Look Up Free Lake County Public Records on Anyone

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Free Lake County Public Records Search

Access Lake County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Search free Lake County public records to yield a multitude of valuable information.

Public record searches can be used to find criminal records such as warrants, arrests, prisoner information, and sentences imposed by the court (e.g., probation, incarceration, etc.). You can also access marriage records (including divorces) and property ownership information.

The federal (Freedom of Information Act) and state governments (Florida sunshine laws) require government agencies to make this information accessible to the general public to view and make copies. However, these laws do not require this information to be made available in a certain way, so it’s vital to know how to access each record type.

This streamlined resource empowers you to conduct background check reports, search databases, and understand the various laws that provide safeguards to using this information.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Search Free Arrest Records & Mugshots in Lake County Florida

There are options available for you to look up Lake County arrest records and find someone’s mugshot.

If you want to search Lake County public records for arrest information, one option is to check with the county sheriff’s office or jail, as they are the primary custodians.

You may also access arrest and jail records with local police departments at the city municipal level.

Usually, you will want to start your search broadly at the county level and then narrow down your search to a particular city or police department as needed. However, if you know a particular city’s police department arrested a person, it makes sense to start there.

Regardless of where you search, you must provide certain basic information to find arrest information.

For starters, you will need to provide the name of the person that you want to search. It is also helpful to know when the arrest occurred and the approximate location. Of course, if you know the exact law enforcement agency that handled the arrest, that would be helpful.

If you find yourself dealing with a difficult search, you may be able to locate an arrest record by providing additional identifying information about the offender, such as their date of birth or physical characteristics.

Check Who’s in a Lake County Jail Through the Sheriff’s Office

When you search records at the county level, you are able to find arrest records from several cities and police departments at once.

If you want to find information on Lake County bookings, you can conduct a search with their Sheriff’s Office or local detention center. One option is to perform a free public records search using the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Search Tool.¹

When using this tool, you have two options. If you know, the person was arrested recently with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, but you are not sure of how to spell their name, you can use their date search option. This allows you to set a date range over the last 30 days and view all arrests within that period.

You can also perform a name-based search. Once you enter either a date range or name, you can click “submit” to view the results. The results page will provide you with all matches and will include the person’s name, age, race, sex, mugshot, arrest date and time.

You can then click the arrow to view additional information.

The complete arrest record will contain the individual’s mugshot from multiple angles, along with their booking and inmate numbers. You can also view a detailed physical description of the person, including their height and weight. Lastly, you can get information on where they live and their occupation.

There is a separate section that contains detailed arrest information. This information includes the arresting agency, location and identification for both the arresting and booking officer. The charges section has the particular offense the person was arrested for, the charge category, and the specific statute.

You can also view information on their bond and next court date (if applicable).

For additional information, you can submit a public records request to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. You can send a request via email to [email protected] or by sending a request to the address below:

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Public Records Custodian
Historic Courthouse Building
350 W. Main St., Second Fl. Lobby
Tavares, Florida 32778

If you have additional questions about requesting arrest information, you can contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office by phone at 352-343-9582 or 352-343-9524. You can also talk to someone in person about arrest information at the address below:

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
360 W. Ruby St. 
Tavares, Florida 32778

Another option is to contact the Lake County Detention Center.² You can call them at 352-742-4006. The detention center is located at the address below:

Lake County Detention Center
551 W. Main Street
Tavares, Florida 32778

They are available for non-emergency inquiries on Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Check Arrest Information & Police Reports via Law Enforcement Agencies in Lake County FL

You can also check public records for arrest information and police reports at the city level. This is a great option if you know the specific police department that made the arrest, which you can determine by using the county search tool provided in the previous section. At the city level, you may be able to get more detailed information about a person’s arrest.

Here is some information you can use to search for arrest information and request police reports in some of the larger cities in Lake County:

Police Department	Address	Phone Number
Clermont Police Department3	3600 South Hwy. 27 Clermont, Florida 34711	352-394-5588
Leesburg Police Department	115 East Magnolia Street Leesburg, Florida 34748	352-728-9860
Groveland Police Department	6824 SR 50 Groveland, Florida 34736	352-429-4166
Eustis Police Department	51 E. Norton Ave. Eustis, Florida 32726	352-483-5400
Tavares Police Department4	911 Gateway Dr. Tavares Public Safety Complex Tavares, Florida 32778	352-343-2101
Minneola Police Department	800 N. US Hwy. 27 Minneola, Florida 34715	352-343-9500
Mount Dora Police Department	501 North Baker St. Mount Dora, Florida 32757	352-735-7130

If you want to conduct a search in any other city in Lake County, just try the following Google search: “[City name], Florida arrest records” or “[City name] police department contact information.”

