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Are Police Reports Public Record in Florida? How to Get a Copy

Written by Adam Bair.

TL;DR: Yes. In Florida, police reports are public records, and anyone can ask for one. You do not have to give a reason. The agency can black out some parts, such as details from a case that is still being worked, or facts that would name a sexual assault or child abuse victim. But it must still give you the rest, including the date, place, and type of crime. Ask the records unit of the police department or sheriff's office that wrote the report. Crash reports follow a special 60-day rule.

Are police reports public record in Florida? Yes. In this state, every police report is a public record that any person can look at or copy on request.

A police report Florida law covers must come to you when you ask the agency that wrote it. You do not have to give a name or a reason, and you do not have to use a form.

Are police reports public record in Florida?

Yes, with limits: Florida law treats every police report as a public record. Any person can look at one or ask for a copy of it.

You do not have to say who you are or why you want the report. See section 119.105, Florida Statutes, which pertains to the disclosure of these records.

The agency can hold back some parts of the file, such as facts tied to an open case. It can also redact facts that would name some crime victims.

The rest of the report must still come to you, including the date, place, and type of crime.

What counts as a police report?

A police report is any write-up a law enforcement agency makes about an incident. It can be an incident report, a crime report, an arrest report, or a crash report.

Each report follows the same open rule, with one twist for crash reports.

Incident and crime reports

An incident report is the write-up an officer makes after a call. A crime report is the same thing, with a crime listed.

Arrest reports

An arrest report lists the basic facts of an arrest. The next section shows which facts must come out of the file.

Crash reports

A crash report is a kind of police report that follows its own rule under section 316.066, Florida Statutes. See the page on the 60-day rule for crash reports.

What facts must the agency always release?

Some facts are never treated as secret police work, and section 119.011(3)(c), Florida Statutes, lists them.

A Florida court applied this rule in Barfield v. City of Tallahassee. The case is at 171 So. 3d 239 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015).

The must-release list in the statute is short, plain, and reads as follows:

The agency must release these facts even while the case is still open. It may redact other parts of the report, but not these.

What can the agency redact?

The agency can hold back active criminal investigative information. It can also hold back facts that identify some crime victims. Section 119.071(2)(c)1., Florida Statutes, sets the main exemption.

Active case work

Investigative information counts as active while officers still expect, in good faith, to make an arrest soon. It also stays active while a case or appeal is still going on.

Section 119.011(3)(d), Florida Statutes, sets that test, and the exemption is narrow.

It exists so an early leak does not hurt the case or warn a suspect. Once the case is no longer active, the exemption drops away.

Victim identity

Section 119.071(2)(h) keeps secret the name of a victim of a sex crime, child abuse, or child trafficking.

Section 119.071(2)(o) keeps secret the home address of a victim of mass violence. These rules sit on top of the general open rule.

Marsy's Law

Marsy's Law lives in Article I, section 16(b)(5) of the Florida Constitution. It gives victims a right to block the release of some facts about them.

In 2023 the Florida Supreme Court ruled on Marsy's Law. It does not give victims a blanket right to hide their names.

See City of Tallahassee v. Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc., 375 So. 3d 178 (Fla. 2023).

Who holds the report?

Police departments and sheriff's offices are law enforcement agencies, and both are criminal justice agencies under section 119.011(4), Florida Statutes.

Each agency keeps the reports it writes, and a police report is not the same as a criminal history.

A conviction record or a fingerprint-based background check comes from a different request. Those go to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

See the page on arrest records if you need more detail.

How to get a police report in Florida

Ask the agency that wrote the report. Most reports come from a city police office or a county sheriff's office. Both are law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the spot where the incident happened.

Find the right agency

First, think about where the incident actually happened on the ground. The agency with jurisdiction over that spot is the one that wrote the report.

Ask the records bureau

Each agency has a records office, often called a records bureau. You can walk in, call, email, or send a letter in the mail.

The law does not force you to use a form of any kind.

Give the right details

Give the date, the place, the names, and the report or case number if you have one. The more detail you give, the faster the search will be.

What it costs

If no other law sets a fee, paper copies cost up to 15 cents per one-sided page. Section 119.07(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes, sets that rate.

A big job may cost more if it takes a lot of staff time. The clerk can tell you up front. See what a Florida agency can charge.

Can I request my own police report?

Yes: if you were the victim, caller, witness, or anyone named in the report, you can ask for it.

You still go through the records bureau like anyone else. You do not get extra rights just because the report names you.

Victims, callers, and witnesses

You get the parts of the report that are open to the public. Some victim-protection laws may hide some of your own facts, by law.

Drivers in a crash

If you were in a crash, you can get the full crash report right away.

For everyone else, the parts that name the people in the crash stay closed for 60 days. Section 316.066(2), Florida Statutes, sets that rule.

If you were arrested

If you were the one arrested, see how to get a Florida police report after an arrest. We do not repeat those steps here.

What to do if the agency says no

The agency must tell you which law it uses to hold any part back. On request, it must put that answer in writing, and section 119.07(1)(e) and (f), Florida Statutes, requires it.

Ask for the law

Ask the records clerk to name the exact section the agency is relying on. A clear cite tells you what you are up against.

Ask for the rest

Even if some part is exempt, the rest must still come out. Section 119.07(1)(d), Florida Statutes, says the agency must redact only the exempt part.

The rest of the report must come to you. If the agency ignores you, see what to do when the agency ignores your request.

Related

Frequently asked questions

Are police reports public record in Florida?
Yes. Florida treats police reports as public records that anyone can ask for. The agency can redact active investigation details or facts that identify some victims.
Can I request my own police report?
Yes. Ask the records bureau of the agency that wrote the report. Include the date, place, and report number if you have one.
How do I get a police report in Florida?
Contact the police department or sheriff's office that wrote the report. Ask its records custodian. Chapter 119 does not require a written request.
How much does a police report cost in Florida?
If no other law sets a fee, paper copies cost up to 15 cents per one-sided page. Large jobs that take extra staff time can cost more.
Why is my police report blacked out?
The agency may hold back active criminal investigative information and facts that identify some victims. It must tell you which law it used and release the rest.
Can I get a crash report right away?
If you were in the crash, yes. For everyone else, parts that identify the people stay closed for 60 days after filing.
Does Marsy's Law hide the victim's name?
Not always. The Florida Supreme Court held that Marsy's Law does not give victims a blanket right to keep their names out. Other laws protect certain victims.

Not legal advice. Educational and informational content only. Reading this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice on a specific matter, consult a licensed Florida attorney.