Search Hillsborough County Inmates

HCSO Arrest Inquiry Portal

The HCSO Arrest Inquiry is the official jail roster for Hillsborough County. It is run by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Chad Chronister. The tool lists adults booked into the county jail since January 1, 1995, when an electronic record exists. The Sheriff's Office states the database lists people currently in jail and shows charges, bond amounts, and booking photos. The list updates every 30 minutes. Once a booking is entered in the HCSO Jail Management System, it should show up within that 30-minute window. Arrest is not the same as a conviction, and that warning sits at the top of the public portal.

To use the roster, follow these steps:

1. Open the HCSO Arrest Inquiry page in a web browser.
2. Type a last name in the Name field. Add a first name to narrow the list, or enter a booking number if you know it.
3. Filter by booking date, release date, race, sex, or date of birth if needed. Use the More Options section to limit results to current inmates or include arrest details.
4. Click Search. Pick a sort method by name, booking date, or booking number to make the list easier to scan.
5. Click an inmate row to open the full profile with charges, bond, booking date, and any release date on record.

The portal is free. You do not need to make an account to run a basic name or booking search. Full record access is limited to law enforcement, bond industry workers, accredited media, and members of a recognized State Bar. Those users must email publicaffairs@teamhcso.com from an official account, and HCSO has final say on access.

The first image below shows the Sheriff's Office homepage, which is the main gateway to the inmate roster, jail locations, and inmate services. The image was captured from the HCSO home page for reference.

From the HCSO homepage, users can reach the Arrest Inquiry, jail locations, and inmate communication pages. Each link maps to one of the sections below.

Hillsborough County Jail Roster Search Fields

The Arrest Inquiry accepts a mix of name, date, and demographic filters. Most fields are optional. A search with only a last name will return a list of matches across the date range. Adding a date of birth or booking date narrows results fast. The table below lists each field on the public form.

The field list reads like a basic public records form. The portal does not ask for a user account for a normal search. Most people only need a last name and a date of birth to find the right person on a crowded roster.

What a Hillsborough County Inmate Record Shows

Each profile in the Arrest Inquiry pulls from the HCSO Jail Management System. Booking photos, charges, and bond amounts are public unless a record is sealed or expunged under Florida law. The table below maps each field to what it shows on a profile page.

The portal also notes that arrest is not proof of guilt. Charges may be dropped, reduced, or amended after booking. For final case outcomes, the court records system tracks the disposition, sentence, and any post-judgment activity.

The 24-Hour New Arrest Delay

New arrests do not show up in the general roster list for the first 24 hours after booking. The HCSO portal still lets a user find a new arrest during that window, but only by searching first name and last name together. A blank name search or a partial-name search will skip new bookings inside that 24-hour cutoff.

This rule is built into the Arrest Inquiry. Family members and bail agents looking for someone right after arrest should always use full first and last name. If the search returns no hits, try other spellings or wait a short time and run the search again. The 30-minute system update cycle means data can shift fast in the hours right after a booking.

Note: A name with no result inside that first day does not mean the person was not booked. Try the full name and check again after the 24-hour mark.

Current Inmates vs Released Inmates

The same Arrest Inquiry portal handles both current and recently released inmates. To see only people still in custody, check the Current Inmates Only box under More Options. To find someone who was released in the last three months, leave that box unchecked and search by name or by release date.

HCSO keeps released people on the public list for 90 days after release. After that, the record drops off the public view unless the user is an authorized member with full access. For older records or for state and federal inmates, separate tools apply. The released inmates page covers post-release search options in more depth, including VINELink registration and state and federal locators.

Anyone who needs population data instead of a single inmate lookup should use the inmate population page. That page covers jail capacity, facility totals, and recent reform programs.

Posting Bond in Hillsborough County

Bond is posted at the Orient Road Jail. The Sheriff's Office posting bond page sets out the rules. Cash bonds and purges must be paid in the exact amount. Money orders are accepted. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for cash bonds. The person posting bail needs the inmate's full name with correct spelling, the date of birth, and a valid government photo ID.

Surety bonds may only be posted by registered bail bond agents. HCSO collects cash bonds for Hillsborough cases, then transmits the money to the Clerk of Court. The Clerk processes distribution after the case is over. Under Florida law, the clerk may hold back enough from a cash bond to pay any unpaid prosecution costs, defense representation costs, court fees, and penalties before any refund.

For inmate records and bond status questions, the HCSO Inmate Records line is 813-247-8400. The image below shows the posting bond page from the Sheriff's Office, taken from the official HCSO posting bond page.

The bond page lists the same rules in step form and links out to the cash bond office at Orient Road Jail. Use it to confirm hours and to check which bonds need a surety.