How To Verify if Someone Has a History of Crime in Lake County Florida

A citizen may also have a desire to access criminal records. Criminal records differ from those for just arrests as there is some finality to them. Criminal records usually deal with matters that have been fully adjudicated and resolved.

Through criminal records, you can see whether a person was found guilty of a crime, sentencing information, and more.

Criminal records is a broad category that covers the initial charges (also seen in arrest reports) and the sentences they serve. This may include information on whether a person is incarcerated or on probation. These records are also available to check if someone has a warrant out for their arrest or is listed on a sex offender registry.

You may also request background check reports for official criminal record information.

Depending on the type of criminal records you want to search, you may have to search with different custodians. Most criminal information will reside with the courts (obtained through the Lake County Clerk’s Office) and the Sheriff’s Office, as they are responsible for certain incarcerated and wanted individuals.⁵

Searching a person’s criminal record is a great way to learn more about an individual’s current and past situation. The below sections will detail the various types of criminal information you can view and how to access them.

Find Out if Someone Has a History of Crime via the Lake County Clerk of Court

If you want to look up someone’s criminal record, you can search Lake County public records for free using the Clerk of Courts’ Online Search Tool.⁶ This search tool is a public records repository for various types of cases in Lake County, so you have to properly refine your search to focus on criminal cases.

To properly set up your search for criminal cases, you will want to make an appropriate selection from the “court type” drop-down menu. For cases, there are a couple of options to select, including criminal miscellaneous, criminal traffic, felony, and misdemeanor. Criminal cases using this search tool date all the way back to January 1, 1989.

Once you select the court type, then, you can include whatever information you have on the individual you want to search. This may include the case number or their name. If you search by name, there are options to select if you are not sure of the exact spelling.

You can also include a citation number or filing date range if you have that information available.

Once you conduct a search, the results will provide you with all matching criminal records. On this page, you can see the case number, party name, and filing date. If you click on the “+” icon, you can view additional descriptive information about the person, case type, and current status.

However, to view the complete online criminal record you can click on the case number. The top of the record contains summary information about the criminal case, including the offense date and whether there is any restitution due. The remainder of the criminal information is divided into several sections.

Below is a brief summary of what you can find in each of these sections.

Parties: This contains information on the defendant as well as the attorneys and judges that were involved in the case.

Charges: Here, you can see details on the type of charges that were brought against an individual, the offense level and the final disposition of these charges. If there was a plea deal, you can see that information here as well.

Court Events: This section contains all hearings that occurred in a particular case, the date, time and results.

Dockets: In this section, you will find a detailed list of every official filing in the criminal case. For many of these filings, you can click on the paperclip icon to view a PDF image of the document.

Sentences: If the person was found guilty, you can view the specific charges they were found guilty of. In addition, you can review the type of sentence they received for their conviction, which may include probation, incarceration, and fines. If there is any credit time or specific conditions to the sentence that will be listed here as well.

Arrests & Bonds: You can view the arresting agency and incident number, which is helpful if you want to obtain a detailed police report. You can also view the type and amount of bond that was set for the person and other related information.

Linked Cases: If there are any related criminal cases, they will be in this section.

Fees: Any fees associated with the criminal case will be listed in this section, along with whether or not there is a remaining balance.

Note: You can perform a date-only search if you know the person has a criminal record within a certain timeframe, but you do not know their name.

If you need additional criminal records or you want to perform a search in person, you can start by reaching out to the primary record custodian, the Lake County Clerk of Court. You can contact their Records Management Department at 352-343-9770 or call their general phone number at 352-742-4100. You can also go in person to the address below:

Lake County Clerk of Court
550 West Main St.
Tavares, Florida 32778

They are available for inquiries Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. There are also several other branch offices, but you should check their office hours before planning an in-person visit.⁷

How To Perform a Lake County Florida Warrant Search

If you are trying to track down information on Lake County warrants, one option is to access this information through the Criminal Case Search Tool provided by the Clerk of Courts.

