South Jacksonville trustees approve $50 fees for fingerprinting, vehicle lockouts, notices

South Jacksonville trustees voted to begin charging fees for services that were previously provided free, a shift village leaders say is meant to recover costs and discourage inappropriate use. Village President Dick Samples announced the new flat fees: $50 for fingerprinting services, $50 for vehicle lockouts and $50 for serving notices.

Samples framed the policy change as having two purposes. He said, “the new fees are intended both to recover costs and to act as a deterrent for people using some services inappropriately.” In a separate formulation reported by village sources, Samples added that “the fees are as much a deterrent for people seeking the help as it was to recover costs.” Trustees also declined an 80 percent state grant to install electric vehicle charging stations; Samples said the village “does not want to directly compete with the service gas stations.”

The $50 fingerprinting fee places South Jacksonville in the middle of a wide range of local prices. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office materials list several fingerprint-related figures - $5.00 per set/card, $36.25 per set and $45.25 per set - though the agency’s published table excerpt is not fully labeled and does not directly map each number to a specific fingerprint category. The sheriff’s office also notes that fingerprint cards are provided at no charge by JSO for fraud investigations and are available at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, 501 E. Bay Street, and sets out acceptable ID forms for electronic fingerprinting including passport, U.S. driver’s license, state ID, birth certificate, Social Security card, voter registration and consular identification cards.

Private providers in the Jacksonville area report different fee structures and service rules. A registered vendor operating at 25 N. Market St., Suite 216 in Jacksonville advertises Level 2 live-scan and ink fingerprinting, offers mobile service starting at a $75 fee and requires a non-refundable $25 deposit to secure appointments; that vendor’s explicit policy reads, “This is a non-refundable fee. There are no refunds. The $25 deposit is to secure your appointment only, which is deducted from your cost of service. It is not the actual cost of any service offered. If you don’t show up for your appointment within 10 minutes, then you have forfeited your deposit. Mobile appointments are paid up front through a secure payment link.” Another local vendor lists prices of $55 to $90 depending on the requesting agency, requires two forms of ID with one photo ID, and notes a non-refundable policy; that office is listed at 3728 Philips Highway Ste 13 in Jacksonville and can be reached at (904) 778-5547.

Several operational details remain unspecified by village officials. The trustees’ vote record, the ordinance or fee schedule that establishes the $50 charges, the effective date, whether fingerprinting will be offered as live-scan or ink cards, where prints will physically be taken, what payment methods the village will accept, and whether any exemptions or waivers will apply were not announced at the time of the trustees’ decision.

For residents who regularly rely on municipal fingerprinting, lockout assistance or service of notices, the new fees mean a direct out-of-pocket cost that may push some people to compare private vendors or sheriff’s office options. South Jacksonville officials have said the change is intended to recoup costs and curb misuse; trustees are expected to publish meeting minutes and any formal ordinance that will clarify implementation. Residents seeking immediate answers should contact village officials or review upcoming trustee meeting materials for the fee schedule and operational details.