Local Background Checks:
Request for local background checks can be obtained by visiting the Records Division, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
We are closed on all Legal Holidays.  A fee of $5.00 U.S. currency is required. 
Local Background Checks are for DeSoto County Arrests ONLY. 

Need Background checks for your Volunteer Programs?
The mission of the VECHS Program is to protect children, the elderly, and the disabled.
VECHS (pronounced "vecks") is an acronym for the Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The VECHS program was implemented in 1999 and is authorized by the National Child Protection Act (NCPA) (1993), as amended, and Florida State Statute 943.0542 (1999).

Through the VECHS program, FDLE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provide state and national criminal history record information on applicants, employees, and volunteers to qualified organizations (not individuals) in Florida. With this criminal history information, the organizations can more effectively screen out current and prospective volunteers and employees who are not suitable for contact with children, the elderly, or the disabled.


Statewide Background Checks:
Requests for Florida Criminal History Information must be submitted to:
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
User Services Bureau
Post Office Box 1489
Tallahassee, Florida 32302
(850) 410-8109     Or go to: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/

Juvenile Background Checks:
A juvenile seeking a background check must come to the Sheriff’s Office with photo identification (Picture I.D. card or Driver’s License) or a parent/guardian may obtain the background information with an original birth certificate of the juvenile and proper photo identification. A fee of $5.00 U.S. currency is required.

National Record Check Information:
Requests for National Criminal History Information must be submitted to:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Identification Division
10th and Pennsylvania Avenues NW
Washington, DC 20537-9700       
Or go to: https://www.fbi.gov/