Florida Court Records | Free Public Search 2026

Florida Court Records Overview

Florida court records are official records created in Florida’s judicial system. They may include case numbers, party names, docket entries, charges, complaints, petitions, motions, orders, judgments, hearing dates, sentencing details, probate filings, family case events, and public document images where online access is allowed.

The biggest mistake people make is assuming Florida has one statewide trial court search for all counties. Florida trial court records are commonly maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller in each county. That means a Miami-Dade case, Orange County case, Broward County case, Hillsborough County case, Palm Beach County case, Duval County case or Pinellas County case may each be searched through a different clerk portal.

Florida public court records: what is usually online?

Where to Search Florida Court Records by Case Type

Florida court record search depends on the type of case. A traffic ticket, divorce case, felony case, probate case and appeal do not always live in the same public search system. Use the table below before you waste time on the wrong portal.

Florida court records search by user intent

County Clerk Court Records Search

For most Florida court records, the county clerk is the real source of truth. Each county clerk maintains records for cases filed in that county’s circuit and county courts. The official statewide shortcut is the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers directory, which helps you find the right county clerk.

How to search Florida court records through a county clerk

1. Identify the correct county Use the county where the case was filed, where the arrest happened, where the lawsuit was filed, where the divorce was started, or where the probate estate was opened.
2. Open the official clerk directory Go to Florida Clerk Directory and select the county.
3. Find the court records search page Look for labels such as “Court Records Search,” “Case Search,” “Online Court Records,” “Public Records Search,” “Court Case Search,” or “Clerk Case Search.”
4. Search by case number first If you have the case number, use it. If not, search by party name, business name, attorney name, citation number or filing date when available.
5. Verify before relying on the result Confirm the party name, county, case type, filing date, date of birth if shown, court division, and docket entries.

Popular Florida county clerk court records pages users commonly need

Florida Case Number Lookup

A Florida case number search is the cleanest way to find a record. It avoids common-name confusion and helps you reach the correct case faster. A case number may appear on notices, citations, arrest paperwork, summons, petitions, complaints, orders, judgments, payment plans and court emails.

How to search Florida court records by case number

1. Copy the full case number exactly Do not skip letters, dashes or leading zeros. County clerk portals may be strict about format.
2. Choose the county clerk portal Search in the county where the case was filed. A case number from Broward may not work in Orange County’s portal.
3. Select the correct court division Choose criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic or appellate search if the portal asks for case type.
4. Open the docket or register of actions Review case events, filings, hearings, orders, disposition and document image availability.
5. Save the official details Write down the case number, court division, judge, filing date and document titles if you need copies.

Florida Court Records by Name Search

A name search is useful when you do not know the case number. Most Florida county clerk portals allow some form of party-name search, but the exact search rules vary by county. Some portals support partial names, business names, date filters, case type filters or advanced search options.

Florida court case search by name: micro steps

1. Start with last name and first name Use the legal name first. Add middle initial only if too many results appear.
2. Try spelling variations Search hyphenated names, maiden names, former names, initials, nicknames and business punctuation variations.
3. Filter by county and case type Choose criminal, civil, family, probate, small claims or traffic if the portal offers filters.
4. Confirm identity carefully Check date of birth if visible, address if available, filing date, party role, case type and attorney information.
5. Do not use name match as proof A name-only result can be wrong. For official use, request certified records or use authorized screening channels.

Florida Criminal Court Records

Florida criminal court records may include felony cases, misdemeanor cases, criminal traffic cases, charging documents, arraignment events, plea entries, sentencing records, probation-related events, warrants in a case, orders and public docket entries. Criminal court records are searched through the county clerk where the case was filed.

How to search Florida criminal court records online

1. Identify the county of arrest or filing Start with the county listed on the arrest record, citation, court notice, jail booking record or prosecutor paperwork.
2. Open the county clerk case search Use the official clerk website, not a private mugshot or background-check site.
3. Search by defendant name or case number Case number is best. If searching by name, confirm identity carefully.
4. Review disposition and sentencing entries Look for dismissed, nolle prosequi, adjudication withheld, guilty, sentence, probation, warrant, bond and hearing entries.
5. Request certified disposition if needed For immigration, licensing, school, employment or official proof, ask the clerk for certified copies or certified final disposition records.

Florida Civil Court Records

Florida civil court records include lawsuits between people, companies, landlords, tenants, lenders, contractors, insurers and other parties. Common civil searches include debt collection cases, personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, foreclosure, eviction, small claims, business disputes and civil judgments.

Florida civil case lookup by county clerk

1. Choose the county where the lawsuit was filed Civil cases are usually searched at the county clerk website.
2. Search by party or business name Try full company name, registered name, DBA name and common abbreviation.
3. Check case type and amount category Look for civil circuit, civil county, small claims, landlord-tenant, foreclosure or other division labels.
4. Review docket entries Check complaint, answer, motions, hearing dates, orders, judgments and satisfaction entries.
5. Request copies if document images are not online Some counties show only the docket publicly and require a copy request for full documents.

Florida civil court records people commonly search

Florida Family Court and Divorce Records

Florida family court records may include divorce, paternity, child support, custody, parenting plans, domestic violence injunctions, name changes and related family matters. Some family case information may be public, but sensitive details and certain documents can be restricted.

