Public Records
Welcome to the State of Florida Public Records Guide SM
Welcome to the State of Florida Public Records Guide. Select by topic (A-Z) below to find a public record, or choose from one of our popular searches to get the record for that area of interest:
- Florida Criminal Records
- Florida Marriage Records or click here
- Florida Court Records
- Florida Death Records
- Florida Driving Records
- Florida Divorce Records
- Florida Public Record Search A-Z
Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, commonly known as Florida's "Public Records Law," provides information on public records in Florida, including policies, definitions, exemptions, general information on records access, inspection, examination and duplication of records.
Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law: To assist the public and governmental agencies in understanding the requirements and exemptions to Florida's open government laws, the Attorney General's Office compiles a comprehensive guide known as the Government-in-the-Sunshine manual.
Examples of specific state agency records, subjects, sources and public information website links are included below; or click here for suggestions to help locate records when you are not sure exactly what you are looking for — or to research hard-to-find data.
Background Check
Types of Searches
Background Information Includes: Criminal report, sex offender check, lawsuits, judgments, liens, bankruptcies, home value & property ownership, 30 year address history, relatives & associates, neighbors, marriage records, and more.
People Search Includes: Current phone number, address history, age, birthdates, household members and more.
Phone Lookup By Name Includes: Up-to-the-minute information for any cell phone, unlisted & non-published numbers, residential, business, internet, pager or pay phone. Report also includes name, current address (when available), phone company, connection status and more.
Criminal Record Includes: Instant access to all criminal, felony, misdemeanor, sex offender and other criminal offense records.
AAA — Public Records — AAA
- Abandoned/Unclaimed Property — Florida Department of Financial Services
- Affidavits (Legal Search by Name, Location)
- Agreements (documents on file with county courthouse)
- Alcoholic Beverage & Tobacco Delinquencies
- Archives — State Archives & Records Management
- Assignments (county courthouse records)
- Attorney Search — See "Attorneys"
- Auto & Motor Vehicle Records — Crash Reports, Driving History, Previous Vehicle Owners, Data for Sale, Stolen Vehicles
BBB — Public Records — BBB
- Background Checks
- Bank Search — Financial Institution Search
- Banking & Finance (Licensing Records)
- Birth Certificates
- Business Records (State Records); SEE: "Business Search" — This includes corporations & other businesses registered in Florida, Trademarks, UCC Lien Filings, Fictitious Names or DBA "Doing Business As" Registrations, list of business owners, addresses, etc.
- Business Records (County Records & Court Filings)
- Business & Professional Regulation, Dept. of (Licensing Search) — for industries regulated by DBPR only: Includes — Accountants, Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Architecture & Interior Design, Athletic Agents, Building Code Inspection & Administration, Construction, Cosmetology & Barbers, Employee Leasing, Funeral Related, Geologists, Harbor Pilots, Landscape Architects, Surveyors, Talent Agencies, Veterinarians, Yacht & Shipbrokers | Or for: Real Estate, Pari-Mutuel Wagering, Certified Public Accountants, Asbestos Consultants, Building Code Administrators and Inspectors, Harbor Pilots, Electrical Contractors, and the Construction Industry
CCC — Public Records — CCC
- Campaign Contributions Database Search Florida Division of Elections
- Campaign Contributions (Who Gives, Who Gets) — OpenSecrets.org Guide
- Cemetery Records — Names in Florida cemeteries (by Surname) — Fla. Dept. of State
- Cemeteries — Locations (National Cemeteries)
- Charities Lookup — Florida Division of Consumer Services
- Grants — State Clearinghouse — Federal Award Search — Circulates applications for federal projects, including federal permits and funding activities in Florida
- Companies (Search) — Companies & other organizations registered in Florida, Corporations, Fictitious Names, DBA, Trademarks, UCC, Employers, Search companies that do business with the state (Florida Business Guide)
- Contracts & Deeds (on file with county courthouse)
- Corrections (Inmates, Escapes, Release Info) — Florida Law Enforcement Guide (State of Florida.com)
- Criminal History Information — Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
- County Official Records (MyFloridaCounty)
- Court Judgments (on file with county courthouse)
DDD — Public Records — DDD
- Death Certificates (to order) | Death Certificates (Search/Locate Records)
- Death Records — Social Security Death Index — Search by name, social security number, county, state, etc.
