Scott County Arrest Records

A Scott County peace officer can make an arrest with a warrant or without a warrant under the following circumstances (IA Code § 804.7):

• When a public offense occurs or is attempted in the presence of the officer.
• When the officer has good grounds to believe that domestic abuse has occurred and that the person to be arrested is responsible for it.
• When a public offense has already been committed, and the officer has good reason to believe that the person to be arrested is responsible.
• When the officer has good reason to believe that an indictable public offense has been committed and that the person to be arrested is the offender.
• When the officer has received official communication via telegraph, radio, bulletin, or telephone from other law enforcement agencies informing them of an outstanding warrant for the person’s arrest on a specific charge.

After the arrest, the arrested personn will be brought to the Scott County Jail. The booking officer will collect the arrested person’s demographics, identifiers, and medical/mental health records. They will also take a series of booking photos and capture the arrested person’s fingerprints. After booking, the arrested person will be taken before a judge without delay. If the offense is bailable, the accused will be released on bail before the initial appearance. All information collected by the officer from the arrested person and the arrest report written by the officer will be compiled to create an arrest record. This record will be available to the public after some hours or days. Requesters can view or copy arrest records online or in person at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. If the arrestee was tried in court, record seekers can find case information pertaining to the arrest by conducting a Scott County court record search.

Are Arrest Records Public in Scott County?

Yes. Arrests are public records according to the Iowa Open Records Law. Therefore, anyone can examine, inspect, or copy arrest records maintained by law enforcement agencies in Scott County. Arrest records requests can be made online or in person at the law enforcement agency where the arrest was made. For example, a person's prior and current arrest data are available for public perusal. However, the Iowa Open Records Law considers some arrest records or portions of them confidential. Examples of such records are:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Peace officers’ investigative reports.
• Criminal identification files of law enforcement agencies.
• Some portions of law enforcement agencies' email and telephone billing records are confidential if that information is part of an ongoing investigation.
• The time, date, specific location, and immediate facts and circumstances surrounding an arrest where disclosure would threaten a person’s safety or critically jeopardize an investigation.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Members of the public can find the following information in an arrest record:

• Inmate profile (full name, mugshot, aliases, permanent ID, sex, date of birth, current age, age of booking, height, weight, race, hair and eye color, hair length, and complexion)
• Incarceration information (committing agency, booking date, time, and number, housing location, release date, type, and custody, and duration of custody)
• Warrant information (name, warrant number, date, time, and charge, age, sex, race, statute description, and bond)
• Detainer information (comp number and date, name of the person that issued or set the detainee)
• Bond information (date set, type ID, bond amount, status, posted by, and date posted)
• Charge information (case number, description, grade, offense, conviction, and sentence date, sentence, and sent type.

Scott County Crime Rate

The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Annual Offense Trend Report shows that 13,915 crimes occurred in Scott County in 2023, an increase from the previous year's total of 13,036. All the crimes recorded in 2023 were Group A offenses, with 2,922 crimes against persons, 7,810 crimes against property, and 3,183 crimes against society.

Scott County Arrest Statistics

The Iowa Department of Public Safety operates a Uniform Crime Reporting System that publishes annual Arrest Trend Reports for every county in the state. In 2023, Scott County recorded around 8,736 arrests stemming from 3,611 Group A offenses and 5,125 Group B offenses. That year, approximately 5,221 arrests were for crimes against persons, 5,376 for crimes against property, and 6,313 for crimes against society. The majority of these arrests were primarily for offenses such as simple assault (839), drug/narcotic violations (763), and shoplifting (590).

Find Scott County Arrest Records

Pursuant to IA Code § 904.601(1), arrest records of incarcerated individuals are public information. Therefore, individuals seeking arrest information on Scott County offenders housed in state prisons can contact the Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC). Their arrest records may be found online through the Offender Search portal. The search criteria are by name, birth date, offender number, sex, location, offense, or county of commitment. Record seekers who cannot find a specific inmate’s arrest records online can visit the state prison where the inmate is housed to make a request. Most state prisons attend to arrest records requests during business hours. A name or offender number will be required to perform the search. Copies of record attract a small fee.

