Pinellas County Court Records

Pinellas County court records are legal documents that provide official information about judicial proceedings handled by the local court system. These records are primarily maintained by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office. According to Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420, court records are accessible to the public. However, there are certain exemptions.

Pinellas County court records contain various documents, each containing information about relevant judicial proceedings. These include, but are not limited to, case filings, judgments, court orders, dockets, transcripts, etc.

Are Pinellas County Court Records Public?

Yes. Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420and Florida's Public Records Law establish the general public's judicial right to access Pinellas County court records. As a result, court records are usually accessible to everyone who requests them from the appropriate custodian.

Notwithstanding, certain court records are statutorily exempt from public access due to privacy concerns, while others are exempt due to court order. Some examples of these records include, but are not limited to, adoption records, grand jury records, expunged or sealed records, and juvenile delinquency records. Some public records may contain sensitive information, such as Social Security Numbers, that is considered confidential. The sensitive information would be redacted in such cases, while the rest of the record would be made public.

What Information is Available in Pinellas County Court Records?

The information contained in Pinellas County court records varies by case type (e.g., civil, criminal, probate, guardianship, etc.). However, most records provide a general case overview, typically including the following details:

• Case type
• Filing date
• Case statute
• Case number
• Judicial officer
• Presiding court
• Party (plaintiff's and defendant) names and their attorneys' details (if applicable)

Pinellas County Court Records Search

Record seekers can search and access the Pinellas County court records through the county clerk of the Circuit Court in person or online.

Online Access

The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's Public Access Case Record Website provides online access to public case records data and images per the Florida Supreme Court's Access Security Matrix. Users can search for court records on the website by party name, case number, attorney details, or calendar details. Fortunately, there are no fees for viewing or accessing court records through the website. However, searches for juvenile, mental health, guardianship, probate, and domestic relations cases will return incomplete results. In such cases, eligible persons can contact the clerk's office directly to access complete records.

In-Person Access

The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's offices are equipped with terminals that record seekers can use to search for court records on site electronically. Thus, interested persons may use these terminals by visiting the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office during working hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). Alternatively, they can make an in-person request for court records at a $7.00 per name, plus $2.00 per year fee. To identify the sought-after record, they must provide sufficient information, such as the case number, case party names, or filing date.

Mail and Phone Requests

Record seekers can draft a written request containing sufficient information about the sought-after record and their contact information, and mail it to the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office. Alternatively, they can make phone requests by contacting the clerk's office at:

Fees for Court Records in Pinellas County

According to the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office fee schedule, the cost for copies of court records varies depending on the medium used. For instance, the fee for requesting microfilm copies of any public record, including court records, is $42 16mm 100' microfilm roll or CD, and $60 for a 35mm 100' microfilm roll. Meanwhile, paper copies can cost as low as 0.15 per one-sided copy and 0.20 per two-sided copy. However, certifying a copy of court records costs $2.

It is worth noting that Pinellas County vital records are available through the Florida Department of Health at $5 (divorce or marriage certificate), $9 (death certificate), and $13 (birth certificate).

Pinellas County Courthouse Locations

Pinellas has four courthouse locations, each of which houses a county and circuit court with different jurisdictions and offers various services:

• Clearwater Courthouse: handles civil cases and probate matters.
• Pinellas County Justice Center: exclusively handles criminal cases.
• North County Branch: issues marriage licenses, performs marriage ceremonies, handles small claims, and certain probate matters (i.e, New Estates, Baker Act, and Marchman Act petitions)
• St. Petersburg Branch: This branch also issues marriage licenses, performs marriage ceremonies, and handles most civil and probate cases.

The contact information and addresses of the Pinellas County courthouse locations are as follows:

Criminal Records Access in Pinellas County

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Division of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), serves as Florida's central custodian for criminal records. As a result, criminal records generated by criminal justice agencies across Florida, including Pinellas County, are reported to the FDLE. In turn, the FDLE provides public access to this information upon request.

Record seekers can request criminal records from the FDLE in two ways: instant search or certified/non-certified search. Instant searches can be conducted online through the Instant Florida Criminal History Search portal, cost $24.00 per search, and are subject to a $1.00 credit card processing fee. Results are provided immediately and will not be certified. On the other hand, certified/non-certified searches can be conducted through the Florida Criminal History Search portal for $24.00. However, results can be notarized and processing time spans between five (5) business days and seven (7) business days.

Pinellas County Probate Records

Pinellas County probate records encompass records of estate cases, guardianships of minors and incapacitated persons cases, Baker Act cases involving mental health disorders, Marchman Act cases involving drug and alcohol abuse, and will dispute cases. Generally, probate records are not public and are only available to eligible persons. These include parties to the probate case and their legal representatives.

Eligible persons can access probate cases online through the Court Records Registered User or Attorney Login portal provided by Pinellas County clerk or the Circuit Court and Comptroller. However, users must log in or register an account to access the portal. Alternatively, they can visit the clerk's office to search for probate records electronically on public terminals provided in the office or make an in-person request for paper copies of the sought-after record.

Pinellas County Family Court Records

Pinellas County Circuit Court's Family Division hears family law cases. These include dissolution of marriage, name change, paternity, domestic violence, and adoption cases. Family Court records are not entirely public in Pinellas County. Eligible persons can access family court records online through the Court Records Registered User or Attorney Login portal. Alternatively, they can visit the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office to request paper copies of these records in person or use available terminals to search for records electronically.

Federal Court Records in Pinellas County

The Florida Middle District Court handles most federal cases in Pinellas County. This federal court has five (5) courthouse locations, and the closest one to Pinellas County is in Tampa. Record seekers can contact the clerk's office of these courthouses to obtain federal court records in Pinellas County. Alternatively, they can use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) to access relevant dockets and case information online.