This tool can be used to perform a Lake County case search for criminal records which can contain relevant warrant information.

To use this tool, you can conduct a criminal case search in the same manner described earlier in this article. To find warrant information, you will want to specifically look in the docket section. This section lists every court filing that has occurred in a particular criminal case. You can also access this information by going to the court that adjudicated the matter.

These court filings will include warrant information if one was issued for their arrest.

For additional warrant information at the county level, you can also contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. You can call them at 352-343-9500 to ask them any questions you may have, but they will only provide warrant information in person. To get information from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, you can go in person to make a request with the warrants division at the address below:

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
360 West Ruby Street
Tavares, Florida 32778

If you are looking for search options, you can sometimes check with city police departments to see what type of information they can provide. While there are no online search tools for the larger cities, you can use the contact information provided earlier in this article to make an inquiry.

There is also a state-level option by conducting a search with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Wanted Persons Online Directory.⁸ This database specifically contains individuals with outstanding warrants throughout the state of Florida.

To use this search tool you can enter the person’s name you want to search. If they have another name (often referred to as an “alias”), you can include that in the section labeled “nickname.” If you have the information available, you can also provide their race, sex, and date of birth to further narrow any results.

If you successfully find the information you were looking for, you will be able to view the person’s mugshot and criminal record information related to the warrant. A citizen can view the warrant number and when it was issued. This tool will also provide you with the last known address of the person who has an outstanding warrant.

How To View Probation Records: Determine Who’s Currently a Probationer in Lake County

While there is no specific search tool for probation information at the county level, there are still a couple of options to access this information.

First, you can conduct a Lake County Judicial Records Search to access criminal cases. From there, you can go to the sentencing section, which will provide you with information on whether or not a person was placed on probation.

Another option is to conduct a statewide search of people under court-ordered supervision. This can be done by using the Florida Department of Corrections public index of supervised offenders.⁹

To use this tool, you can enter the person’s name or their Department of Corrections (DOC) number.

There is also an option to search by a person’s alias. The results page will provide you with a summary of information (name, race, sex) to identify the person. You can also see when their supervision is scheduled to end and where they currently reside.

When you click on the person’s name, you can get additional probation information. This includes the type of supervision or probation they are serving, when it began and their current status. To confirm any information you can contact the Department of Corrections, Bureau of Classification and Central Records at 850-488-9859.

If you have additional questions about someone on probation, you can contact the Office of County Probation by email at [email protected] or by calling them at 352-742-6565.¹⁰ You can also talk to someone in person at the address below:

Lake County Office of Probation
2401 Woodlea Rd.
Tavares, Florida 32778

How To Access a Lake County Background Check & Report

Another option to find out information on Lake County criminal records is to obtain a background check report. You can conduct both a personal and professional background check. A personal background check is simply using the tools that have already been provided in this article to look up criminal and arrest information.

A professional background check is prepared and issued by a government agency.

If you just want to learn more about a person in your life or check your own criminal information, a personal background check will suffice. When you conduct a personal background check, you do not have to worry about asking for consent, and the information can be used broadly as long as it’s not for illegal or professional reasons.

A professional background check is used for formal business or legal reasons. This type of background check may be used to confirm the information provided by a potential employee or tenant. It may also be used for requesting certain privileges, such as a gun permit, or to work in certain professions (e.g., working with the elderly or minors).

While there is not an option at the county level, you can obtain a background check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE contains all Florida criminal records and can provide a statewide background check. The cost for a background check with the FDLE is $24.00.

If you are interested in obtaining a background check, the FDLE will provide you with three options.

The first option is to conduct an Instant Search.¹¹ You can use this database of criminal records to search a person’s name and get immediate results. You can either have them printed or emailed to you, whatever your preference.

You can also request either a certified or non-certified search. This type of search is formally conducted by the FDLE. If you need the background check for official legal or business reasons, you will want to request a certified record.

Either a certified or non-certified search can be requested in person or by mail. To do so, you can use the appropriate address listed below:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
2331 Phillips Rd. 
Tallahassee, Florida 32308

Mailing Address:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Criminal History Services
Attention: VECHS
P.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, Florida 32302

The last option provided by the FDLE is an ORI search. However, this is a limited option and is restricted to certain organizations that the state of Florida authorizes.

