Bristol Busted Mugshots Search

Bristol busted mugshots come from arrests made by the Bristol Police Department and are tracked through the Connecticut court system. With a population over 62,000, Bristol sees steady arrest activity each year in Hartford County. You can search for Bristol mugshots and booking records through the statewide criminal case lookup at no cost. The Bristol PD keeps arrest logs and booking photos at its main station on North Main Street. Court records from Bristol arrests also appear in the Judicial Branch database, which covers every court in the state. If you want to find a specific arrest record or check on someone booked in Bristol, there are several ways to do it online and in person.

Bristol Police Department Records

The Bristol Police Department is the main source for busted mugshots from arrests in the city. The department runs out of 131 North Main Street, Bristol, CT 06010. You can call them at (860) 584-3011. The records division handles requests for arrest reports, booking photos, and incident reports. Walk-in requests are taken during business hours on weekdays. Bristol PD also processes written requests sent by mail.

Getting copies of Bristol arrest records and mugshots follows the same rules as other municipal agencies in Connecticut. The copy fee is $0.50 per page under state law. Cash works for in-person visits. Mail-in requests need a check or money order. You should have the name of the person and an approximate date of arrest when you make a request. The more details you give, the faster the Bristol records staff can pull what you need. Reports from recent arrests may not be available right away if the case is still going through the court process.

Bristol is a mid-size city in Hartford County, so the police department handles a wide range of arrests from minor offenses to serious crimes. All of these bookings create mugshots that become part of the arrest record. Under CGS § 1-215, the basic facts of a Bristol arrest are public from the time the arrest happens. That means anyone can ask for the name, charges, date, and time of an arrest without giving a reason for the request.

Bristol Criminal Case Lookup

The Connecticut Judicial Branch Criminal Case Look-up is a free tool that shows case records from all Connecticut courts. Bristol cases go through the New Britain Judicial District courthouse. You can search by name to find arrest records, pending cases, and conviction history tied to Bristol bookings. The database goes back about ten years.

The court case lookup page for Connecticut criminal records is shown below. Bristol busted mugshots that result in court cases will appear in this system under the New Britain Judicial District.

This tool is free and open to anyone. No account or login is needed to search Bristol arrest records in the court system.

For more targeted searches, the convictions search filters results to cases that ended in a guilty finding. This works well if you know the person was convicted and you just need to pull up the case details from a Bristol arrest. The system shows the charges, court dates, and disposition for each case. It does not show the actual mugshot photo, but it confirms that an arrest and conviction took place.

Note: Court records for erased or sealed Bristol cases will not appear in the online lookup.

Bristol Inmate Search

The Connecticut Department of Correction inmate search shows people currently held in state custody. If someone arrested in Bristol is now in a state prison or jail, this database will have their info. You can search by name or DOC inmate number. The system updates each day.

The DOC inmate search database is shown below. People booked in Bristol who are transferred to state custody will show up in this tool.

The search results show booking details and custody status for each person in the state system.

Keep in mind that not everyone arrested in Bristol ends up in state custody. People who post bail or get released on a promise to appear will not show up here. The DOC database also leaves out anyone held under the Youthful Offender Statute or in federal custody. For someone still in local holding at Bristol PD, you would need to call the department directly at (860) 584-3011 to check their status.

Are Bristol Mugshots Public Records

Yes. Arrest records in Bristol are public. CGS § 1-215 makes the record of any arrest a public record from the moment it happens. This law covers the name, race, and address of the person arrested, the date and time of the arrest, and the charges. For arrests made on a warrant in Bristol, the warrant application and affidavit are public too. For warrantless arrests, the arrest report is the public document.

The Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission enforces these rules across the state. If Bristol PD denies a records request or takes too long, you can file a complaint with the FOI Commission within 30 days. No special forms are needed. Put your request in writing, by email, or in person. The commission is at 165 Capitol Avenue in Hartford and can be reached at (860) 566-5682.

Not all records are open, though. CGS § 1-210(b) lists the exceptions. Active investigations, juvenile records, sealed cases, and victim information from sexual assaults stay off limits. Records from ongoing police work in Bristol can be withheld until the investigation wraps up. These protections exist to keep certain sensitive information out of public view while still letting people access the bulk of Bristol arrest records and busted mugshots.

Bristol Record Erasure and Clean Slate

Under CGS § 54-142a, Bristol arrest records get erased in certain situations. If charges are dismissed, dropped, or the person is found not guilty, the record is wiped. Nolled cases get erased after 13 months. Once a record is erased, the Bristol PD and the court system must remove it from their databases. Busted mugshots tied to an erased case are no longer available to the public.

Connecticut's Clean Slate law goes further. Certain misdemeanors are erased after 7 years. Some felonies qualify for erasure after 10 years. The person must stay crime-free during that time. Sex crimes, family violence offenses, and gun charges do not qualify. The Clean Slate program runs on its own without the person having to file anything. Once the time passes, the record is erased from both the court database and local police records in Bristol.

Bristol Criminal History Records

For a full criminal history check on someone arrested in Bristol, the State Police Bureau of Identification is the central source. The SPBI keeps records for every person age 16 and older who has been charged with a crime in Connecticut. This goes beyond what the court case lookup shows. A criminal history check through the SPBI includes arrests from Bristol and every other jurisdiction in the state.

Getting a check done takes a few steps. You need to book a fingerprinting appointment online at the SPBI office in Middletown. Bring your appointment confirmation, pre-enrollment page, and a valid government ID. The fees are $15 for fingerprinting, $75 for a state check, and $13.25 for a federal check. Cash, check, or money order only, and all fees must be paid in separate exact amounts. This is the most complete way to look up arrest history for someone who may have been booked in Bristol or anywhere else in Connecticut.

Note: SPBI fingerprinting is by appointment only, with no walk-ins accepted at the Middletown office.

Hartford County Busted Mugshots

Bristol is in Hartford County. Court cases from Bristol go through the New Britain Judicial District. Hartford County has dozens of police departments that handle arrests and create mugshot records. If you are looking for a booking that may have happened outside Bristol city limits but still in the Hartford County area, check the county page for more law enforcement contacts and arrest record resources.

Nearby Cities With Mugshot Records

Several cities near Bristol have their own police departments that process arrests and keep booking records. If the busted mugshots you need are not from a Bristol arrest, the person may have been booked in one of these nearby towns.