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Florida public records: who holds what

In Florida, deeds are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in most places; birth and death certificates come from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics / county health departments; and requests for other government records fall under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) and Article I, Section 24, Florida Constitution. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Florida
  2. Public records law in Florida
  3. Probate records and wills in Florida
  4. How Florida organizes its records
  5. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  6. Counties in Florida
  7. Warnings from official sources
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Official directories
  10. Sources

Who holds what in Florida

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsClerk of the Circuit Court (county recorder) in each of the 67 counties, unless a special law approved by county voters assigns recorder duties to another officer1$1.00 per page (up to 14 x 8.5 in.); $5.00 per page for larger pages2
Property recordsCounty Property Appraiser (elected constitutional officer) values property as of January 1 and applies exemptions3—
Court recordsUnified state court system: Supreme Court, District Courts of Appeal, circuit courts and county courts; records kept by the elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in each county (who is also clerk of the county court)4Copies $1.00/page; certification $2.00 per instrument (court record); search $2.00 per year searched2
Marriage recordsLicense issued and recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court (or county court judge) in the county; state copy at DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics from June 6, 19275DOH by mail/walk-in: $5 (search of one calendar year + one certified copy, non-refundable); $4 each additional; $2 per extra year searched when exact year unknown (max $50); $10 rush (required for same-day walk-in on records before 1970); $1 shipping and handling. VitalChek online: $15 state fee (incl. $5 search + $10 rush) + $7 VitalChek fee; $4 additional copies6
Divorce recordsDivorce (dissolution) judgment/court file: Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where granted; certificate (abstract) from DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics for June 6, 1927 to present7DOH by mail/walk-in: $5 (search of one calendar year + one certified copy, non-refundable); $4 each additional; $2 per extra year searched when exact year unknown (max $50); $10 rush (required for same-day walk-in on records before 1970); $1 shipping and handling. VitalChek online: $15 state fee (incl. $5 search + $10 rush) + $7 VitalChek fee; $4 additional copies7
Birth certificatesFlorida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics (Jacksonville); also county health departments for 1917-present8DOH mail/walk-in: $9 first computer-generated certification (includes non-refundable search fee); $4 each additional; photocopy certificate $14 first/$4 additional (photocopies not available via VitalChek; same-day walk-in requires $10 rush); $1 shipping and handling; $2 per extra calendar year searched. VitalChek: $19 state fee (incl. $9 search + $10 rush) + $7 VitalChek fee; $4 additional8
Death certificatesDOH Bureau of Vital Statistics; county health departments for deaths 2009-present9DOH: $5 search (one year) + one certified copy (non-refundable); $4 each additional; $2/extra year (max $50); $10 rush (required for same-day walk-in on records before 2009); $1 shipping and handling. VitalChek: $15 state fee (incl. $5 search + $10 rush) + $7 VitalChek fee9
Probate and willsClerk of the Circuit Court (probate is a circuit court matter); original wills must be deposited with the clerk within 10 days after learning of death10Court-record copy $1/page, certification $2 (s. 28.24)2

Public records law in Florida

Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) and Article I, Section 24, Florida Constitution (Ch. 119, F.S.; Art. I, s. 24, Fla. Const.) Read the law11

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any person; purpose need not be stated; request need not be in writing (for executive/local agency records under Ch. 119); judicial-branch records under Rule 2.420 require a written request12
Response time
No fixed statutory deadline; custodian must acknowledge promptly and respond in good faith; only delay allowed is the limited reasonable time to retrieve the record and redact exempt portions13
Copy fees
Up to 15 cents per one-sided copy (up to 14 x 8.5 in.); no more than an additional 5 cents per two-sided copy; actual cost for other copies; up to $1 per certified copy; a reasonable special service charge may be added for extensive IT or clerical/supervisory work; fees prescribed by other law (e.g., clerk fees in s. 28.24) take precedence12
If a request is refused
No administrative appeal body. Options: voluntary Attorney General public records mediation program (s. 16.60 F.S.); civil action in circuit court with an immediate (accelerated) hearing (s. 119.11); attorney fees if the agency unlawfully refused and 5 business days' written notice was given (s. 119.12)14
What is exempt
Exemptions only by general law passed by two-thirds vote stating public necessity; custodian must redact only the exempt part, cite the statutory exemption, and state reasons in writing on request4
Official guide
myfloridalegal.com/… Florida Attorney General, Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual (2025 edition, Vol. 47)15
More on the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) and Article I, Section 24, Florida Constitution
Constitutional right
Constitutional right of access to public records4

How to write a public records request

Probate records and wills in Florida

Who holds it
Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate is a circuit court matter); original wills must be deposited with the clerk within 10 days after learning of death10
Fees
Court-record copy $1/page, certification $2 (s. 28.24)2
Online restrictions
Probate court records may not be posted as images on public recorder websites16

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Florida organizes its records

  • Split clerk/recorder duties. The Constitution allows a special law approved by voters to assign recorder/comptroller duties to an officer other than the clerk; the statute anticipates counties where official records are kept outside the clerk's office.2
  • Clerk duties may be divided. Clerk of court duties may be split between a clerk of court and an ex officio clerk/auditor/recorder by special or general law.4
  • Free property fraud alerts. Every clerk must run a free recording notification service (since July 1, 2024) that emails registrants when a deed/mortgage is recorded against a monitored name or parcel.17
  • Statewide business names. DBAs/fictitious names are state (Sunbiz) filings, not county filings.18
  • Judicial records rule. Court records are governed by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.420 (written request required), not only Ch. 119.13