If you have any questions on the type of background check you need or how to make a request, you can call the FDLE’s Criminal History Section at 850-410-8161.¹² You can also send them an email at [email protected]. The FDLE Criminal History Section Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Note: In some cases, you may need a federal nationwide background check. When requesting this type of background check through the FBI, you will need to submit your fingerprints, which you can do electronically with any Florida Livescan Service Provider.

How To Determine if Someone Has a Criminal Record Throughout Florida

If you can’t find what you need in Lake County or require access to arrest and criminal records throughout Florida, you can expand your search to include all public records across the state.

Whatever your reason, here are some great resources for broadening your search to the state and federal levels:

Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) Offender Search Tool: This search tool can be used to look up the criminal records of both inmates and those who are under their supervision.

Florida Sexual Predators & Offenders Search Tool: If you want to search for people who are registered as sex offenders in Florida, this is a great tool to use for that.¹³

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE): You can search the criminal history records of individuals throughout the state with this online tool.

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Search Tool: If a person committed a federal crime, they will not be in state prison.¹⁴

For people who have committed these types of violations, you can search for their location in the federal prison system.

DOJ Sex Offenders Search Tool: This is a broad sex offender search tool that allows you to look up individuals throughout the country.¹⁵ You can use this search tool to look up sex offenders by name or address and include a radius search option.

With these tools, you are now able to expand your search for criminal information beyond Lake County, Florida.

How To Search Public Court Records in Lake County

You can also search for other types of Lake County court records. A citizen can use the Lake County Case Record Search Tool to find a variety of legal documents. You can use this online tool to search for various types of court cases.

Here are some examples of the types of cases you can search online:

• Criminal
• Traffic
• Guardianship
• Divorces
• Other types of domestic relations cases
• Small Claims
• All civil actions (e.g., wrongful death, contract dispute, etc.)
• Supreme Court Appeals
• Estates

If you would like to search cases in person, you can do so with the Lake County Clerk of Court.¹⁶ You can call them at 352-742-4100 or go in person to their main office at the address below:

Lake County Clerk of Court
550 West Main St.
Tavares, Florida 32778

How To Acquire Lake County Florida Vital Records (Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death)

Lake County public records also include government documentation on major life events. These documents (known as vital records) include marriage, divorce, birth and death events. These records can be used to learn more about someone in your life or just to search out of curiosity.

You also may need a certificate of birth or access to Lake County divorce records to handle some business or legal reasons. For instance, vital records are often needed when you go to change your name or update a legal document such as a passport or driver’s license. You also may need these records as proof of your right to an inheritance when dealing with the probate of an estate.

Below are the specific steps you need to take to access and request these records.

Look Up Lake County Divorce & Marriage Records via the Clerk of Court

If you want to look up Lake County marriage records, you can conduct a search with the Clerk of Courts Official Records Search Tool.¹⁷ You can use this tool to find out if someone is married by searching by their name.

Before you run the search, make sure you select “Marriage Record (MAR)” under the document type. You can also select a recorded date if you know the approximate timeframe.

The results page will show the names of the spouses and the date it was recorded. You can also see the page and book number, which could be helpful for conducting an in-person search. If you click on the person’s name, you can view and print a PDF copy of the original marriage license that was filed with the Lake County Clerk of Court.

You can also request marriage records from the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics. They have marriage certificates available from June 6, 1927, to the present. To do so, complete the Marriage Certificate Application Request and mail it or bring it in person to the address below:¹⁸

Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
1217 N. Pearl St.
Jacksonville, Florida 32202

The cost is $5.00 for the first copy (including a non-refundable search fee) and $4.00 for any additional certified copies. Their office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For any questions you may have, you can call them at 904-359-6900.

If you want to look up divorce information in Lake County, you can do so with the Court Case Search Tool provided by the Clerk of Court. To use this tool, select “domestic relations/family” under the court type drop-down menu. You can then enter the person’s name (or case number if you have it) and the range of dates for when the matter was filed with the court.

The results page will provide the person’s name, case number and file date. You can click on the “+” icon and look at the case type to confirm that it is a divorce case. From there, you can click on the case number to view the complete online divorce record.

With the complete online divorce record, you can get detailed information about both parties and every action that occurred in the case from when the petition was filed until the decree was entered by the judge. There are no fees for accessing this information.

See Lake County Birth & Death Records Through the Florida Department of Health

If you are looking for a way to access a birth or death certificate, you can do so with the Florida Department of Health in Lake County. Birth certificates are available from 1930 to the present, while a certificate of death can be obtained from 2009 to the present.