Arrest information of Scott County offenders incarcerated in federal prisons is available to the public at federal law enforcement agencies. Individuals can submit a request online, by mail, or in person, depending on the search methods provided by the agency. For example:

• The United States Capitol Police (USCP) allows record seekers to view arrest summary reports online using a CFN number, crime date, crime summary, or crime type. The USCP also accepts mail requests when a completed Request Form is sent to the office. The processing time is between 7 and 10 days. The USCP will deliver the desired record by fax, mail, or email, or the requester can pick it up in person at the office. The mailing address is:

United States Capitol Police
Reports Processing Section
119 D Street, Ne
Washington, DC 20510

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provides arrest information to the subject of records online, by mail, or through approved channelers. This service attracts a $18 fee payable by credit card using the Credit Card Payment Form, money order, or certified check. Mail applicants must submit a completed Applicant Information Form to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issues arrest records online through the Online Detainee Locator System. The search parameters are by A-Number or biographical information. Alternatively, requesters can submit in-person requests at any of ICE’s local field offices or detention facilities. The record staff will need basic information about the record to conduct the search.
• Individuals can find arrest records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) online or in person at BOP facilities. The search parameters are by number or name.

Free Arrest Record Search in Scott County

Record seekers can view free arrest records by using the Inmate Listing on the Scott County Sheriff’s Office website. On the page, users can conduct a search using the portal or clicking the daily booking reports links or the first letter of the arrested person’s last name. Alternatively, individuals can find Scott County arrest records on third-party websites. These sites provide information across multiple jurisdictions but are not as reliable as government websites. Individuals must verify any arrest information retrieved from third-party websites to ensure accuracy. Most third-party sites permit initial arrest searches for free, but extensive searches attract a small fee.

Get Scott County Criminal Records

The Scott County Sheriff's Office provides criminal records (also called criminal history background checks) that exclude juvenile and traffic records and disposition information of the charges. The record just states that the person was arrested. Requesters must visit the Sheriff’s Office during business hours (Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to obtain copies of criminal records. They must come with a current photo ID and a fee of $5. Scott County residents need criminal history background checks for employment, adoption, housing, hunting, and immigration purposes. The Sheriff’s Office is located at:

Scott County Courthouse
400 W. 4th St.
Davenport, IA 52801-1104
Phone: (563) 326-8625
Fax: (563) 326-8689
Email: sheriff@scottcountyiowa.gov

Interested persons in need of a statewide criminal records search can contact the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s (DCI) Dissemination Unit. The DCI’s criminal record documents do not include records from other states, FBI records, or records of offenders convicted in federal courts within Iowa. The DCI accepts criminal record requests online, by fax, mail, email, and in person. This service costs $15 per last name and can be paid by cash, money orders, checks, or credit/debit cards.

Online requesters must submit a request and a billing form. The billing form must contain the requester's credit/debit card information or DCI Account number. Both forms must have an address, fax number, or email address. The processing time for online requests is between 1 and 3 days, depending on volume and staffing levels. Individuals who submit multiple record checks must complete and submit request and billing forms with payment for each separately.

Individuals can complete the fillable forms online and download the completed Request and Billing Forms. Then, they can mail, fax, or email both forms to the DCI. Otherwise, they can download a blank Request and Billing Form and complete it manually before mailing, faxing, or emailing both forms to the DCI. The DCI will not process requests when forms are incomplete. The DCI only mails to United States and Canadian addresses and sends records by fax to requesters with United States fax numbers.

