How Can I Obtain Records of Childhood Abuse in Florida?

Attorney Answer

You have several avenues to get copies of these records in Florida, though how easy each one is depends on which type of document you need.

Florida's Public Records Act (Fla. Stat. ch. 119) generally makes police and sheriff's department reports available to the public, including to the person the report is about. You can request the incident reports directly from the records division of whichever police or sheriff's department responded at the time. Ask them to search by address, names involved, and the approximate dates. If the incidents were investigated as child abuse, some details identifying a minor may be redacted, but you should still be able to get a copy since you were the child involved.

If the Department of Children and Families (DCF) was ever involved, for example if a hotline call or investigation was opened, those records are generally kept confidential under Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 39.202). However, the child who is the subject of the report, now an adult, can usually request access to their own case file. You would submit a written records request to the DCF regional office that would have handled the case, and you may need to show ID to confirm you are that person.

For medical records, Florida Statute 456.057 gives patients the right to a copy of their own treatment records. Contact each hospital, clinic, or doctor's office directly, in writing, and ask for your full chart from the relevant years. There may be a small copying fee, and older records may already have been destroyed since providers are only required to keep them for a set number of years.

Steps to take: - Identify which police department, hospital, or agency was involved and contact each one directly. - Put every request in writing and keep a copy for your records. - Ask specifically for the date range covering your childhood. - If a request is denied, ask the agency to cite the specific law it is relying on, so you can evaluate next steps.

Because access rules differ by agency and can depend on whether a case is still open or sealed, a local Florida lawyer can help you get a fuller and faster response, especially if any records are being withheld. This is general legal information, not legal advice, and a local lawyer can advise on your specific situation.