Florida/Georgia Personal Injury & Workers Compensation

You're probably overthinking it. Call a lawyer.

Call Now: 904-383-7448
Florida Statute 943.045 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 943.045 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 943.045 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 943.045

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVII
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS
Chapter 943
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
View Entire Chapter
943.045 Definitions; ss. 943.045-943.08.The following words and phrases as used in ss. 943.045-943.08 shall have the following meanings:
(1) “Adjudicated guilty” means that a person has been found guilty and that the court has not withheld an adjudication of guilt.
(2) “Administration of criminal justice” means performing functions of detection, apprehension, detention, pretrial release, posttrial release, prosecution, adjudication, correctional supervision, or rehabilitation of accused persons or criminal offenders by governmental agencies. The administration of criminal justice includes criminal identification activities and the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of criminal justice information by governmental agencies.
(3) “Biometric” refers to impressions, reproductions, or representations of human physical characteristics, such as DNA, fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, retina and iris images, voice patterns, and facial images, such as booking and driver license photographs, that, when measured and analyzed, can be used for identification purposes.
(4) “Comparable ordinance violation” means a violation of an ordinance having all the essential elements of a statutory misdemeanor or felony.
(5) “Criminal history information” means information collected by criminal justice agencies on persons, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges and the disposition thereof. The term does not include identification information, such as biometric records, if the information does not indicate involvement of the person in the criminal justice system.
(6) “Criminal history record” means any nonjudicial record maintained by a criminal justice agency containing criminal history information.
(7) “Criminal intelligence information” means information collected by a criminal justice agency with respect to an identifiable person or group in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor possible criminal activity.
(8) “Criminal intelligence information system” means a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal intelligence information.
(9) “Criminal investigative information” means information about an identifiable person or group compiled by a criminal justice agency in the course of conducting a criminal investigation of a specific criminal act or omission, including, but not limited to, information derived from laboratory tests, reports of investigators, informants, or any type of surveillance.
(10) “Criminal investigative information system” means a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal investigative information.
(11) “Criminal justice agency” means:
(a) A court.
(b) The department.
(c) The Department of Juvenile Justice.
(d) The protective investigations component of the Department of Children and Families, which investigates the crimes of abuse and neglect.
(e) Any other governmental agency or subunit thereof that performs the administration of criminal justice pursuant to a statute or rule of court and that allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the administration of criminal justice.
(f) The investigations component of the Department of Financial Services which investigates the crimes of fraud and official misconduct in all public assistance given to residents of this state or provided to others by this state.
(12) “Criminal justice information” means information on individuals collected or disseminated as a result of arrest, detention, or the initiation of a criminal proceeding by criminal justice agencies, including arrest record information, correctional and release information, criminal history record information, conviction record information, offender registration information, identification record information, and wanted persons record information. The term does not include statistical or analytical records or reports in which individuals are not identified and from which their identities are not ascertainable. The term does not include criminal intelligence information or criminal investigative information.
(13) “Criminal justice information system” means a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal justice information.
(14) “Disposition” means details relating to the termination of an individual criminal defendant’s relationship with a criminal justice agency, including information disclosing that the law enforcement agency has elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor or that a prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings, that a court has dealt with the individual, or that the individual has been incarcerated, paroled, pardoned, released, or granted clemency. Dispositions include, but are not limited to, acquittals, dismissals, pleas, convictions, adjudications, youthful offender determinations, determinations of mental capacity, placements in intervention programs, pardons, probations, paroles, and releases from correctional institutions.
(15) “Disseminate” means to transmit information, whether orally or in writing.
(16) “Expunction of a criminal history record” means the court-ordered physical destruction or obliteration of a record or portion of a record by any criminal justice agency having custody thereof, or as prescribed by the court issuing the order, except that criminal history records in the custody of the department must be retained in all cases for purposes of evaluating subsequent requests by the subject of the record for sealing or expunction, or for purposes of recreating the record in the event an order to expunge is vacated by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(17) “Record” means any and all documents, writings, computer memory, and microfilm, and any other form in which facts are memorialized, irrespective of whether such record is an official record, public record, or admissible record or is merely a copy thereof.
(18) “Research or statistical project” means any program, project, or component the purpose of which is to develop, measure, evaluate, or otherwise advance the state of knowledge in a particular area. The term does not include intelligence, investigative, or other information-gathering activities in which information is obtained for purposes directly related to enforcement of the criminal laws.
(19) “Sealing of a criminal history record” means the preservation of a record under such circumstances that it is secure and inaccessible to any person not having a legal right of access to the record or the information contained and preserved therein.
History.s. 6, ch. 74-386; s. 4, ch. 78-323; s. 1, ch. 80-409; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-10; s. 1, ch. 82-46; s. 2, ch. 83-265; ss. 1, 6, 7, ch. 87-177; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 92-73; s. 88, ch. 94-209; s. 162, ch. 98-403; s. 14, ch. 2013-116; s. 32, ch. 2021-113.
Note.Former s. 943.07.

