New Haven County Busted Mugshots

New Haven County sits in south-central Connecticut and is home to some of the state's most active police departments. If you want to search for busted mugshots or arrest records from this part of the state, there are a few good ways to do it. The New Haven Police Department runs its own arrest lookup tool, and the Connecticut Judicial Branch has a free case search that covers all courts in the county. With cities like Waterbury, Meriden, and West Haven all making regular arrests, New Haven County produces a steady flow of booking records and mugshot data each year.

New Haven County Arrest Lookup

The best local source for busted mugshots in New Haven County is the New Haven Police Department. They run an online arrest lookup tool that lets you search recent arrests by name. This is one of the few police departments in Connecticut that posts arrest data to the web. You can reach their Records Division at (203) 946-6312 if you need help or want to ask about a case that does not show up online.

The City of New Haven arrest lookup portal is shown below. This tool pulls from the department's booking system and shows recent arrest data for the city.

This portal is free to use. It shows arrests made by New Haven PD, which handles the most cases in the county. Other local departments do not have their own online arrest lookup tools, so you may need to call or visit those agencies to get booking info.

Waterbury PD is the second busiest department in the county. They had a violent crime rate of 24.1 per 10,000 people in recent years. Hamden PD, Meriden PD, West Haven PD, Milford PD, Wallingford PD, and Shelton PD also make arrests that create mugshot records. CT State Police patrol parts of New Haven County as well, and their records go through the state system.

New Haven County Criminal Case Search

The Connecticut Judicial Branch criminal case lookup covers all courts in New Haven County. This is a free search tool. You can look up cases by name, check pending matters, find active arrest warrants, and search convictions from the past ten years. All local arrests that lead to court cases show up in this system.

Below is the state court criminal case lookup that serves this county and the rest of Connecticut.

The system is updated as cases move through the courts. You can use the convictions search to find final dispositions for cases filed in local courts. The results show the charges, case number, court location, and outcome.

Note: Juvenile cases and records erased under Connecticut law will not appear in the court lookup system.

Busted Mugshots Records in New Haven County

Under CGS § 1-215, the record of any arrest in New Haven County is public from the time of the arrest. This is state law and applies to every police department in the county. The public record of an arrest includes specific details about what happened and who was involved.

For arrests made in this county, the public record contains:

• Full name of the person arrested
• Race and address of the person
• Date, time, and place of the arrest
• The offense or charges filed
• The warrant application and affidavit (for warrant arrests)
• The arrest report (for warrantless arrests)

Mugshot photos taken at booking are part of the arrest record. Getting a copy of a mugshot usually means contacting the police department that made the arrest. Not all departments post these photos on the web, so you may need to file a formal records request. Municipal agencies in Connecticut can charge up to $0.50 per page for copies under the Freedom of Information Act.

New Haven County Inmate Search

People arrested in New Haven County who end up in state custody can be found through the Connecticut Department of Correction inmate search. This tool lets you look up current inmates by name or DOC number. It gets updated each day and shows custody status for those held in Connecticut prisons and jails.

The DOC database is separate from the court case system. A person might show up in one but not the other, depending on where they are in the criminal case process. People who post bail or bond after a local arrest will not show up in the inmate search, but their criminal case and arrest record will still be in the Judicial Branch system. People held under the Youthful Offender Statute or by federal immigration authorities are not listed in the DOC tool.

How to Get New Haven County Mugshots

Anyone can request arrest records from New Haven County police departments. You do not need to give a reason. Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to access public records from any government agency in the state. The Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission oversees this process and handles complaints when agencies refuse to release records.

To get busted mugshots or arrest records from New Haven County, you can make a request in writing, by email, or in person at the police department that made the arrest. There is no required form. Just be clear about what you want. Agencies must respond promptly. If a local department refuses your request or takes too long, you can file a complaint with the FOI Commission within 30 days. The Commission can order the agency to release the records.

Some records are not available. Under CGS § 1-210(b), exemptions protect certain types of information from public release. Ongoing investigations, personal data of sexual assault victims, and witness identities all fall under these exemptions. Sealed or expunged records are also off limits to the public.

Note: You can file a FOI complaint by calling the Commission at (860) 566-5682 or toll-free at (866) 374-3617.

New Haven County Record Erasure

Not all busted mugshots in New Haven County stay public forever. Connecticut has two main ways that arrest records get removed from public view. The first is case-based erasure. Under CGS § 54-142a, records are erased when charges get dismissed, dropped, or result in a not guilty verdict. Nolled cases are erased after 13 months. Once erased, the arrest record and mugshot are no longer available to the public.

The second path is Connecticut's Clean Slate law. This program allows automatic erasure of certain past convictions. Misdemeanors get erased after 7 years. Class D and Class E felonies are erased after 10 years. The person must stay crime-free during that time. Sex crimes, family violence cases, and gun offenses do not qualify for Clean Slate erasure anywhere in Connecticut.

People who want to apply for a pardon can go through the Connecticut Board of Pardons. The wait period is 3 years after a misdemeanor conviction or 5 years after a felony conviction. Applications are handled through the ePardons Portal online. A pardon does not erase the arrest record or mugshot, but it can help with other legal matters related to a criminal case.

New Haven County Criminal History Checks

The State Police Bureau of Identification keeps criminal history records for all of Connecticut, including New Haven County. This office maintains the most complete database of arrests and convictions in the state. Under CGS § 29-11, they keep records for every person age 16 and older who has been charged with a crime.

Getting a full criminal history check for a local arrest requires fingerprinting. Appointments are available Monday through Friday at the SPBI office in Middletown. The fee is $15 for fingerprinting, $75 for a state criminal record check, and $13.25 for a federal check. You need to pre-enroll online and bring a valid government ID, your appointment confirmation, and exact payment in cash, check, or money order. This is the most thorough way to search someone's full arrest and conviction record in New Haven County.

New Haven County Cities with Mugshot Records

New Haven County has more qualifying cities than any other county in Connecticut. Each city below has its own police department that handles arrests and keeps booking records. Pick a city to find local arrest record resources and mugshot search info for that area.

Nearby Counties for Mugshot Searches

Arrests sometimes cross county lines. If you can't find what you need in New Haven County, try searching these bordering counties for busted mugshots and arrest records.