Scott County, Iowa Arrest Records
A Scott County arrest record is created at the moment an arrestee is booked into custody by the Scott County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office. Asides the Sheriff’s Office, arrest records are also generated by city police departments such as Davenport Police Department or the Bettendorf Police Department; the two largest cities in Scott County. Iowa Code Chapter 22 establishes the presumption that the general public are entitled to view government records. However, Iowa Code 22.7(9) specifically establishes that current and older arrest records, as well as criminal history are considered public records.
A separate statute that also governs the public release of arrest records is the Iowa Code Chapter 692. It regulates how the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and other record-keeping agencies store and release criminal records in Iowa. The public disclosure of arrest records in Scott County is significant in ensuring transparency and helping the public in staying up to date about criminal activities in the area.
Are Arrest Records Public Information in Scott, Iowa?
Scott County arrest records are made available to the general public by the provisions of Iowa Open Records Law (IC Chapter 22). The statute provides that unless a specific exemption exists, all government records are to be open for inspection by the members of the public. Any person, regardless of state residency, can request to inspect or obtain copies of arrest records from the authorized criminal records custodian. There is no established requirement that a requester must be a resident of Scott County or Iowa to inspect records.
Iowa Code § 22.3 provides that record custodians can charge a reasonable fee for copying records or supervising their examination, but fees for mere inspection without copies are not generally permitted. A government-issued photo ID is not always required, but individual agencies may ask for a valid identification when requesters visit in person, particularly when the request pertains to sensitive information.
What Do Public Scott County Arrest Records Contain?
Scott County arrest records elements are the standard information that highlights an individual’s interaction with law enforcement during an arrest. Scott County, Iowa arrest records provide the following public-facing elements:
- Inmate’s full name
- Mugshot
- Age
- Booking date and time
- Release date and time
- Committing Agency (e.g., Davenport Police Department, Iowa State Patrol)
- Charges
There is certain arrest information that is generally redacted due to exceptions by law or by court order. This is mostly done to protect individual rights and to not interfere with an active investigation. The following arrest information are withheld:
- Juvenile arrest records are protected under Iowa Code Chapter 232
- Sealed and expunged records are withheld under Iowa Code Chapter 901C
- Private information protected by Iowa Privacy Law, such as inmate medical and mental health data, social security numbers, etc.
- Information on an active investigation are restricted under Iowa Code 22.7(3) and 692.8
- Victim and witness identity
Scott County, Iowa Arrest Search
At the state level, the Iowa Judicial Branch's Iowa Courts Online is the primary statewide repository for court case records such as criminal cases that result from arrests. Individuals can search for these records by name, case number, or citation number. The resource also displays charges and disposition information for all 99 Iowa counties for free.
Another state resource is the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) under the Iowa Department of Public Safety. It serves as the central state repository. Persons can send requests for criminal history record inspection to the DCI in writing pursuant to Iowa Code § 692.2. For inmates who have been transferred to the state prison system, the Iowa Department of Corrections Offender Search provides publicly accessible records pursuant to Iowa Code § 904.601(1).
At the federal level, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator provides information on currently incarcerated inmates in federal facilities in the state and country as a whole. Though not entirely open to the public, the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) maintains a national database that is only available to law enforcement agencies to use on behalf of authorized parties.
Scott County Inmate Locator
The Scott County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office provides a jail roster for the general public to access Scott County arrest records online via their website. The Scott County Inmate Listing contains the booking data of inmates in custody currently at the Scott County Jail and within the last seven days.
Users can look up inmates by simply searching by last name, first name, committing agency, and custody status. Inmates have been categorized by last names, so users can simply search by selecting the initials of the inmate’s last name. For example, to find “John Doe”, users would have to select “D” and skim through the list of inmates with last names starting with “D”.
For further arrest records inquiries beyond online inmate listing, individuals can reach out or visit the Scott County Sheriff’s Office:
Scott County Sheriff’s Office
400 W. 4th Street,
Davenport, IA 52801
Phone: (563) 326-8625
(563) 326-8750 (Jail/Booking)
Fax: (563) 326-8689
Active Warrant Search in Scott County
An arrest warrant is a formal legal document issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes law enforcement officers to take a named individual into custody. Warrants are typically issued after a criminal complaint has been filed, after a failure to appear for a scheduled court date, or following a violation of probation or supervision. They contain the subject's identifying information, the issuing court, the case number, and the charge or event that prompted issuance. In Scott County, warrants are issued by judicial officers of the 7th Judicial District and are served by the Scott County Sheriff's Office as a core component of its law enforcement duties.