Record seekers can also visit the DCI office to request a criminal record. Immediate results are only provided to record holders. A government-issued photo ID is required for this service. Individuals requesting a criminal record on behalf of someone else will not obtain records immediately. They will have to wait for normal processing. The DCI accepts in-person requests between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Office is located at:

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
Oran Pape State Office Building
215 E 7th St
Des Moines, IA 50319
Phone: (515) 725-6066
Email: dcirecordchecks@dps.state.ia.us

Scott County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Per IA Code §692.1, an arrest record is any information relating to an arrest for a public offense. It includes the arrest charge, date, time, place, and warrant issued for the public offenses. In contrast, a criminal history record contains information such as arrest, conviction, disposition, correctional, adjudication, and custody data.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests are retained on a person’s criminal record until expunged. According to the Record Retention Manual for Iowa Cities compiled by the Iowa League of Cities, arrest records, arrest books, and investigation reports are permanent due to their continuing historical value. These records stay on a person’s record throughout their lifetime. The arrested person has an option of expunging their record to restrict their public availability. The Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) excludes the following arrest information in their criminal history record:

• Arrests that involve simple misdemeanors.
• Arrests due to minor traffic charges like speeding,
• Arrests where the DCI has not received a fingerprint card.
• Any arrest where the DCI does not receive a disposition within four (4) years from the arrest date.

Expunge Scott County Arrest Records

According to Iowa Code § 907.1(3), an expungement involves segregating an arrest record in a secure area or database such that they are not available to members of the public. Below are the eligibility criteria for expunging arrest records in Scott County (Iowa Code § 901C.2):

• Not-guilty verdicts and criminal-charge dismissals:
  • The criminal charges of the case were acquitted or dismissed.
  • The arrested person was not found incompetent to stand trial in the case.
  • The case was not dismissed because the arrested person was found not guilty due to insanity.
  • The arrested person has paid all financial obligations, such as court costs and fees, ordered by the court or clerk of the district court.
  • At least one hundred eighty (180) days have passed since the criminal charges have been acquitted or dismissed.
• Misdemeanor offenses (excluding offenses outlined in Iowa Code 901C.3(2)):
  • The arrested person has no pending criminal charges.
  • A minimum of eight (80 years have passed since the conviction date.
  • The court had not previously granted the arrested person two deferred judgments.
  • The arrested person has paid all financial obligations, such as fines, fees, court costs, and restitution, ordered by the court or the district court clerk.

Applicants with not-guilty verdicts and criminal-charge dismissals must file Rule 2.86—Form 1 with the Scott County Clerk of District Court. Conversely, applicants seeking to expunge misdemeanor convictions must file Rule 2.86—Form 2 with the Clerk. The Clerk will enter an order to expunge an arrest record with not-guilty verdicts, or the case was dismissed when all case parties approve that the eligibility criteria have been met. Applicants can only expunge misdemeanor convictions once in their lifetime, but they can request to expunge records of multiple misdemeanor offenses in one application. This is only possible if the misdemeanor offenses come from the same occurrence.

Scott County Arrest Warrants

Per IA Code § 804.1, a Scott County magistrate will issue an arrest warrant when it appears from a filed complaint that there is probable cause to believe an offense has been committed and a designated individual has committed it. The arrest warrant will be directed to any peace officer in Iowa. It will contain the defendant’s name or give the name of the defendant (if known), state by name or general description of the alleged offense, and the issuing date and county (IA Code § 804.2). An arrest warrant can only be executed by a peace officer. However, a private person can sometimes execute an arrest warrant (IA Code § 804.6). Per IA Code § 804.6, a peace officer can make an on any day and at any time of the day or night.

Scott County Arrest Warrant Search

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office has an online database where users can find active warrants issued by a court 18 months to 7 days ago and those disposed of or served within the last 30 days. Users can view Recent or Updated Warrants or conduct a Warrant Search on the database. Alternatively, requesters can visit the Sheriff’s Office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to make warrant requests. The record staff will need a name or warrant number to process the request.

Do Scott County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Iowa does not have statutes of limitations on arrest warrants. When a Scott County magistrate issues an arrest warrant, it remains valid regardless of the time elapsed since the issuance date. An arrest can only become invalid when executed or quashed by the issuing magistrate.