Taylor County Police Records Search

Police records for Taylor County are maintained at the Taylor County Sheriff's Office in Perry. This coastal county in North Florida relies on the Sheriff for law enforcement throughout its area. Deputies handle patrol, investigations, and arrests across Taylor County. Records from these activities are kept at the main office and can be requested under Florida public records law. Most incident reports and arrest records are available to the public once the initial investigation is complete.

Taylor County Sheriff's Office

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office keeps all police records for the county. Perry serves as the county seat and location of the main Sheriff's Office. Deputies patrol throughout this rural coastal area. The office handles everything from traffic stops to major investigations. Records created during these activities are stored at the main facility in Perry.

Public records requests go through the Sheriff's Office. You can call to ask about a specific report or submit a written request for multiple documents. Staff will search for the records you need and let you know what is available. Some records may be exempt if they involve ongoing cases or protected victim information under Florida law in Taylor County.

The Sheriff's Office phone number is (850) 584-4222. Call during business hours to speak with staff about records requests. You can also mail written requests to the Taylor County Sheriff's Office in Perry. Include as much detail as possible about the incident or case you are researching. This helps staff locate the correct records in Taylor County files.

How to Get Records in Taylor County

Getting police records from Taylor County starts with contacting the Sheriff's Office. The fastest way is to call and ask about your specific report. If staff can find it quickly and it is available for release, they will tell you how to get a copy. For more complex requests, you may need to submit a written request by mail or in person at the Perry office.

Florida law gives you the right to inspect and copy public records. Under Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes, agencies must make records available unless a specific exemption applies. You do not have to explain why you want the records. The agency can ask for contact information to respond to your request but cannot deny access based on your intended use in Taylor County.

In-person visits work well for simple requests. Go to the Sheriff's Office in Perry with details about the incident. Bring identification. Staff can search while you wait for basic reports. More involved searches may take longer and require a follow-up visit or mailing of the records to you in Taylor County.

Include these details when requesting police records:

• Date the incident occurred
• Type of incident or offense
• Location in Taylor County
• Names of people involved
• Report or case number if known

Processing times vary based on the request. Simple reports may be ready the same day. Requests needing extensive searching or redaction can take a week or more. The Sheriff's Office will contact you about fees and when your records are ready in Taylor County.

Note: Active criminal investigations may have restricted access until the case closes in Taylor County.

Statewide Police Records Through FDLE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement serves as the central repository for criminal records in Florida. FDLE collects arrest data, criminal history, and case information from all law enforcement agencies including Taylor County. If you need statewide records or criminal background checks, contact FDLE directly instead of the local Sheriff's Office.

FDLE operates an online public records portal at fdle.justfoia.com/publicportal. This system handles requests for FDLE documents and databases. It does not provide local police reports from Taylor County. For incident reports created by Taylor County deputies, you must contact the Sheriff's Office in Perry. The FDLE portal is for statewide searches and FDLE-specific records.

Criminal background checks are processed by FDLE. The fee is $24 per background check in Florida. Call (850) 410-8161 for information about submitting a background check request. Processing takes 5 to 10 business days by mail. You can request your own criminal history or submit requests for employment and licensing purposes. Visit FDLE's criminal history contact page for detailed instructions from Taylor County.

Traffic Crash Reports in Taylor County

Crash reports in Taylor County are filed with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. When deputies or highway patrol respond to a traffic crash, they complete a state form and send it to FLHSMV. You can order copies of crash reports online through the Florida Crash Portal. The cost is $10 per report plus a $2 convenience fee per transaction.

Florida law protects crash reports for the first 60 days after the incident. During that time, only parties involved in the crash, their legal representatives, and certain authorized parties can get copies. After 60 days, crash reports become public records and anyone can order them. This is set in Florida Statute 316.066 for all crashes in Taylor County.

To order a crash report, visit www.flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports/. You need the crash date, county name, and either the report number or the names of drivers involved. Once you pay, the report is available for download within 48 hours. You must download it within that time or it expires. You can also request crash reports by mail or at Florida Highway Patrol offices near Taylor County.

Crash reports may take up to 10 days to enter the system after the crash occurs. If you try to order a report too soon, it may not be available yet. Wait a full 10 days before requesting recent crash reports from Taylor County incidents.