F.S. 943.045 on Google Scholar

F.S. 943.045 on CourtListener

Amendments to 943.045


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 943.045

Total Results: 19  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

Copy

State v. DHW, 686 So. 2d 1331 (Fla. 1996).

Cited 15 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1996 WL 726867

...s opinion. It is so ordered. OVERTON, SHAW, GRIMES, HARDING and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur. NOTES [1] The trial court did not apply the three-pronged constitutional test described in P.D.A., 618 So.2d at 283, to protect public access to court records. [2] Section 943.045(18), Florida Statutes (1993), defines "criminal history records" as "any nonjudicial record maintained by a criminal justice agency containing criminal history information." Section 943.045(4), Florida Statutes (1993), defines "criminal history information" as "information collected by criminal justice agencies on persons, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indic...
Copy

Williamson v. State, 510 So. 2d 1052 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987).

Cited 6 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 12 Fla. L. Weekly 1819

...efendant's motion to seal. Reversed and remanded. NOTES [1] On appeal, Williamson abandoned his claim that the trial court erred in refusing to expunge such records. Expunction means "the act of physical destruction or obliteration of a record... ." § 943.045(13), Fla. Stat. (1985). Sealing means "the preservation of a record under such circumstances that it is secure and inaccessible to any person not having a legal right of access to the record or the information contained and preserved therein." § 943.045(14), Fla....
...mations, or other formal criminal charges and the disposition thereof. The term does not include identification information, such as fingerprint records, if the information does not indicate involvement of the person in the criminal justice system." § 943.045(4), Fla....
Copy

State v. PDA, 618 So. 2d 282 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1993 WL 114780

...f, or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or other similar criminal justice agency. The 1992 statute defines "criminal history record" as "any nonjudicial record maintained by a criminal justice agency containing criminal history information." § 943.045(18), Fla. Stat. (Supp. 1992). We note parenthetically that although the statute defines "criminal history information" as information collected by criminal justice agencies, including courts, see § 943.045(3), Fla....
Copy

Alvarez v. Reno, 587 So. 2d 664 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 1991 Fla. App. LEXIS 10526, 1991 WL 211264

indirectly what it cannot do directly.” Op. at 665. Section 943.045(7) defines a “record” as “any and all documents
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 2002).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

...pies of witness statements. Section 943.0585 , Florida Statutes, provides that a trial court may, under certain circumstances, order the expunction of "criminal history" information or records. The term "[c]riminal history information" is defined in section 943.045 (4), Florida Statutes, to be: "[I]nformation collected by criminal justice agencies on persons, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges and the disposition thereof....
...istory information." 1 Thus, it is criminal history information that may be the subject of an expungement order. Several other types of information that may be collected by criminal justice agencies are referred to in Chapter 943 , Florida Statutes. Section 943.045 (5), defines "[c]riminal intelligence information" as "information collected by a criminal justice agency with respect to an identifiable person or group in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor possible criminal activity." In...
...I of the State Constitution and not available to any person or entity except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction. A criminal justice agency may retain a notation indicating compliance with an order to expunge." The definition of "[e]xpunction of a criminal history record" contained in section 943.045 (13), Florida Statutes, clearly recognizes that these records must be obliterated or physically destroyed: "Expunction of a criminal history record" means the court-ordered physical destruction or obliteration of a record or portion o...
...However, criminal intelligence information and criminal investigative information do not fall within the purview of section 943.0585 , Florida Statutes. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has reviewed this opinion and concurs in this conclusion. Sincerely, Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General RAB/tgh 1 Section 943.045 (18), Fla. Stat. 2 Section 943.045 (6), Fla....
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1994).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

...1 The completed analysis is entered into an automated data base maintained by FDLE, but is not included in the state central criminal justice information repository. 2 The results of the DNA analysis and the comparison of analytic results may be released only to criminal justice agencies as defined in section 943.045 (10), Florida Statutes, at the request of the agency; otherwise such information is exempt from disclosure pursuant to section 119.07 (1), Florida Statutes and section 24 (a), Article I , Florida Constitution....
...tatutes. Sincerely, Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General RAB/tjw 1 Section 943.325 (3), Fla. Stat. (1993). 2 Section 943.325 (4), Fla. Stat. (1993). 3 Section 943.325 (5), Fla. Stat. (1993), as amended by s. 3, Ch. 94-90, Laws of Florida. And see, s. 943.045 (10), Fla....
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 2000).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

containing criminal history information."1 Section 943.045(4), Florida Statutes, defines "[c]riminal history
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 2001).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

2 See, s. 1, Ch. 2000-187, Laws of Fla. 3 Section 943.045(10), Fla. Stat. See also, s. 119.011(4), Fla
Copy

Nikki Alvarez-sowles, as Clerk & Comptroller of Pasco Cnty., Florida v. Pasco Cnty., Florida (Fla. 2d DCA 2024).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

