St. Johns County Court Records

St. Johns County court records are official documents related to the adjudications done by the local courts in the county. These court records are usually electronic data, written/ printed articles, exhibits, video/audio recordings, photographs, and other materials filed or produced during a legal proceeding.

The St. Johns County judicial branch preserves court records as reference/educational materials. They also serve as official accounts of cases handled by the courts in the county and may be used by members of the public to monitor the activities of the judiciary. Case parties may also inspect court records for legal purposes, such as filing an appeal.

In St. Johns County, Florida, the County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller is the designated custodian of court records. The information generally incorporated in St. Johns County court records are pleadings, affidavits, appeals, court dockets, case information, calendars, administrative records, judgments, and motions.

Are Court Records Public in St. Johns County?

Yes. Per the Florida Sunshine Law (Fla. Stat.§ 119.011 and Fla. Stat.§ 119.0714), court records are considered part of the St. Johns County public records. Hence, any interested person may inspect and obtain copies of court records on request. However, adoption records, juvenile case information, and confidential court records sealed by law are not publicly available.

Rule 2.420 of the Florida Rule of Judicial Administration governs the maintenance and public availability of judicial records. It also outlines some exemptions to public accessibility of court records, which include:

• Memoranda of trial and appellate courts
• Judicial conference records
• Written notes or drafts of judges and other court staff
• Copies of outstanding search and arrest warrants
• Any court record deemed confidential by a court ruling or case decision.

Johns County Court Records Search

A St. Johns County court record search can be performed through any of the following options:

• The County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office
• The courthouse where the record was produced
• Public terminals provided at the Judicial center
• Online platforms accessed on the County Clerk's website
• Private third-party websites.

St. Johns County Court Records Search by Name

A court record search by name typically entails searching for court records using a case party name or business name where applicable. To search for St. Johns County court records by name, one may query the County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office in person or send mail requests with a record subject's full name to:

St. Johns County Clerk of Court
Attn: Research
4010 Lewis Speedway
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Email: cocresearch@sjccoc.us
Phone: (904) 819-3600 ext.4353
Fax: (904) 819-3692

The case search page featured on the Clerk's website or the public terminals at the courthouses may also be used to search for court records by name online. The Clerk's office charges a research fee of $2 for searches where the case number is not provided and $5 per quarter research hour for requests longer than 15 minutes. Additionally, there is a $1 fee per page for reproducing court records and a $2 or $7 charge for obtaining certified or exemplified copies, respectively.

St. Johns County Courts

The St. Johns County court system, which is part of the Florida Middle Judicial District, consists of the Circuit Court and the County Court. The Circuit Court has jurisdiction to handle felonies and civil matters with more than $15,000 in claims. The County Court, on the other hand, resolves cases of misdemeanors and civil claims less than or equal to $15,000.

The locations and contact information of both courts are outlined below:

St. Johns County Circuit Court
Richard O. Watson Judicial Center
4010 Lewis Speedway
St Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: (904) 819-3600
Fax: (904) 819-3661

St. Johns County Courthouse
Richard O. Watson Judicial Center
4010 Lewis Speedway
St Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: (904) 819-3600
Fax: (904) 819-3661

Johns County Circuit Court Case Search

To search for St. Johns Circuit court case records, inquirers may visit the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's Office in person or send mail requests to begin the search. In addition, the Judicial Center in St. Johns County has public access terminals via which researchers can access case records. The fees for reviewing and copying St. Johns County court case records comply with Florida statute 28.24.

The Online Case Search Portal maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court may also be utilized to search for court case records. This search portal requires the user to input a party name, case number, citation number, case type, or filing date range to facilitate the search process. Researchers may choose to search the portal anonymously or register an account.

St. Johns County District Court Records

The Fifth District Court of Appeals for the State of Florida has jurisdiction in St. Johns County. To request St. Johns County District court records, interested individuals can contact the Clerk of Court by physical visits during business hours. Alternatively, the Online Docket search tool can be used to examine district court of appeal records by inputting a name, case number, or filing date.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal
300 South Beach Street
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Phone: (386) 947-1530

St. Johns County Criminal Records

Florida State Statute 119.07 considers most St. Johns County criminal records publicly accessible, whereas Florida Statutes 943.053 and 985.04 permit only record subjects or authorized persons access to juvenile criminal records.

Persons interested in obtaining a complete history report may query the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). FDLE charges $24 for criminal history records and accepts requests sent in person, via mail or email using the following information:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Criminal History Services
2331 Phillips Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Email: backgroundchecks@fdle.state.fl.us
Phone: (850) 410-8161

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office provides local records checks for criminal activities within the county for a fee of $0.15 or $0.20 per single or double-sided page. There is also a certification fee of $1 for obtaining certified copies of criminal records. The information that can be retrieved from the sheriff's office is limited to St. Johns County arrest records and does not include a complete criminal history check. To obtain a local record check:

• Submit a request via the Sheriff's Public Records Online Portal
• Call (904) 810-6610 during official hours to speak with a Records Personnel
• Submit a completed Records Check Form via mail.

St. Johns County Sheriff's Office
Attn: Records
4015 Lewis Speedway
St. Augustine, FL 32084.

Johns County Criminal Court Case Lookup

St. Johns County criminal case information, and records of misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic cases can be looked up in the County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's Office. In-person or mail requests can be submitted by filling out a Request for Records Research form and paying the applicable fees.

The online Court Case Search platform hosted on the Clerk's website may also be used to look up publicly available criminal court case records. To use the online platform, the researcher may either log into an existing account, create a new account or continue the search as a public user. The user will then be required to enter an offender's name, case or citation number, a filing date and select the type of criminal case information needed.