- Deeds & Contracts (on file with county courthouse)
- Divorce Records (Dissolution of Marriage)
- Driver Records — DMV, Auto Records, Drivers License Records
EEE — Public Records — EEE
- Economy Statistics — Fedstats
- Engineers — Professional Engineer (Licensing Search) — Florida Board of Professional Engineers
- Environmental Related Permits Under Review (Statewide) — Air, Stormwater, Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, Dredge & Fill, ERP, etc.
View By County | Search for Specific Application
FFF — Public Records — FFF
- Federal Activities & Projects in Florida — Florida State Clearinghouse
- Financial Institutions Lookup
- Firearms & Concealed Weapons (License Applications, Individual Records, Etc.) — Florida Department of State
- Fire Equipment Dealers (Search)
- Fugitives & Most Wanted (FDLE Florida Database)
- Funeral & Cemetery (Licensing Records)
GGG — Public Records — GGG
- Geographic Names Information System (Find a Place) — U.S. Geological Survey
- Grants & Funding Sources — State of Florida
- Gross State Product (Data) — Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Guns — Firearms & Concealed Weapons (Public Records; Licensing Records of Firms & Individuals) — Florida Department of State
- Guns — Stolen Guns (Search)
HHH — Public Records — HHH
- Hazardous Waste Sites in Florida
- Health Care Administration, Agency for (Public Records Office)
- Health Care Licensing Lookup (Doctors & Other Health Professionals)
- Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (Driver License Records, Auto Registration, Driver History)
III — Public Records — III
- Identity Theft Protection (Insurance Information)
- Insurance Agents, Adjusters & Representatives (Lookup)
- Insurance Companies Licensed to do Business in Florida
JJJ — Public Records — JJJ
- Judgment Lien Filing Inquiry (Division of Corporations) — To search for a Judgment filing document for interest in personal property
- Judgments (courthouse records on file)
LLL — Public Records — LLL
- Land (Real Estate for Sale) — Statewide
- Land Records (State Lands) — Division of State Lands (Active & Historical State Land Documents)
- Land Records (Local Property Records) — Property Records of Individuals & Businesses. Links to County Property Appraisers where property and related tax records are housed.
- Liens (Local Records Search) | Judgment Lien Inquiry (Statewide)
- Lis Pendens (Courthouse Records Search)
- Lobbyist Information — Florida Legislature
MMM — Public Records — MMM
- Marina Database — Marinas in the State of Florida — (sorted alphabetically by name)
- Marriage Records Search (Marriage Certificates by Name/Location)
» Marriage Records (to order) Florida Vital Statistics & Records
- Medical Records Law — Ownership and control of patient records; report or copies of records to be furnished to patient when requested (Florida Statutes, Chapter 456)
- Medical Doctors (Disciplinary Information) — by Public Citizen Organization
- Medical Wholesalers, Manufacturers, Retailers (Licensee Lookup)
- Medicine, Florida Board of (Records)
- Military Discharge/Separation (Records Search)
- Missing Persons — FDLE Search Database
- Mortgages (Search/Order Copies of Recordings)
- Most Wanted Persons — Florida Department of Law Enforcement records
- Motor Vehicle Records (Crash Reports, Locate the Owner of a Vehicle, Locate Previous Owners, Data for Sale, Stolen Vehicles)
- MyFloridaCounty (County Official Records)
NNN — Public Records — NNN
- Newspaper Headline Archive (Current News) — State of Florida.com
- Newspaper Article Database (Historical) 1762 to 1885 — UF Library
- Newspaper Public Notices — Select from recent public notices placed in Florida newspapers — Florida Press Association. Note: Requires registration and sign-in.
