Perform a Marion County Mugshot Search (Free Public Records)

Carry out a free Marion County mugshot search to help identify those people recently arrested and in custody.

Mugshots are usually captured after a person is placed under arrest. In Florida, the general public have access to these photographs, allowing anyone to view and request a copy of the record.

Mugshots are kept by several custodians —city, county and state agencies— who usually host online databases or, if not, require a proper request for these image records. This resource provides detailed instructions to assist interested individuals in viewing arrest mugshots and inmate information in Marion County, Florida, in particular.

Public Access to Mugshot Databases

Those curious about viewing mugshots of a person charged with a crime or confined in jail can access their record from city, county or state law enforcement agencies, depending on where the person involved is held.

In most cases, performing a county level search is the best approach when searching for arrest mugshots. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) maintains records of individuals placed in every detention facility across the county, which are accessible from its public website.

However, some records aren’t available from the MCSO; this often occurs if the subject was recently arrested. In such cases, police departments who made the arrest temporarily book recently arrested persons and perform the proper documentation – including taking photographs for the arrestee’s identification.

These arrest documents are then sent to the sheriff’s office when the offender is transferred to the county jail for filing. So, contacting the relevant police department can also be an option.

On the other hand, if the person is incarcerated in a state prison, a county level search might not work; these prisoners’ mugshots can be viewed by performing a state-level search. The Florida Department of Correction also hosts an online jail roster, which is accessible at no cost.

How To Perform a Marion County Mugshot Search at No Cost (FL)

The availability of mugshots helps the public in various ways: to be aware of criminal activity, for victims to identify a suspect of a crime and more, mostly concerning public safety. As with most counties, mugshots in Marion County can be accessed through the county sheriff’s office.

Booking photos are incorporated in individual arrest and inmate records. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office provides an Online Inmate Lookup Tool that lets interested persons view arrest documents, queried by the person’s name (first and last), with an option to include archives to the search, for prior records.¹

Once the criteria are filled out, click the “Search” button. There may be multiple results. List of offenders’ records will show up, including their booking number, photo, inmate ID, full name, date of birth (DOB), sex, race and booking status. To view a larger mugshot, click the specific person’s booking ID.

On the other hand, if the person you’re searching for has been recently booked, hit the “Recent” button to display the list of offenders recently transferred or arrested within the county.

You can also consider contacting the Marion County Records Division.³ In accordance with the Florida Statutes Chapter 119, public records —including arrest documents— maintained by the records division are available to the public for viewing and copying.

Requests can be submitted by phone at 352.732.8181, via email [email protected], or by sending your written request to the mailing address below.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Attention: Records
P.O. Box 1987
Ocala, FL 34478

You can also personally visit the office at the following location:

MCSO
692 NW 30th Ave.
Ocala, Florida 34475

Another option for accessing these details is by connecting to the Marion County Booking Unit.⁴

If the above options did not work on your end, you can visit the Marion County Detention Bureau or contact the jail directly at:⁵

Marion County Jail
700 NW 30th Ave.
Ocala, FL 34475

Phone: 352.351.8077

In addition to these official channels, records of people confined in every correctional facility across the state, excluding mugshots, can be accessed from VINELink.

Inmate Services in Marion County Detention Facilities

The Marion County Jail provides vital inmate services to strengthen the bond between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, fostering a smoother reintegration into society.⁶ Several of these services are listed below with brief overviews of each.

Posting Bail/Bond: There are three available options to post bond in Marion County; via cash or certified bank check, debit or credit card, or through a bail bonding agent (for surety bond).⁷ If you’d like to settle the bond in full, you may do so by making a personal visit to the Marion County Jail Information & Visitation Center (make it payable to the Marion County Clerk of Courts).

Additionally, payment can also be made online through credit or debit card, or by calling 1.888.726.6301.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Jail Inmate Information Visitation Center
3482 NW 10th St.
Ocala, FL 34475

Tip: For more information regarding bonds, refer to the instructions for accessing arrest info in Marion County, Florida.

Sending Mail: All incoming and outgoing mail, except legal mail, must be sent via pre-stamped postcards. Failure to comply will result in mail being returned.⁸

Contact by Phone: To contact someone confined in jail by phone, loved ones should set up an account with Securus Tech, Inc. to receive calls or purchase calling cards for the inmate to make outgoing calls.⁹

Send Money: Loved ones can send funds to inmates online or make a personal visit to Marion County Jail Information & Visitation Center to deposit funds into a detainee’s account.