Get St. Johns County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are materials, articles, and papers filed in the course of a civil suit. They include pleadings, motions, affidavits, warrants, injunctions, opinions, judgments, and requisitions. The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller is the custodian of Civil court records. To get St. Johns County civil court records, members of the public may walk into the Clerk's office during regular hours or mail their requests to:

St. Johns County Circuit Court
Richard O. Watson Judicial Center
4010 Lewis Speedway
St Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: (904) 819-3600
Fax: (904) 819-3661

Civil court records have a fee of $1 per copy, $2 per additional document, and $7 for exemplification attached by the County Clerk's office. Also, the staff of the Clerk's office may charge additional fees for extended request processing times.

There is also the option of obtaining civil court records online via the Clerk's Case Search app. This online search application requires a case party name, civil suit number, date range, or citation number to streamline the search.

Johns County Family Court Records

The St. Johns County Circuit Court has a Family Court Division. The family court division handles cases related to marriage dissolution/ annulment, child custody/ support, juvenile delinquency/ dependency, paternity, change of name, adoptions, and protective injunctions.

St. Johns County Family Court records are maintained by the County Clerk of the Circuit Court and generally available to members of the public unless otherwise stated by law. For instance, records regarding adoption, juveniles, and domestic/sexual abuse are sealed from public access by state laws.

To obtain family court records, one may need to visit the office of the County Clerk of the Circuit Court in person or utilize the online search portal provided on the Clerk's website.

St. Johns County Dissolution of Marriage Records

St. Johns County Dissolution of Marriage records are family court records; hence, they may be obtained physically from the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office or remotely via the online platform. To obtain Dissolution of Marriage records remotely:

• Go to the Case Search page
• Enter a party/attorney name or case number
• Click on the Case type button and select "Dissolution".
• Input a filing date range to narrow down the search

The search portal contains information about the case status, case description, the claimant's address, and other public case details created from Dissolution of Marriage adjudications in the county.

St. Johns County Marriage and Divorce Records

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is responsible for preserving St. Johns County Marriage and Divorce Records. Marriage Records contain information about the marriages conducted in the county, while Divorce Records are reports of legal annulments/separations filed with the court clerk.

Uncertified copies of St. John's marriage and divorce records, including divorce decrees, marriage licenses, and certificates, can be retrieved from the Official Records Search tool found on the Online Research page of the Clerk's website for free. To use this online tool, the researcher can search for records by name, document type, or record date.

Certified copies of Marriage and divorce records can be obtained from the Clerk's office for a fee of $1 per page and $2 for certification. Written requests containing party names and payments (made payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court) can be submitted in person or by mail to:

St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Recording Department
4010 Lewis Speedway
St. Augustine, FL 32084.

Persons interested in obtaining marriage and divorce records should note that sealed or confidential records can only be accessed by the individuals whose names are on the certificates or any other person with a court order granting access to such records. Furthermore, a valid means of identification may be demanded by the record custodian to view confidential marriage/ divorce records.

Johns County Birth and Death Records

Birth and Death records are part of St. Johns County Vital records. The Bureau of Vital Statistics at the Florida Department of Health( FDH) is the official custodian of Birth and Death Certificates.

In a bid to curb identity theft and prevent the exposure of sensitive private information, birth and death records (that contain the cause of death) are not public records. Hence, only the record subject (above 18 years old), siblings, parents, or an authorized legal representative can request birth and death records. The FDH charges $15 for birth certificates and $10 for certified copies of birth certificates.

To obtain a birth or death certificate, one may

• Walk into the St. Johns County Office of Vital Statistics within office hours, or
• Mail or fax an appropriate completed application form with payment to:

Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County
200 San Sebastian View
Saint Augustine, FL 32084
Fax: (904) 823-4062
Phone: (904) 506-6081 x6092.

St. Johns County Probate Court Records

Probate Court records are records that pertain to guardianships and the distribution of a deceased's possessions and estates to beneficiaries as stated in a will. The Probate Department of the Clerk of Circuit Court maintains these records. These records can be reviewed online via the Case Search page. Interested persons may also obtain probate court records by calling (904) 819-3655 or in-person visits at:

St. Johns County Courthouse,
Richard O. Watson Judicial Center
4010 Lewis Speedway, 1st Floor
St. Augustine, Florida 32084.

Fees for inspecting, reproducing, and obtaining certified copies of a probate court record can be verified on the Probate Fees page of the Clerk's website.

St. Johns County Property Records

Property records consist of deeds, maps, geographic information, ownership information, and tax records of real estate and personal property in St. Johns County. St. Johns County Property Appraiser's Office is the official in charge of maintaining county property records.

St. Johns County property records are available online at the Property Records Search Portal provided by the County Property Appraiser's office. On this portal, one may search for real estate or tangible property records by business/owner's name, parcel number/ID, location, and legal information.

Interested persons may also look up property records in person from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on Weekdays at the County Property Appraiser's office using the information below:

St. Johns County Property Appraiser
4030 Lewis Speedway, Suite 203
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
Phone: (904) 827-5500.

St. Johns County Court Records Online

Inquirers may also obtain St. Johns County court records online using a third-party website. These third-party websites, like courtrecords.us, are independent public record providers that serve as repositories for varying public records sourced from different jurisdictions. These aggregate websites provide users with a wide range of information and can be very helpful in searches where the record custodian is unknown, or there are multiple record custodians.

Additionally, with third-party sites, one may review a wide range of court records at once from the comfort of one's home, making the search process convenient and fast. However, there is no guarantee of the authenticity and completeness of the records because third-party sites are not government-owned or affiliated with any government body. Hence, records retrieved from aggregate sites may not be used for official or legal purposes.