How To Seal
and Expunge This Data
The arrest and court records presented on this
website are gathered from free electronic public sources.
Primarily Florida county government websites, such
as sheriff's offices and county clerk's offices.
The information is considered to be public records
and therefore is freely available for copying and
dissemination. Even if the charges were dropped, if
a person was arrested and fingerprinted, then the record
of the arrest is still a public record.
In addition to
this site, there are several websites and
services that collect and display these records,
including ChoicePoint, Accurint, Lexis Nexis,
Westlaw and Intelius, to name a few.
In many cases, these public records can be sealed,
or expunged so that they are no longer available for
copying by 3rd parties. Depending on your situation,
you may be able to have your criminal history sealed
or expunged. The best way to do this is to contact a
lawyer who specializes in this area of law.
The ability to have your records sealed or
expunged will depend upon the adjudication of the
charges and the types of charges. The first step is
to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). A
Certificate of Eligibility may be issued if you were
NOT charged with one of the following charges:
| Arson; Aggravated Assault;
Aggravated Battery; Illegal Use of
Explosives; Child Abuse or Aggravated
Child Abuse; Abuse of an Elderly Person
or Disabled Person; Aircraft Piracy;
Kidnapping; Homicide; Manslaughter;
Sexual Battery; Robbery; Carjacking;
Lewd, Lascivious or Indecent Assault or
Act Upon or In the Presence of a Child
Under the Age of 16; Sexual Activity
with a Child Who is 12 years of age or
older, but less than 18 years of age;
Burglary of a Dwelling; Stalking and
Aggravated Stalking; Act of Domestic
Violence as defined in §741.28 F.S.;
Home Invasion Robbery; Act of Terrorism
as defined in §775.30 F.S.;
Manufacturing any Substances in
Violation of Chapter 893; and Attempting
or Conspiring to Commit any of the Above
Crimes. |
If you were not charged with one of the above
offenses, but were adjudicated guilty of a different
offense, then a certificate of eligibility cannot be
issued. If you were not found guilty, and if you
have completed all court ordered supervision and if
you have not had any previous record sealed or
expunged, then a Certificate of Eligibility may be
issued.
However, even if a Certificate of Eligibility is
issued, that does not mean that your records will be
sealed or expunged, it merely means that you are
eligible. For more information and guidance
regarding your unique situation, contact an attorney
that works with Florida records sealing and
expungement.