The Scott County Sheriff's Office provides an active warrant search tool on its official website. This publicly accessible database contains active warrants issued within the past 18 months (excluding warrants issued within the past seven days) as well as disposed or served warrants from the last 30 days. The tool is updated regularly, though the Sheriff's Office advises that all warrant data should be confirmed by authorized law enforcement before any action is taken.
Arrest warrants are public records in Iowa under Iowa Code Chapter 22. Members of the public may search the online warrant database or inquire directly with the Sheriff's Office or Clerk of Court. The following search criteria may be entered into the online tool or used for phone/in-person inquiries:
- Full name (last name, first name)
- Date of birth
- Warrant number
- Case number
- Charges associated with the warrant
|
Agency / Resource |
Purpose |
Search Methods |
Notes |
|
Maintains, serves, and tracks active warrants in Scott County |
Online warrant lookup, phone (563) 326-8625, in-person at 400 W. 4th St, Davenport |
Online database covers warrants issued 18 months–7 days ago; confirm with law enforcement | |
|
Maintains court case files, including warrant issuance records |
Phone (563) 326-8787, in-person at Scott County Courthouse |
Can confirm warrant status by case number; does not publicly serve warrants | |
|
Statewide court records database; case-level docket entries including warrant issuances |
Online search by name, case number, or citation number |
Free; covers all 99 Iowa counties; may show warrant events in case history | |
|
Statewide criminal history data repository; links to NCIC for national warrant queries |
Written request (law enforcement agencies only for NCIC); public criminal history checks by written application |
Direct public access to national warrant database not available; law enforcement agencies query on authorized basis |
How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Scott County
Several free resources are available for locating arrest records in Scott County. The most direct option is the Scott County Sheriff's Office Inmate Listing, which provides a no-cost, publicly accessible roster of current and recently released jail inmates searchable by name. Complementing this, the Sheriff's Office also maintains a free active warrant search tool covering warrants issued within the past 18 months. At the state level, Iowa Courts Online offers free access to criminal case dockets for all 99 Iowa counties, allowing users to search by name or case number.
Searchers should be aware of practical limitations. The Sheriff's inmate tool only covers individuals currently in custody or released within the last seven days, meaning older arrests will not appear. The warrant database similarly covers only active warrants from the past 18 months. Iowa Courts Online reflects court-filed information rather than booking-level data, so arrests that did not result in formal charges may not appear.
Scott County Arrest Report
An arrest record and an arrest report are distinct documents that are sometimes used wrongly. An arrest record is a summarized entry maintained in custodial or case management systems. It displays the fact that a person was arrested and booked into custody. It contains data such as name, booking number and date, holding facility, and custody status. Arrest records are usually found in Sheriff jail rosters or court case searches.
An arrest report on the other hand, is a document that narrates the events leading to arrest and details of the alleged offense, the observation and action of the officer, witness statements, and evidence retrieved. In Scott County, Searchers interested in an arrest report must send an official arrest report request to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. Pursuant to Iowa State Law, some arrest reports are withheld and exempted from public inspection.
How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Scott County
Iowa permits expungement of certain criminal records, governed at the state level by Iowa Code Chapter 901C. In Iowa, "expungement" and "sealing" carry the same legal effect, the removal of a record from public access, though the terms are not physically destroyed. Rather, per Iowa Code § 907.1, an expunged record is segregated to a secure area or database exempt from public inspection.
The Iowa Code does not create a separate county-level expungement pathway for Scott County; expungement petitions are filed in the district court of the county where the underlying offense occurred, which means Scott County residents file through the Scott County District Court (7th Judicial District).
How Do You Remove Scott County Arrest Records From the Internet?
Once a court grants the expungement of an arrest record, the Court Clerk at Scott County District Court, sends the order to the Iowa State Patrol that is required to update its records and then inform the FBI. Consequently, state and local law enforcement are expected to stop the disclosure of vacant arrest records on their online platforms.