Seal or Expunge a DeSoto County Criminal Record
If you were arrested in DeSoto County, your case is handled through the clerk of court in Arcadia and petitioned in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit. Find out in ten minutes whether your record can be cleared.
- Clerk of Court
- Arcadia
- Judicial Circuit
- 12th Circuit
- County Seat
- Arcadia
- FDLE Fee
- $75
What clearing a DeSoto County record involves
Florida runs record relief in two stages, and both are tied to where the arrest happened rather than where you live now. First you apply to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a Certificate of Eligibility. Then, once that certificate arrives, you petition the court — DeSoto County petitions go to the 12th Judicial Circuit, through the clerk of court in Arcadia.
The documents FDLE requires are the same everywhere: a notarized application, a certified disposition for every charge, a fingerprint card taken by a law enforcement agency, and a $75 processing fee. What changes by county is who holds your records and which prosecutor’s office signs off.
For an expungement — not a sealing — the State Attorney for the 12th Circuit must complete and sign Section B of the FDLE application. How quickly that happens varies enormously from circuit to circuit, and it is usually the least predictable part of the timeline.
The 12th Judicial Circuit
DeSoto County shares its circuit — and therefore its State Attorney’s office — with 2 other counties. If you have records in more than one of these, they are handled by the same prosecutor’s office.
One record, one chance — regardless of county
Florida allows one court-ordered sealing or expungement per person, for life. It is not one per county or one per case. If you have records in DeSoto County and somewhere else, only one of them can ever be cleared this way — so which one you choose is the most consequential decision in the process.
DeSoto County questions
Where do I get a certified disposition in DeSoto County?
From the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Arcadia, the DeSoto County seat. You need one certified copy for every charge on the arrest you want cleared. If you were placed on probation, you also need a certified copy of the order terminating it. Call ahead — some clerks fulfil these by mail or online, others require you to appear in person.
Which court hears my DeSoto County petition?
DeSoto County sits in Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit, along with Manatee County, Sarasota County. Your petition to seal or expunge is filed with the clerk of court in the county where the arrest happened — so a DeSoto County arrest is petitioned in Arcadia, even if you have since moved.
Who signs Section B for a DeSoto County expungement?
The State Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit. Section B is required for expungement applications only — sealing applications skip it entirely. The prosecutor certifies that your case is eligible; their signature does not mean they support your petition, and they can still oppose it in court.
Do I have to live in DeSoto County?
No. Eligibility depends on where you were arrested, not where you live now. If you were arrested in DeSoto County and have since moved to another state, your petition is still filed in Arcadia. We prepare everything remotely; you never need to travel for the paperwork itself.
More general questions are answered in our full FAQ, and every Florida county is listed in our county directory.