Pinellas County Criminal Record Search –
How to Obtain Records Associated with my Pinellas County Criminal Case

Open Pinellas County Criminal Cases

The files of currently open and pending cases are stored at the Pinellas County Clerk of Court’s Office located on the second floor of the Criminal Justice Center, 14250 49th Street North, in Clearwater. if you reside locally, you can perform a Pinellas County Criminal Record Search by visiting the Clerk of Court and requesting their assistance.

Closed Pinellas County Criminal Cases

Files of closed cases are typically stored at the Clerk’s off-site Records Center located at 14155 49th Street North in Clearwater. (Directly across the street from the Criminal Justice Center.) The amount of time a record is retained varies by the type of court case. The Bureau of Archives and Records, Department of State in Tallahassee, Florida governs the destruction of all court records.

Records are microfilmed if the retention of the file is sufficient enough to warrant the microfilming process. Court files, such as traffic court records, are not microfilmed because of their relatively short retention schedule. However, other types of court files are routinely filmed prior to being destroyed. Duplicate copies of all microfilmed records are then sent out-of-state for retention. This is done as a precautionary measure to ensure record preservation in the event of a local disaster. Microfilmed felony and misdemeanor court records may be viewed at the Clerk’s Office in the Criminal Justice Center. This service is free of charge.

All records, with the exception of Juvenile records, are available for public viewing during the Clerk’s operating hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm. Unless a record has been previously sealed or expunged, it is available via a Pinellas County criminal record search by any inquiring member of the public. The Clerk of Court offers duplicate copies of both paper records and microfilm for a small fee. Certified copies of these documents are also available.

For more information related to this topic you can request a brochure from the Clerk’s Office entitled: “What Can You Find at the Records Center?” by calling (727)464-7000.

Pinellas County Juvenile Criminal Record Search

Due to the sensitive nature of juvenile criminal records, these files are only viewable by court order, or by the person to whom the juvenile record relates. If you qualify under these standards and wish to view a file relating to a juvenile charge, you must present proper photo identification.

Read our webpage article on sealing or expunging your criminal records.


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