To make a request, you can complete either the Birth Certificate or Death Certificate Application.¹⁹

You can either mail in your request (with the appropriate fee and a copy of your government-issued photo ID) or bring it in person to one of the Florida Department of Health’s offices in Lake County.²⁰ If you want to mail in your request, you can do so at the address below:

Florida Department of Health
Lake County
P.O. Box 1305
Tavares, Florida 32778

If you want to bring your application in person, you can do so at any of the below office locations:

Florida Department of Health – Clermont
875 Oakley Seaver Dr.
Clermont, Florida 34711

Florida Department of Health – Umatilla
249 East Collins St.
Umatilla, Florida 32784

Florida Department of Health – Eustis
16140 US HWY 441
Eustis, Florida 32726

The cost of a birth certificate is $15.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each additional one. The cost for death certificates is $12.00 per copy. In-person requests can be processed in 15 minutes, and applications received by mail are processed daily.

If you have any additional questions about requesting a birth or death certificate, you can contact the Florida Department of Health in Lake County by email at [email protected] or by phone at 352-589-6424.

Note: There is also an online option through an approved third-party vendor, VitalChek. However, there are additional fees associated with this option. 

How To Search Free Lake County Property Records

Public records in Lake County also include information on property ownership. You can conduct a search using the Lake County Appraiser’s Property Records Tool.²¹ You can use this search tool to access property records by a person’s name, property address, parcel ID number or the official record book and page.

Once you conduct your search, the results page will provide matching results with the owner’s name, parcel number, and alternate key.

You can then click the “view” button to get the complete online property record. Here, you can view a description of the property, the sales history, and detailed tax information.

You can also view a summary of the house details, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and the year the property was built.

At the top of the page, there are other options to view a map of the property as well as the owner’s tax bill. Here, you can see the payment for the last tax bill and whether or not the owner is current on their taxes. This can be a great resource if you are looking to potentially buy the property.

If you are just interested in property tax information, you also have the option of conducting a Lake County Property Tax Search.²² You can search by an owner’s name, address or account number.

For additional questions about property records, you can contact the Lake County Appraiser’s Office by phone at 352-253-2150.²³

You can also go in person to talk to someone at the address below:

Office of the Lake County Property Appraiser
320 West Main St., Ste. A
Tavares, Florida 32778

You can also contact the Lake County Tax Collector’s Office by phone at 352-343-9602 or by going in person to the address below:

Office of the Lake County Tax Collector
325 North Barrow Avenue
Tavares, Florida 32778

A last option is to conduct an Official Records Search with the Lake County Clerk. You can use this search tool to access a variety of recorded property documents, such as deeds, easements, and mortgages. You can also search these types of records in person with the Lake County Clerk of Court at the following location:

Lake County Clerk of Court
550 West Main St.
Tavares, Florida 32778

Your Rights & Ethical Use of Lake County Public Records

Whether you plan to perform a free criminal record check or want to check if someone is married, there are certain rights and responsibilities that come with this information. The rights and responsibilities related to accessing and using public records largely depend on whether they are being used for personal or professional reasons.

If you are conducting a search for purely personal reasons (e.g., to learn more about someone), there are only a couple of restrictions. First, you cannot use the record for anything that is illegal. For example, using public records to stalk or harass a person is off-limits.

In addition, you cannot obtain public records under the guise of personal use when you really have a professional purpose. Other than that, there are no major restrictions, and you can inspect and make copies of any of these public records without the other person’s consent.

These rights and responsibilities change significantly when you are using them for professional reasons (e.g., employment or tenant application). When using records for professional reasons, you must request and obtain the person’s consent. Failure to do so can result in a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

A citizen who is having their background investigated for professional reasons also has rights afforded through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).²⁴ Through the FCRA, you can ask for your credit score, limit information to people with a legitimate need, and challenge any information that you believe is inaccurate.

Finally, there are also protections afforded through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC protects people from being unlawfully discriminated against. If someone has been discriminated against because of their protected class status or criminal record, they can file a claim with the EEOC Public Portal.²⁵

This streamlined resource provides information on accessing various Lake County public records; for those needing to expand their search, refer to the tutorial on finding free Florida public records.

Remember, whether you are accessing criminal histories, personal information, or property data, always use the obtained records ethically and responsibly.