Brandon Police Records Search
Brandon police records are maintained by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Brandon is an unincorporated census-designated place in eastern Hillsborough County with around 115,000 residents. Law enforcement services come from HCSO, which handles all incident reports, arrest records, and crime data for the Brandon area. People who need police records from Brandon submit requests directly to the sheriff's office since there is no separate city police department.
Brandon Quick Facts
Law Enforcement in Brandon
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office provides all law enforcement services to Brandon. HCSO operates patrol districts that cover unincorporated areas like Brandon. Deputies respond to calls, investigate crimes, and write incident reports for the Brandon community. The sheriff's office is the sole source for police records in Brandon since the area is not an incorporated city with its own police force.
HCSO has a district office at 1000 E Brandon Blvd in Brandon that serves the local area. This office handles walk-in traffic for reports and general inquiries. The main sheriff's office administrative headquarters is at 2008 E 8th Ave in Tampa. All public records requests go through the central records division in Tampa, not through the Brandon district office.
Brandon residents can request police records through HCSO's public records unit. The sheriff's office processes requests for incident reports, crash reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement documents. Florida's public records laws under Chapter 119 apply to all requests for police records from Brandon. Most records are available to anyone who asks.
Requesting Police Records in Brandon
To get police records from Brandon, you contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office public records unit. HCSO accepts requests online, by mail, in person, and by email. Online requests work best for most people since you can track the status and get updates without having to call or visit an office.
Most incident reports and crash reports are ready within a few business days. Requests for older records or records that need review may take longer. HCSO staff will contact you if they need more information to find your records. The cost depends on what you request. Simple reports may be free or low cost. Extensive searches or large document sets may have higher fees based on staff time and copying costs.
When you request police records from Brandon, you need details about the incident. Include the date, location, names of people involved, or the case number if you have it. More details help staff locate the right records faster. If you were part of the incident, mention that in your request. Some records have restricted access under Florida law, but most police reports for Brandon are public.
Florida law enforcement agencies must respond to public records requests promptly under Florida Statutes § 119.07. HCSO reviews requests and releases records unless an exemption applies. Common exemptions include active investigations, confidential informant information, and certain victim identities. If part of your request is exempt, HCSO will release the rest.
Types of Police Records
Police records in Brandon include several document types. Each serves a different purpose. Some are used for insurance claims. Others help with background checks or court cases.
Incident reports are the most common request. These cover theft, vandalism, burglary, assault, and other crimes. If you filed a police report in Brandon, you can get a copy from HCSO. Crash reports are also available if you were in a traffic accident. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles manages a statewide crash report portal at flhsmv.gov where you can purchase crash reports online for a fee.
Arrest records show when someone was taken into custody by HCSO deputies in Brandon. These records are public unless sealed by a court order. Booking records from the Hillsborough County jail are separate from incident reports but related. You can search for current inmates through the county jail website. Crime stats and calls for service data are also public records, though these may require a formal request to HCSO.
Some records are not available to the public. Active criminal investigations remain confidential until closed. Juvenile records have strict privacy protections. Victim information in sensitive cases like domestic violence or sexual assault may be redacted. HCSO staff will tell you if a record is exempt when you make your request for police records in Brandon.
Note: Most incident reports in Brandon are available within 3 to 5 business days of the request.
Online Records Access
While Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office does not have a public online search portal for police records, they do accept online requests through their website. You can also access state-level resources that may have information related to Brandon incidents and arrests.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a public records portal at fdle.justfoia.com where you can submit requests for state-level criminal justice records. FDLE does not handle local police reports, but they do provide background check services and statewide criminal history records that may include arrests made in Brandon by HCSO deputies.
For crash reports from Brandon, the state portal at flhsmv.gov is the fastest way to get copies. You need the crash report number, date, county, and driver name. The cost is $10 per report. Payment is by credit card. Most reports are available online within a few days of the crash, but complex cases may take longer to post.
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court has an online records search at the county website. This covers court cases, not police reports. But if a Brandon incident led to criminal charges, the court records will show up there. You can search by name or case number to see case status, charges, and court dates.
Records Request Fees
Fees for police records in Brandon depend on what you request and how you want it delivered. Simple requests for a single incident report may be free or have a small copying fee. Larger requests can cost more based on staff time and the number of pages copied.
Florida law under Florida Statutes § 119.07 sets limits on what agencies can charge for public records. Copying costs are typically 15 cents per page for standard size paper. Certified copies cost more. If your request takes extensive staff time to search or redact information, HCSO may charge for that labor at the rate allowed by law.
Crash reports purchased through the state portal cost $10 each. Background checks from FDLE have their own fee schedule. Most people requesting police records from Brandon pay less than $20 for a single incident report. If you need many documents or certified copies, the cost goes up. Ask HCSO for a cost estimate when you submit your request if you want to know the fee before they process it.
Background Checks and Criminal History
Criminal history records and background checks are different from local police reports. If you need a full background check that includes arrests from Brandon and other places, you go to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE maintains the state's criminal history database and processes requests for both personal background checks and employer screenings.
To get your own criminal history from Florida, you can apply online through FDLE or submit a paper application by mail. The fee is $24 for a state background check. If you need a national check through the FBI, the fee is higher. FDLE's website at fdle.state.fl.us has the forms and instructions you need. You can also call FDLE's Criminal History Records Unit at (850) 410-8161 for help.
Employers and organizations that need background checks for licensing or employment use FDLE's systems. These checks pull records from across the state, including any arrests or charges that happened in Brandon. Personal requests for your own history take about two weeks to process. Third-party requests may take longer depending on volume and the level of check needed.
If you just need a single incident report from Brandon, contact HCSO directly. For a full criminal history search, go to FDLE. Most people use HCSO for specific reports and FDLE for complete background checks.
Hillsborough County Police Records
Brandon is part of Hillsborough County, and the sheriff's office serves the entire unincorporated area. For more information on county law enforcement services, district offices, and how to request records for other parts of the county, visit the Hillsborough County police records page.