Marion County

Finding a mugshot in Marion

Marion County non-exempt documents are made available to the public in compliance with Florida Public Law. Marion County mugshots and arrest records are part of such non-exempt documents, hence accessible to anyone on request. As a service to the general public, the Marion County Sheriff's Office provides online access to these mugshots on its website. To view Marion County mugshots from the website, select 'Inmate Search' under the tab for 'Quick links'. Input the subject's name in the search bar to query the database for a mugshot. The search result shows the defendant's mugshot accompanied by the detail of the arrest. Alternatively, a request to view mugshots of arrestees can be made in person at the Marion County Sheriff's Office at:

692 NW 30th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34475
(352) 732-8181

Requests can also be made by phone through to the Marion County Jail at (352) 351-8077 ext. 4 for information on a defendant mugshot. Marion County Sheriff's Office also offers the public a video news feed on its Facebook page presenting the rundown of crimes that happened in the county. These rundown videos also show the mugshots of defendants arrested for the crimes. The Sheriff's office creates two rundown videos per week, one on Monday and the other on Friday. The mugshots of wanted criminals and fugitives are also available on the page.

Marion County mugshots are also published on a local website, Mugshots Ocala. This website is managed by Ocala.com which is owned by GateHouse Media. The mugshots on the site are presented chronologically by booking date and remain in the database for a maximum of 90 days. The search engine on the website permits users to search for mugshots by name or charge. Search results can further be filtered by gender or booking date. Users on Ocala.com can reach its mugshot aggregating site from its homepage. Select 'mugshot' under the tab for 'sections' to navigate to the mugshot site.

Marion County Mugshots and Arrest

Marion County is home to over 350,000 residents who witness a high crime rate with an average of 13,000 arrests yearly. The violent crime rate in the county is put at 416.8 in every 100,000 residents for 2018 crime data. In that same year, Marion County records a property crime rate of 2,098.9 incidents in every 100,000 residents. While Marion County's violent crime index is higher than the state's average of 393, its property crime index is slightly lower than the state's index of 2,328.4.

The criminal justice process in Marion County begins with an arrest by any of the eight main law enforcement agencies operating in the county. The arrestee is transported to the Marion County Jail at:

700 NW 30th Avenue,
Ocala, FL 34475
(352) 351-8077

At the jail, the arresting law enforcement officer delivers the arrestee to the Booking Unit where a staff creates the arrest records including taking a mugshot of the defendant. Defendants arrested on unbailable offenses are released after booking if such defendants meet the terms of the bail. Otherwise, such defendants are incarcerated along with defendants who have committed a felony or other unbailable offenses. According to the state law, all defendants must make a first appearance before a judge within 24 hours of an arrest. This first appearance takes place in a courtroom within the Marion County Jail. At this appearance, the judge informs the defendants of the charges and determines if the defendant qualifies for a public defender. The judge also decides whether the defendant will be held in jail without bond. Consequently, the date for an arraignment is set.

Obtaining Certified Arrest Records

All non-exempt documents (including mugshots and arrest records) maintained by the Marion County Sheriff's Office are available upon request for inspection or copying according to Florida Statutes Chapter 119. Hence, the public can request a certified copy of arrest records to the Sheriff's Office by phone, or mail, or in person. To make in-person requests visit the Record Division of the Marion County Sheriff's Office at the address above. The Division is open to the public from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. For phone-in requests, the public can reach Brittany Colbert, the agency's records custodian at (352) 732-8181. Address email requests to records@marionso.com while physical mail should be sent to:

Marion County Sheriff's Office
Attention: Records
P.O. Box 1987, Ocala, Florida, 34478

or

692 NW 30th Avenue,
Ocala, Florida, 34475

Copies of arrest records are printed at the cost of $0.15 per page and copies are certified at $1 per copy (or per page if requested). The Sheriff's Office also provided notary services at $5 per notary stamp and background checks at $5 each. Clerical research fee of $20 per hour may apply for extensive requests requiring more than 15 minutes to fill.

The public can also access arrest records from the office of the Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. The Clerk's office provides online access to view these records before making a formal request for copies. To view the records, visit the Clerk of the Court website and select the 'Case search Access' on the homepage. This links to the Online Court Records Search tool. The tool allows the public to anonymously search the database by the defendant's name, case type or date of case filing. Ensure to select felony and/or misdemeanor as court type when searching. Select the subject name in the search result and click on view selection button at the bottom of the page to see the full arrest history of the defendant. To obtain copies of an arrest record visit the Clerk's office at:

110 NW 1st Avenue Ocala,
Florida 34475

Copies are provided at $1 per page and certified at $2 per document. An additional charge of $2 per year search fee may apply for assisted record searching.

Sealing and Expunging Mugshots and Arrest Records

Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059 require that an individual wishing to have an arrest record sealed or expunged in Marion County must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law enforcement (FDLE). With this certificate, the person can then petition the court for an order to seal or expunge such arrest records. A packet with forms to use in applying for this certificate may be obtained from any of the FDLE office locations across the state. Applicants can also find this packet and further information online at the FDLE website.

Residents of Marion County also have the opportunity to pick up this packet at the Clerk's Office. However, the law does not permit the Clerk's Office to assist applicants in completing the packet. Applicants are required to mail the completed packet along with a certified copy of the arrest record and a money order for the processing fee of $75 to FDLE Tallahassee.

Successful applicants who are granted a certificate of eligibility will need to submit it to the Clerk's office. Other documents to accompany this submission include an affidavit, petition, and proposed order to expunge or seal the case. Applicants can secure these other documents through an attorney or the Law Library at the Courthouse (same address as the Clerk's office above). There is a filing fee of $42 payable to the Clerk's office. The applicant will be communicated if the judge grants or denies the petition to seal/expunge. If the Judge grants the expunge/seal the Clerk's office will mail certified copies to all parties involved in the case.