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Quick answer
The Pinellas County Jail is run by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, which publishes an online inquiry for people booked into the jail. According to the Sheriff’s Office, it covers people currently in custody and people released within the last 30 days, and it can be searched by name, docket number, or booking date. A person who is still in custody sees a judge within 24 hours of the arrest.
Key takeaways
- Custody information comes from the Sheriff’s Office. Court case information comes from the Clerk.
- A person does not appear in the inquiry until booking is complete.
- The booking record lists arrest charges. The formal charge is decided later by the State Attorney.
- Some people can post a scheduled bond. Others must wait for a judge at first appearance.
- Jail phone calls are generally recorded.
The Sheriff’s inquiry
The Sheriff’s Office publishes its Who’s in Jail inquiry on its website. The office describes it as covering persons currently incarcerated in the Pinellas County Jail and persons released within the last 30 days, searchable by name, docket number, or booking date. The office also says the information is for informational purposes, can change, and should not be treated as a complete criminal record.
The Sheriff’s site is the authority on how the inquiry works. Use the instructions there.
What a booking record shows, and what it does not
- It shows that a person was booked, the charges listed at arrest, and bond information once it is set.
- It does not show the formal charge, which the State Attorney files later and which can differ.
- It does not show how a case ended. That is in the Clerk’s court records. See how to look up a criminal case in Pinellas County.
The first 24 hours
- Booking. Staff record identifying information and the charges, take fingerprints and a photograph, and inventory property.
- Bond, if allowed. For many charges a person can post the bond set by the statewide bond schedule. Florida law lists people who may not be released before seeing a judge, including anyone arrested for domestic violence, for a felony while on probation or pretrial release, or for a capital, life, first-degree, or second-degree felony.
- First appearance. Anyone still in custody is brought before a judge within 24 hours of arrest. In Pinellas County the person commonly appears by video from the jail. See what happens at first appearance in Florida.
A person arrested for DUI is also held until the conditions in the DUI statute are met. See what happens after a DUI arrest in Pinellas County.
For family and friends
- Have the person’s full legal name and date of birth ready.
- Do not discuss the facts of the case on a jail phone line.
- Keep every document: bond paperwork and any notice of a court date.
- Bond options are explained in bail, bond, and release in Pinellas County.
Common questions
Why can I not find the person?
Booking may not be finished, the person may have been released more than 30 days ago, or the arrest may have been in another county.
Does the inquiry show the court date?
Court dates are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Is a booking record a criminal record?
It records an arrest. An arrest is not a conviction.
When to speak with an attorney
A lawyer can appear at first appearance and ask the judge to set or change release conditions. A person who cannot afford a lawyer can ask for the public defender at that hearing. More guides are on the Pinellas County topic page.
Official resources and sources
- Who’s in Jail — Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office — jail and custody information
- Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court — court records
- Section 903.011, Florida Statutes — pretrial release; who may not be released before first appearance
- Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure — Rule 3.130 (first appearance)