How to search Florida divorce records online

1. Search the county where the divorce was filed Use the county clerk portal for that county.
2. Choose family case search Look for “family,” “domestic relations,” “dissolution of marriage,” or “divorce” case type.
3. Search by party name or case number Use both spouses’ names if one search does not work.
4. Check final judgment availability If you need proof of divorce, ask for a certified final judgment or certified divorce decree copy.
5. Expect privacy limits Child, financial, social security, domestic violence and protected address information may not appear publicly online.

Florida Probate and Guardianship Records

Florida probate records cover estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorship-style matters, administration filings and related orders. Probate records are usually searched through the county clerk where the estate was opened or where the decedent lived.

How to search Florida probate records by name

1. Identify the probate county Start with the county where the person lived, owned property, died, or where the estate was filed.
2. Open the county clerk search Choose probate or guardianship if the system has a case type filter.
3. Search by decedent name Try full legal name, middle initial, former names and spelling variations.
4. Review docket and parties Look for petitioner, personal representative, attorney, filing date, letters of administration and orders.
5. Request certified probate copies Banks, title companies and out-of-state courts often require certified copies, not screenshots.

Florida Traffic Ticket and Citation Search

Florida traffic citations are handled through the clerk of court in the county listed on the citation. Some traffic payments can be routed through PayFLClerk, which redirects users to the selected county clerk payment site.

How to search and pay a Florida traffic ticket

1. Find the county on your citation The county is usually printed near the top of the ticket.
2. Open PayFLClerk or the county clerk site Use PayFLClerk.com or the county clerk’s traffic page.
3. Enter citation number Use the citation number exactly as shown. Some counties also allow driver license search.
4. Review your options before paying Payment may be treated as a conviction in some situations and points may apply if applicable.
5. Save proof of payment Keep confirmation numbers, receipts and court emails.

Florida Appellate Court Records ACIS Search

Florida appellate court records are searched through the official Appellate Case Information System (ACIS). ACIS provides access to dockets and available case documents for Florida’s Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal.

How to search Florida Supreme Court and DCA cases

1. Open ACIS Go to acis.flcourts.gov.
2. Choose case search or party search Use case search when you have the appellate case number. Use party search when you only know a name.
3. Filter by court or date Select Supreme Court, District Court of Appeal, case type, filing date or party role when available.
4. Review docket and available documents Check notices, orders, briefs, opinions, lower tribunal details and filing events.
5. Do not confuse trial and appellate numbers An appellate case number is different from the county trial court case number, though the docket may reference the lower tribunal case.

When ACIS is the right search tool

• Florida Supreme Court docket search
• Florida District Court of Appeal case search
• Florida appellate party search
• Appeal from county or circuit court
• Writs, petitions, appellate briefs and opinions

Certified Copies and Court Record Requests

A court portal screenshot is not the same as a certified copy. Certified copies are often required for immigration, licensing, divorce proof, name changes, adoption-related processes, probate, title transfers, appeals, expungement, professional boards and official record correction.

How to request certified Florida court records

1. Find the case number and county Use the online docket first to confirm the case number, party names and document title.
2. Go to the county clerk copy request page Each county clerk has its own copy request process, payment method and delivery rules.
3. Specify certified or uncertified Ask clearly for “certified copy” if official proof is required.
4. List exact documents Examples: final judgment, disposition, order, petition, complaint, docket, sentencing document or letters of administration.
5. Pay the clerk fee Fees vary by county and copy type. Verify current fee on the official clerk page before ordering.

Confidential, Sealed and Restricted Records

Florida has strong public access rules, but some court information is confidential, sealed, restricted or blocked from remote viewing. Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 governs public access and protection of judicial branch records. Remote online access can also be limited by the Florida Supreme Court access standards and security matrix.

Florida court records that may be restricted

• Juvenile records in many case types
• Adoption records and certain dependency records
• Victim information in protected categories
• Domestic violence shelter or protected address information
• Social Security numbers and bank account details
• Medical, mental health and substance-abuse information
• Sealed criminal records or expunged records
• Documents sealed by court order

Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is the statewide electronic filing system for filing court documents. It connects users to Florida’s court system for e-filing, but it should not be confused with a public record search tool for every case in every county.

When to use the Florida E-Filing Portal

Federal Court Records in Florida

Federal court records in Florida are not searched through county clerk portals. They are searched through PACER and the federal courts. Florida has three federal district courts: Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and Southern District of Florida. Bankruptcy records are also federal records and are searched through PACER.

Florida federal court records search steps

1. Create or use a PACER account Go to pacer.uscourts.gov.
2. Choose the correct federal district Use Northern, Middle or Southern District of Florida depending on where the federal case was filed.
3. Search by party name or case number Case number is best. Party searches can return many results.
4. Review fees before downloading PACER charges may apply, though small quarterly usage may be waived under PACER rules.
5. Download or request documents Save docket reports, orders, complaints, judgments and federal filings as needed.

Florida federal court official links

Florida Courts Location and Map

The Florida state courts system is supported by the Office of the State Courts Administrator in Tallahassee. For local trial court records, use the specific county clerk where the case was filed. For appellate records, use ACIS.

Florida Supreme Court and State Courts Administration

Practical Search Tips for Florida Court Records

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Summary

For florida court records, the correct search path depends on the case type. Use the county clerk for most trial court records, ACIS for Florida Supreme Court and District Court of Appeal records, PayFLClerk or the county clerk for traffic citations, and PACER for federal records.

The smartest search order is simple: identify the county, use the official clerk portal, search by case number when possible, verify party identity, check privacy limits, and request certified copies when you need official proof. Do not rely on private lookup sites before checking the official court source.