...For purposes of implementing these requirements, the term: .... (h) "Existing multiagency criminal justice information systems" includes, but is not limited to, those components of the multiagency criminal justice information system as defined in s. 943.045, supporting the offices of the circuit or county courts, the public defenders' offices, the state attorneys' offices, or those portions of the offices of the clerks of the circuit and county courts performing court-relate...
...§ 29.008(1)(h) (emphasis added). A "[c]riminal justice information system" is "a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal justice information." § 943.045(13), Fla....
Copy

State v. J.D.E., 622 So. 2d 8 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 6047, 1993 WL 188020

definition of criminal history information in section 943.-045(4), takes the position that only “rap sheets”
Copy

Sutherland v. State, 601 So. 2d 1333 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1992).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1992 Fla. App. LEXIS 7450, 1992 WL 157488

...unction. (14) “Sealing of a record” means the preservation of a record under such circumstances that it is secure and inaccessible to any person not having a legal right of access to the record or the information contained and preserved therein. § 943.045(13), (14), Fla.Stat....
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1999).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

...the state's central criminal justice information repository and is authorized to "[c]ollect, process, store, maintain, and disseminate criminal justice information and records[.]" 2 "Criminal history information" is defined for purposes of sections 943.045 - 943.08 , Florida Statutes, as "[I]nformation collected by criminal justice agencies on persons, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges and the disposition thereof....
...s a public record which should be included in a school district employee's personnel file. Sincerely, Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General RAB/tgh 1 Section 943.051 (2), Fla. Stat. (1998 Supp.). 2 Section 943.051 (1)(a), Fla. Stat. (1998 Supp.). 3 Section 943.045 (4), Fla....
Copy

Tribune Co. v. Spicola, 543 So. 2d 757 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1989).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 14 Fla. L. Weekly 294, 16 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1169, 1989 Fla. App. LEXIS 312, 1989 WL 5257

...Judge Green, therefore, erred in drawing Judge Spicola’s records into the category of “criminal history information” eligible for sealing under section 943.058. To the contrary, the records requested by the Tribune clearly constitute “criminal investigative information,” sepa *759 rately defined in section 943.045(6) as information compiled by a criminal justice agency during the course of an investigation of an identifiable person or group and of a specific crime, including “information derived from laboratory tests, reports of investigators...
Copy

Nikki Alvarez-sowles, as Clerk & Comptroller of Pasco Cnty., Florida v. Pasco Cnty., Florida (Fla. 2d DCA 2024).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

...For purposes of implementing these requirements, the term: .... (h) "Existing multiagency criminal justice information systems" includes, but is not limited to, those components of the multiagency criminal justice information system as defined in s. 943.045, supporting the offices of the circuit or county courts, the public defenders' offices, the state attorneys' offices, or those portions of the offices of the clerks of the circuit and county courts performing court-relate...
...§ 29.008(1)(h) (emphasis added). A "[c]riminal justice information system" is "a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal justice information." § 943.045(13), Fla....
Copy

Nikki Alvarez-sowles, as Clerk & Comptroller of Pasco Cnty., Florida v. Pasco Cnty., Florida (Fla. 2d DCA 2024).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

...For purposes of implementing these requirements, the term: .... (h) "Existing multiagency criminal justice information systems" includes, but is not limited to, those components of the multiagency criminal justice information system as defined in s. 943.045, supporting the offices of the circuit or county courts, the public defenders' offices, the state attorneys' offices, or those portions of the offices of the clerks of the circuit and county courts performing court-relate...
...§ 29.008(1)(h) (emphasis added). A "[c]riminal justice information system" is "a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal justice information." § 943.045(13), Fla....
Copy

State v. D.H.W., 686 So. 2d 1331 (Fla. 1996).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 21 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 545, 1996 Fla. LEXIS 2140

...with this opinion. It is so ordered. OVERTON, SHAW, GRIMES, HARDING and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur. . The trial court did not apply the three-pronged constitutional test described in P.D.A., 618 So.2d at 283 , to protect public access to court records. . Section 943.045(18), Florida Statutes (1993), defines "criminal history records” as "any nonjudicial record maintained by a criminal justice agency containing criminal history information.” ■ Section 943.045(4), Florida Statutes (1993), defines "criminal history information" as "information collected by criminal justice agencies on persons, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indic...
Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1992).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

giving away badges bearing such words. 10 Section 943.045(10), F.S., defines "criminal justice agency"
Copy

Dept. of Law Enf't v. Elmufdi (Fla. 3d DCA 2018).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

...criminal history record is complete only when accompanied by “the petitioner’s sworn statement attesting that the petitioner [h]as never secured a prior sealing or 2 The criminal history records of FDLE, a criminal justice agency, are nonjudical records. § 943.045(6), Fla....
Copy

State v. P.D.A., 618 So. 2d 282 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1993).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 4251

agency containing criminal history information." § 943.045(18), FIa.Stat. (Supp.1992). We note parenthetically

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.