- Notice of Commencement (Search Local Records)
- Notice of Contest of Lien (Search Local Records)
- Notices (Legal Search)
OOO — Public Records — OOO
- Obituaries Database — Obituary Daily Times
- Obituary Project — USGenWeb Project More genealogy resources (click here)
PPP — Public Records — PPP
- People Search — Updated phone and address information (Yahoo.com)
- Pest Control Complaints (Complaint History Records) — Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
- Photo Archives of Florida | Search — Florida Memory Project
- Plats & Property Records
- Power of Attorney Records
- Private Investigators (Public Records Lookup) — Florida Department of State
- Probate Documents & Records
- Professions & Occupations (Licensing Records Search) — Professional Regulation Licensing Search (covers industries regulated by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation only); OTHER Professions & Industries
- Professions & Occupations (Licensing Records) — Private Investigators, Security Agencies, Recovery Agency, Related Schools (Covers occupations regulated by the Florida Department of State)
- Property Records, Deeds & Plats (Search/Locate/Order Copies)
Also See "Property Appraisers" for local offices
- Property for Sale — Real Estate (Searchable)
- Public Documents (Florida State Documents Depository Program)
- Public Records (County & Local Courthouse Records) — Many types of public records are accessible in person through local county courthouses in Florida
- Public Records (State Records Retention Requirements by Agency) — State records retention guidelines
RRR — Public Records — RRR
- Real Estate Information
- Recovery Agency/Agencies Records — Florida Dept. of State
- Release Records Search
- Restaurant Disciplinary Activity Reports — Department of Business & Professional Regulation
- Restriction (Search Court Records)
SSS — Public Records — SSS
- Satisfaction (Search by Name/Location)
- Securities (Financial Licensing Records)
- Security Agency/Agencies (Records) — Florida Dept. of State
- Florida Department of State (Public Records Request)
- Sex Offenders/Predators Search System — Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- Social Security Statistics for Florida — Number receiving benefits by program and dollar totals
- Statistics for Florida — Pop, Econ, etc.
- Stolen Property Database — FDLE
- Stolen Vehicle Search — Motor Vehicle Records
- State Agency Records (Guidelines & Retention Policies)
TTT — Public Records — TTT
- Telephone Lookup (People Search) — Phone Numbers & Address Information
- Telephone Lookup (Reverse Phone Directory)Find name, address and map location by phone number
- Termination Records (Local Courthouse Records)
- Tourism Statistics & Facts — Travel Stats — Visit Florida, Inc.
Note: Registration & email address may be required by Visit Florida to view this information.
- Transfer Records (Search Local Courthouse Records)
UUU — Public Records — UUU
- UCC Financing Statements (Search)
- Unclaimed Money
- Unclaimed Property Database
- Utility Regulation Records — Florida Public Service Commission
VVV — Public Records — VVV
- Vendor Payment History Info. (State Contractors, Vendors)
State of Florida Comptroller's Office
- Veterans Affairs & Documents — U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- Vital Statistics & Records — Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce Records
WWW — Public Records — WWW
- Wills & Probate Records — (Click Here) for local courthouse and county official records. PLEASE NOTE: Not all counties maintain records online. However, records can usually be obtained at minimal charge at the courthouse in the county where the person resided. Contact the local clerk of the courts office for assistance with records in a particular county.
- Workers' Compensation Compliance Database — Proof of Coverage (By Employer)
More State Records & Sources
- Search County & County Court Official Records by Individual, Business Name, County/City/Regional Location, Document Type, Date, etc.
- State Archives & Records — Bureau of Archives & Records Management
- State Agency Records Guidelines — This link includes information (by agency) which spells out which types of business records, or records of entities regulated by the state, must be maintained, for what period of time, statutory requirements, etc.
- Florida Regulated Industries Guide — State of Florida.com resource shows industries, professions, occupations and activities regulated in Florida, with links to regulating agencies and information sources. (See which organizations oversee various regulated activities — These are excellent sources for associated records, company information, research regarding competitors in a particular industry, lists of professionals, mailing addresses, industry statistics, etc.)
- SEE ALSOwhat various state agencies and other organizations do.
(This may give you a better idea of the types of records which may be available from a particular office.)Consumer Information News
State of Florida.com
Related Organizations & Information
- First Amendment Foundation, Tallahassee, FL
- The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, University of Florida
- Driver & Motor Vehicle Records — How to Protect Your Personal Information State of Florida.com
