Viewing a Sealed Record
What happens if you want a copy of your record after it has been sealed or expunged?
Under Florida Statute Section 943.0585(4), a court order is required to access expunged criminal history information:
A criminal history record ordered expunged that is retained by the department is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s/ 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution and not available to any person or entity except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
You can request a personal review of your Florida criminal history by submitting your fingerprints to the Quality Control Section.
A personal review will allow you to see what information FDLE has on file.
If the record is expunged, you will receive documentation stating that a record was expunged per Florida Statute. Still, it will not give you any details about any facts related to the arrest.
If you request a personal review, you will submit the request to FDLE: Attention: FDLE Quality Control Section, PO Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida 32302.
Attorneys to Seal or Expunge Criminal Record in Florida
The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL, help clients seal or expunge a criminal history record.
We help our clients get a certified copy of the final judgment and sentence and any other essential documents from the file before the order to seal or expunge is filed.
Contact us to find out how long it might take. Be can help you start the process today.
Call 813-250-0500.
Procedures for Viewing a Sealed Criminal File
Administrative Order PA/PI-CIR-96-95 S0696095 explains the procedures to request documents from a sealed criminal file in Pinellas and Pasco, as allowed by Section 943.059 (4)(a), Florida Statutes.
The Chief Judge signed the administrative order in the courthouse chambers in St. Petersburg on November 26, 1996. Other courts throughout Florida have similar procedures in place.
Any criminal court file sealed under a court order issued in conformity with Section 943.059, Florida Statutes, is generally confidential and is exempt from the provisions of Article 1, Section 24(a) of the State Constitution and Section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes.
The only exception to this general rule is that under Section 943.059(4)(a), Florida Statutes, the clerk is authorized to release documents from sealed criminal files to specified persons, Criminal Justice agencies, and other entities.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is permitted process all requests directly without further court order. .
Upon request of the defendant or the defendant’s attorney, the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall allow access to the requested documents from the sealed files upon personal appearance with a valid picture identification or receipt of a written, sworn, and notarized request.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall allow access to the requested documents upon receipt of a sworn statement from a duly authorized representative of criminal justice agencies and those entities outlined in Sections 943.059(4)(a)1., 4., 5. and 6., Florida Statutes, for their respective licensing and employment purposes.
For purposes of the administrative order, the term “criminal justice agency” is defined in Section 943.045(1), Florida Statutes.
Read more about how attorneys petition to seal or expunge criminal records in Tampa, FL.
This article was last updated on Monday, April 24, 2023.