Hillsborough County Jail Facilities

HCSO operates two main jail campuses in Tampa. Orient Road Jail is the primary booking and bond payment site. Falkenburg Road Jail handles long-term housing, legal mail, and the new Mental Health Stabilization Unit. Jail Division III is listed at the Falkenburg Road address. The full list of HCSO locations is on the HCSO locations page, shown in the image below.

Both jails share a main phone line for general jail matters. Contact cards for each facility are below.

For active warrants connected to a person not yet in custody, use the warrant records page. Open warrants are tracked through a separate HCSO inquiry tool.

Inmate Phone, Mail, and Money

The Sheriff's Office inmate communication services page sets the rules for calls, mail, messages, and deposits. SmartInmate is the phone, tablet, and message vendor. The phone number for SmartInmate is 727-349-1561. Calls are outgoing only. Inmates in Central Booking get free calls for bail arrangements. General population phone service runs from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM each day, and each inmate gets some free phone time per week.

All personal physical mail must go to a central mail processing center, not to either jail. Letters sent to the jail address are returned to sender. Use this address for personal mail:

• (Inmate Name) - (Inmate Booking Number)
• c/o Mail Processing Center
• PO BOX 9115
• Seminole, FL 33775-9115

Inmates may not receive packages or magazines through the mail. Photo messages and electronic letters go through SmartInmate tablets. Legal and privileged mail still goes to the actual facility where the inmate is housed (Orient Road or Falkenburg Road). The image below shows the inmate communication services page.

For money deposits and canteen items, HCSO uses TouchPay for funds and Aramark for canteen. iCare runs the care package system. The inmate accounts and canteen page lists deposit methods.

TouchPay needs the Facility Locator Number 233619, the inmate's booking number with no dashes, and the inmate name. Deposits can be made at kiosks in the Orient Road and Falkenburg Road front lobbies, online with Visa or MasterCard, by phone at 1-866-232-1899, or by postal money order. Canteen deliveries happen twice a week. iCare care packages are limited to one per week and may be restricted for some inmates. Funds deposited at intake can be used for canteen, initial per diem, medical care, or property damage.

Video Visitation Rules and Schedule

Hillsborough County jails moved to a fully remote visitation model. As of October 28, 2025, the onsite Visitation Center is closed and all video visits run remotely. Video visits start after an inmate is assigned to a housing unit. Each inmate gets two free hours per week of prescheduled visits. On-demand visits cost 25 cents per minute. The schedule table below lists the standard video visit windows.

Visits last 30 minutes and may include up to three visitors per visit, with at least one adult. Professional visits for attorneys and other approved professionals run from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, seven days a week. Professional visitors must register with a driver's license and a professional ID such as a Florida Bar card.

Visitor rules are strict. A valid government photo ID with a date of birth is required for every visitor. Acceptable IDs include a driver's license, a passport with photo, a government agency photo ID, or a government photo license or ID sealed in plastic. Altered, modified, or expired IDs are not accepted. Visitors must wear a shirt and shoes. The Sheriff's Office bans weapons, tobacco products, lighters, e-cigarettes, alcohol, and any non-service animal in the visitation area. All visits except professional visits are monitored and recorded. Inappropriate dress or conduct can end a visit and block future visits.

State and Federal Inmate Searches

The HCSO Arrest Inquiry only covers the Hillsborough County jail. People transferred to state prison or federal custody need a different tool. The Florida Department of Corrections runs the offender search for state prison inmates and parolees. The locator pulls from FDC's full inmate and community supervision database. Florida's prison system holds more than 80,000 inmates and supervises more than 146,000 people in the community.

For federal inmates, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator searches by BOP register number, DC Number, FBI Number, or name. The BOP form also accepts age, race, and sex filters. The locator covers all federal facilities across the country, plus people held in private federal contract facilities.

Crime victims and family members can sign up for custody notifications through VINELink. The service sends alerts when an inmate is released, transferred, or escapes. Notifications can be set for phone, email, or text. The released inmates page has more on VINELink registration and state-level release records.

Active Warrants and Related Searches

People with active warrants are not on the inmate roster until they are booked into the jail. The Sheriff's Office runs a separate warrant inquiry tool. A name that does not show up on the Arrest Inquiry but who is wanted by HCSO may appear on the warrant list instead. See the warrant records page for the warrant inquiry portal, warrant types, and what to do if a person has an outstanding warrant.

For underlying criminal cases, plea info, and disposition data, check the criminal records page. Booking data alone does not show the case outcome. The court records page covers the full case file from arraignment through sentencing and any appeals.

Note: Arrest information is public under Florida law unless a court has sealed or expunged the record, so most jail roster entries are open to any user.

Related Searches

For people recently released, see released inmates. For broader population data and jail capacity, see inmate population. For active warrants, see warrant records. For underlying cases and dispositions, see criminal records. For full case files and court documents, see court records.