Visiting Inmates: To visit a person incarcerated in the county jail, visitors must schedule an appointment first by calling 352.438.5961 any time from 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM. A visit should be scheduled 1 week before the actual visit. Each inmate is given four 30 minute visits per week.

For further information concerning inmates, you may direct your inquiries to the MCSO Detention Bureau.

Finding Mugshots by City in Marion County Florida

Arrest records are initially filed and stored at the office of the law enforcement agency who carried out the arrest, which in some cases is the local police department. Thus, people who failed to track down mugshots through county custodians can also consider reaching out to the city or municipal police agency.

Note: Recently arrested individuals are typically held in police custody usually for up to 48 hours before they’re moved to the county jail.

City police departments don’t typically post records of arrest online or even host an online booking roster, so to access records —including police photographs— maintained by these agencies, an interested individual must send a valid request.

Examples of how to contact these agencies follows.

Ocala Police Department: If the person in question is arrested by the Ocala Police, individuals may submit requests for mugshots online or inquire about these images by phone, postal mail or in-person. However, requests for copies of records aren’t free; each single-sided copy costs $0.15, $0.20 for double-sided and $1 per page for certified copy.

Direct your request to the Ocala Police Department’s Records Department:

Ocala Police Department – Headquarters
Records Department
402 S. Pine Ave.
Ocala, FL 34471

Phone: 352.369.7090
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Monday – Friday¹⁰

Belleview Police Department: To request for records maintained by the Belleview Police Department, record seekers may need to complete a Public Records Request Form or submit the request via mail or in-person at:¹¹

Belleview Police Department
5343 SE Abshier Boulevard
Belleview, FL 34420

You can also forward your request by phone at 352.245.7021 ext. 2109 or by fax at 352.245.6532.

Dunnellon Police Department: Unlike the previous agencies, the Dunnellon Police Department does not have an online option to request for police records, so contacting the agency directly is required.¹²

Dunnellon Police Department
12014 S. Williams St.
Dunnellon, FL 34431

Phone: 352.465.8510
Fax: 352.465.8505

In some cities, like Silver Spring Shores, any requests or inquiries related to law enforcement —even those records kept by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office— can be made through their district office.

If you’re still having trouble finding information about a specific offender, the person you’re looking for may be held or already transferred to the state correctional facilities or federal prisons. In such instances, you can extend your search to state and federal levels; the next section will show you how.

How To Access Mugshots of State & Federal Prisoners (Florida)

If it happens that the person you’re searching for has been placed in a state prison, their mugshot is likely inaccessible through a county-level search, but can be obtained via a state-level resource.

The State of Florida Department of Correction (FDC) is in charge of all state correctional facilities. Thus, in order to view information —including mugshots— of those people locked up in state prisons, searchers can reach out to the FDC.

The FDC offers a database to view prisoner records that the public can explore for free —the Inmate Population Information Search.¹³ This search tool is specified for searching records of those that are currently in custody.

To search, fill in the offender’s first and last name or assigned DC (Department of Correction) number, then click “Submit Request”. A name-based search might lead to a list of results.

Scroll down the list to find the specific person you’re looking for, then click the hyperlinked name to view the offender mugshot. You can also view additional prisoner details such as their personal information, offense, status, and sentence.

Additionally, the FDC also maintains databases for searching records of those released, escaped, under supervision (those on probation or parole), and wanted individuals that can be queried at no cost.

If uncertain about the offender’s current status, the Florida Department of Corrections provides a comprehensive database that can query all these available databases —their Offender Information Search.

Although these options are the most preferred way of accessing mugshots, you can also view prisoners’ information by submitting an Online Request for Public Records or contact the Florida Department of Corrections directly.¹⁵

Florida Department of Corrections
501 South Calhoun St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500

Phone: 850.488.7052

An offender may also be placed under the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). In this case, you can check out the Find An Inmate Tool hosted by the BOP, which can be queried by name or the person’s BOP register number.¹⁶

Consequently, arrest and inmate records, including mugshots, are open to all citizens in line with the Florida Sunshine Law Chapter 119: Public Records.¹⁷ Even though mugshots are publicly accessible, it’s important to use this records responsibly and ethically in accordance with the local, state and federal laws —the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, particularly.

To learn how to access other public records in the county, refer to the Marion County public records access tutorial.

By following the instructions detailed in this streamlined article, you can effectively perform a Marion County mugshot search, ensuring that you’re able to view anyone’s mugshot – whether they are detained in city, county, state and federal detention facilities.