What Police Records Include

Police records in Taylor County come in different forms. Incident reports are the most common type. These document crimes, accidents, and calls for service. An incident report includes the date, time, and place of the event. It names the people involved and describes what the deputy found. Most incident reports are public once the case is no longer actively being investigated in Taylor County.

Arrest records show when someone is taken into custody by Taylor County deputies. The jail creates a booking record with a photo, fingerprints, charges, and bond information. Many sheriff offices post booking logs online with recent arrests. You can search by name or date to find people who have been arrested. Arrest reports from deputies include the probable cause for the arrest and details about the incident.

Case files may contain multiple documents. An investigation might produce witness statements, evidence logs, photos, and follow-up reports. Not all of this is public while the case is active. Florida law exempts active criminal investigative information from disclosure. Once a case closes, most records become available with redactions for protected information in Taylor County.

A typical police record in Taylor County shows:

• Report number and date filed
• Type of incident
• When and where it happened
• People involved and witnesses
• Deputy narrative of events
• Actions taken by law enforcement
• Evidence collected

Some information is redacted from public copies. Names of crime victims in sexual offenses and domestic violence cases are protected. Juvenile names are often withheld. Social security numbers, bank accounts, and other personal data are removed to prevent identity theft. These redactions follow Florida law for public records in Taylor County.

Records Fees in Taylor County

Taylor County charges fees for public records based on Florida law. The standard rate is up to 15 cents per page for regular copies. Certified copies can cost up to $1 per page. If a request takes more than 15 minutes of staff time, the agency may charge for labor at the actual hourly rate of the employee doing the work in Taylor County.

Simple requests often have low costs. If you ask for one police report and it is easy to find, you might pay only for a few pages. Larger requests or those needing extensive searching or redaction can result in higher fees. The Sheriff's Office should provide a cost estimate before processing a complex request in Taylor County.

Payment is typically required before records are released. Most offices accept cash, checks, and money orders. Some may take credit cards with an added service fee. Call the Taylor County Sheriff's Office to confirm accepted payment methods before submitting your request. All fees must be paid in full to receive the records.

Florida Public Records Law

Florida has strong public records laws. Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes gives the public broad access to government documents including police records in Taylor County. The law presumes that all records are public unless a specific exemption applies. Agencies must release records or explain why they cannot under an exemption.

Active criminal investigative information is exempt while an investigation continues. This means police reports for open cases may be withheld until the case closes or charges are filed. Once an investigation becomes inactive, records must be released with only necessary redactions in Taylor County. The law defines "active" as having a reasonable, good-faith expectation of making an arrest soon.

Other exemptions protect victim privacy and law enforcement operations. Body camera footage from inside private homes is confidential. Information that would reveal a confidential informant or ongoing surveillance can be withheld. Personal information about law enforcement officers and their families is also exempt. Read Chapter 119 for the full list of exemptions for police records in Taylor County.

If you believe your records request was wrongly denied, you can challenge the decision in court. Florida courts favor public access to records. Agencies that improperly withhold records may have to pay your attorney fees if you win your case in Taylor County.

Related Records in Taylor County

The Clerk of Court in Taylor County maintains criminal case files once charges are filed. After an arrest, the State Attorney decides whether to prosecute. If the case moves forward, the court file is kept by the Clerk. Court records include charging documents, court orders, hearing transcripts, and final judgments. You can search court records online or request copies from the Clerk's office in Perry.

The Taylor County jail posts inmate information for current detainees. These rosters show who is in custody, their charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. Jail records are updated regularly. You can search by name to find out if someone is currently detained. For past inmate records, contact the jail directly in Taylor County.

The Florida Department of Corrections keeps records for people serving state prison sentences. If someone was convicted of a felony in Taylor County and sent to state prison, their records transfer to DOC. The DOC inmate database is searchable online. You can find information about offenses, sentences, and release dates for people convicted in Taylor County and sent to Florida state prisons.

Cities in Taylor County

Taylor County is largely rural with a few small cities and communities. Perry is the county seat and largest city. Law enforcement throughout Taylor County is provided by the Sheriff's Office. There are no municipal police departments in this county. All police records for incidents anywhere in Taylor County are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Perry.

Other communities in Taylor County include Steinhatchee, Salem, Shady Grove, and Foley. For police records from any location in the county, contact the Taylor County Sheriff's Office. Deputies patrol all areas and respond to calls throughout the region.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Taylor County. If you need police records from a neighboring area, contact the sheriff's office for that county. Verify which county had jurisdiction over the incident before submitting a records request.