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Division of Criminal Justice Information Services19
Who may order
Public: persons in the private sector may obtain adult criminal history information on payment of the fee20
Fee
$24 per name (statutory); Instant online search $24 + $1 card processing fee; certified/non-certified search $2419
How to request
Online only since July 1, 2020 (mail forms discontinued); Instant search results are not certified19

Sex offender registry

Official registry
offender.fdle.state.fl.us/… FDLE Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators public registry21
Phone
Toll-free public access line required by statute; FDLE Offender Registry Services Bureau: 1-888-357-7332, [email protected]21

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/OffenderSearch Florida Department of Corrections Offender Search (state prison and state supervision)22
County jails
County jail inmates are not in the state DOC database; each county elects a sheriff, but which agency runs the jail (sheriff or a county corrections department) must be checked per county4

Voter records

Public or restricted
Public record, with exemptions (SSN, driver license and FL ID numbers, where registered, declinations, 16-17-year-old preregistrants confidential; signatures exempt from copying)23
How
Statewide voter extract file from the Division of Elections: request by email or mail with contact details; file is delivered on disk by mail (or pick-up), not by email or online; monthly schedule; standing requests expire each calendar year23

Business names (DBA)

Assumed names (DBA)
Fictitious names (DBAs) are registered statewide with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) - not with counties; must advertise once in a newspaper in the county of principal place of business; registration lasts 5 years18
Search
dos.sunbiz.org/ficinam.html Sunbiz fictitious name and entity search24
Fee
$50 to register a fictitious name; $50 renewal (every 5 years); $50 cancellation or cancellation and re-registration; $30 certified copy of a registration; $10 certificate of status (nonrefundable processing fees)18

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
floridaucc.com/uccweb UCC financing statements: Florida Secured Transaction Registry, operated by private vendor Image API, LLC under the Department of State since Oct. 1, 200125
Judgment liens personal
Judgment liens on personal property: Department of State judgment lien file, valid 5 years, renewable once26
Judgment liens real
Liens on real property: certified copy of judgment recorded in county official records (clerk/recorder)27
Federal tax liens
Federal tax liens recorded in county official records1

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
floridagio.gov Florida Geographic Information Office (administered by FDEP) and its Statewide Geospatial Open Data Portal28
Parcel data
Parcel maps are maintained by county property appraisers; DOR publishes public tax roll data29

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
floridamemory.com State Archives of Florida (Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services); Florida Memory digital collections30
Early vitals
Pre-1927 marriages/divorces at county clerks; limited state births 1850-1917 and deaths 1877-19176
Old births
Birth records over 125 years old are open to anyone31

Counties in Florida

36 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 67 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.32

Warnings from official sources

  • DOH warns to use only VitalChek for online vital-record orders8
  • Free statewide clerk property fraud alert (s. 28.47) - use it to detect fraudulent deeds17
  • Example clerk guidance: monitor records to protect against fraud33

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Florida office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 33 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. S. 28.222 F.S. Clerk to be county recorderThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  2. S. 28.24 F.S. Service charges (clerk of the circuit court)The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  3. Local Officials (property appraisers, tax collectors)Florida Department of Revenue, Property Tax Oversight
  4. Constitution of the State of Florida (Art. I s. 24; Art. V ss. 1, 16; Art. VIII s. 1(d))The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  5. S. 741.01 F.S. Marriage license; feeThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  6. Marriage CertificatesFlorida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics
  7. Divorce or Annulment CertificatesFlorida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics
  8. Birth CertificatesFlorida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics
  9. Death CertificatesFlorida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics
  10. S. 732.901 F.S. Production of willsThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  11. S. 119.01 F.S. General state policy on public recordsThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  12. S. 119.07 F.S. Inspection and copying of records; fees; exemptionsThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  13. 2025 Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual, Volume 47 (PDF)Florida Office of the Attorney General
  14. S. 119.11 F.S. Accelerated hearing; immediate complianceThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  15. Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual (landing page)Florida Office of the Attorney General
  16. S. 28.2221 F.S. Electronic access to official recordsThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  17. S. 28.47 F.S. Recording notification serviceThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  18. S. 865.09 F.S. Fictitious Name ActThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  19. State of Florida Criminal History Record CheckFlorida Department of Law Enforcement
  20. S. 943.053 F.S. Dissemination of criminal justice information; feesThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  21. S. 943.043 F.S. Internet notification; sexual predator and sexual offender informationThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  22. Corrections Offender Information Network - Offender SearchFlorida Department of Corrections
  23. Voter Extract Request - Division of ElectionsFlorida Department of State, Division of Elections
  24. Fictitious Name forms - Division of CorporationsFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations
  25. UCC Information - Division of CorporationsFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations
  26. Judgment Lien forms - Division of CorporationsFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations
  27. S. 55.10 F.S. Judgment liens on real propertyThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  28. State of Florida Geographic Information OfficeFlorida Department of Environmental Protection (Florida GIO)
  29. Florida Property Tax Data PortalFlorida Department of Revenue, Property Tax Oversight
  30. Florida Memory (State Library and Archives of Florida)Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services (State Archives of Florida)
  31. S. 382.025 F.S. Certified copies of vital records; confidentialityThe Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
  32. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  33. Property Fraud AlertHillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller