Felony | Bay County Clerk of Court & Comptroller

A felony is a criminal offense that is punishable by imprisonment in a state facility. See Florida Statutes 775.081. Felonies are classified as:

Capital Felony
Life Felony
First Degree Felony
Second Degree Felony
Third Degree Felony

Notice: Information or forms provided by the Clerk of Court should be considered as basic information only and may not be applicable to every situation. The information is not intended to be used as legal advice, but as basic and general information only. It is only a brief statement and does not explain all your options and/or rights. Specific guidance in answering questions about a particular situation should be directed to a qualified attorney.

General Information

The Clerk’s office receives paperwork from the Bay County Jail after a felony arrest. The defendant is then first appeared, bond is set, and a court date is scheduled for the first arraignment.

An arraignment hearing is where the defendant is informed of the charges filed. At this time, the defendant enters a plea, and a pretrial date will be set. At a pretrial hearing, the defendant may enter a plea or proceed to a trial docket.

When a defendant is sentenced, court costs and fines may be imposed. If these fees are not paid during the probation period, they become a lien of record. Being sentenced to jail or prison does not cancel the monetary obligation.

The Clerk’s Office cannot change your court date. You will need to contact your attorney to have the court date rescheduled. If you fail to appear for your scheduled court date, a warrant may be issued for your arrest, and any bond that you posted may be forfeited. If you are arrested on a failure to appear warrant, you may be held in jail without bond.

Resources

Obtaining a Disposition of a Case

To obtain this information, you can visit the Clerk’s Office between the hours of 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, or you may also obtain this information from the Case Search on the Clerk’s website. However, please be aware that there will be a delay in the time at which the disposition will be entered into the Clerk’s Case Management System.

Requests for copies of case records shall be in writing.

You may mail your request or send your record request to Criminal@baycoclerk.com
You may pay by money order, certified check, cashier’s check, or credit card
Certified documents can be obtained through E-Certify
The average time to process your request is seven (3) to (7) working days.
The cost for copies is $1.00 per page and $2.00 per certification.
The Clerk’s Office does not take personal checks.
You may pay by Money Order, Certified Check, or Cashier’s Check.

How to Expunge/Seal Records

Florida Statutes 943.0585 and/or 943.059 will provide the requirements and conditions for having a criminal court case sealed or expunged from your record. Please read these statutes carefully.

If you have questions regarding your eligibility to have your records sealed or expunged, please contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

FDLE will require a completed application for the procedure, which should be submitted directly to their office. The cost for such a procedure is $75.00 to be paid to the FDLE. Upon receipt of your application, FDLE will notify you of your eligibility.

Following notification of eligibility from the FDLE, you must then prepare the proper forms required to proceed with court action. Examples of the forms required are available for review on the Clerk’s website. The fee for filing the completed forms with the Clerk’s Office is $42.00.

Download the FDLE Seal and Expunge Records Packet.