407) 665-6690


• Fax:                        (407) 665-6655


• Email:                    records@seminolesheriff.org


• Mail in request (printing fees may apply), along with a self-addressed stamped return envelope to:
  Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
  Records Section
  100 Eslinger Way
  Sanford, FL 32773

All requests for public records will be filled in a timely manner during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. excluding holidays.

Requests are usually processed in the order they are received and may have a delayed response due to the nature of the request, volume received and/or the staffing available to process the requests.

If the report is open or a capias has been requested, the report will not be available to anyone except the victim or the victim’s representative until the case has a disposition or is closed. The victim must show ID and the representative must state they are a representative in writing. Some open cases may not be available even to the victim (ex: Major Crime cases).

Release of Florida Traffic Accident Reports
Per Florida Statute Section 316.066, effective June 5, 2001, accident reports are no longer a public record under the provisions of Florida Statute Section 119.07 for a period of 60 days after the date the report is filed. However, they can be made available immediately to:

• The parties involved
• Their legal representatives
• Their licensed insurance agents
• Their insurers
• Persons under contract with such insurer to provide claims or underwriting information
• Prosecutorial authorities
• Radio and television stations licensed by the FCC
• Qualifying newspapers
• State and Federal Agencies authorized to have access to such reports by any provision of the law

When making a request for an accident report which falls within the 60 day time period, one of the following types of credentials and/or identification must be provided in support of any claim for access to be the requested report:

• Driver’s license or other governmental issued picture ID, identifying the requester as a party involved in the accident
• Signed and notarized letter from an involved party authorizing the pickup of the report on their behalf
• Letter from an attorney stating they represent a party involved
• Formal written request from an insurance company on company letterhead or otherwise clearly identifiable request form for each report identifying the parties they insure
• Written proof demonstrating one is under contract with an insurer for the specific report requested and identifying the insured parties
• State or Federal Credentials and/or licenses
• As approved by a supervisor in the Records Unit
• Reports may also be obtained from the Accident Report and Retrieval Service on line for a fee

What fees may apply?

• Black and White, Single-sided copy: $0.15 each page
• Black and White, Double-sided copy: $0.20 each page
• Color, Single-sided copy: $0.25 each page
• Color, Double-sided copy: $0.35 each page
• Certified copy: $1.00 per copy
• Videos and 911 CD/Tapes: See descriptions below.
• Extensive Research: Deposit required according to nature of the request.

Video request fee: A deposit of $150.00 is required. The first fifteen minutes of labor is free of charge and then a fee will be assessed at $25.00 per hour. Please note that the fees may increase depending on the amount of time it will take to actually research and redact the records necessitated by your request. If the deposit amount is exceeded than additional monies will be requested prior to continued redaction of the video. Any extra monies will be refunded to you at the end of the fulfillment of the public record request. Please note that if a deposit is not received within 30 days we will consider your request withdrawn.

Crime Analysis fee: $20.13 to initiate the request (charge rate is $26.84 per hour with the first fifteen minutes free). Any additional time required to complete the request after the first hour will be charged upon pickup at a rate of $6.71 per fifteen minutes. Any time less than that will be refunded upon pickup.

Audio recording fee: $24.28 per hour. This rate is chargeable in fifteen minute time increments beginning after the first fifteen minutes processing the request (free).

Note: Extensive Research Fee is defined as a special service charge when the nature or volume of public records to be inspected is such as to require extensive use of information technology resources, or extensive clerical assistance or supervisory assistance or both

Acceptable forms of payment include cash, money orders, cashier’s checks, or debit/credit cards (no personal checks are accepted).


Statistical Requests
Statistical data can be requested for specific location(s) and time frames. The public can request specific information for calls for service and/or offense reports. This type of request would constitute an extensive research fee, due to the extensive use of time and resources to complete the request. The Crime Analysis Public Statistical Request form can be found here. To request this information please complete the Public Statistical Request form with as much information as possible. The request will be initiated once the Records Department receives the completed form and $13.04 deposit. Any additional time required to complete the request will be charged upon pickup at a rate of $4.35 per fifteen minutes. Requests can take approximately one week to complete, depending on how extensive the request is.