Taylor County Court Records

Per Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420, Taylor County court records are official documents and other materials generated or filed with a court clerk's office regarding local cases. These records document the court activities and proceedings of cases handled within the county court system and include dockets, transcripts, documentary exhibits, videotapes, or stenographic tapes of depositions.

Generally, Taylor court records provide a detailed overview of what occurred during a case, what led to it, why it happened, and how it was handled. Attorneys and other interested persons rely on these records for legal research and may quote them to establish legal precedents for actions in future cases. Additionally, court records promote transparency and accountability within the judicial system, as they provide public access to the actions of judicial officers, including judges and magistrates.

Are Court Records Public in Taylor County?

Yes. According to Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420, all records of the judicial branch of the government are public except when provided otherwise by the rule or other relevant laws or rules. As a result, Taylor County public records include most court records, and they may be obtained through the County Clerk of Court office, the official custodian of all court records in the county.

Nonetheless, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420(c) and other relevant laws exempt and establish that the following records are confidential and unavailable to the general public:

• Sealed records
• Adoption records
• Records of juvenile cases
• Trial and appellate court memoranda
• Affidavits of arrest or search warrants before the warrant is executed

Taylor County Court Records Search

Interested persons can conduct a Taylor County court record search through any of the following:

• In-person at the Taylor County Clerk of Court's office
• Taylor County Clerk of Court's Records Search portal
• Third-party aggregate websites

Taylor County Courts

Taylor County's court system comprises two types of courts: the Circuit and County courts. The addresses and contact information of these courts are detailed below:

Taylor County Circuit Court
108 North Jefferson Street,
Suite 102,
Perry, FL 32347
Phone: (850) 838-3506

County Court of Taylor County
108 North Jefferson Street,
Suite 102,
Perry, FL 32347
Phone: (850) 838-3506

Taylor County Criminal and Civil Records

In Taylor County, certain criminal records are generated and maintained by local law enforcement agencies, such as the Taylor County Sheriff's Office (TCSO). Most notably, these agencies create and maintain Taylor County arrest records. These records are subject to the Florida Public Records Law, codified in Florida Statutes Chapter 119, which grants everybody the right to inspect and request copies of most state, county, and municipal records.

Therefore, interested individuals can contact the custodians of Taylor County criminal records, such as arrest records, to inspect the records or request copies. Suppose TCSO is the custodian of a sought-after Taylor arrest record; record seekers can contact the agency's record custodian to access or obtain the record at:

Taylor County Sheriff's Office
108 N Jefferson St. Suite 103
Perry, FL 32347
Phone: (850) 584-4225

It is worth noting that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Division of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), is Florida's central repository for criminal history information, including Taylor criminal records. Thus, interested persons can also conduct a State-Wide Criminal History Record check through the CJIS for a fee.

On the other hand, the Taylor County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the custodian of court records for all civil and criminal cases heard within the County Court System. These include cases handled by the County and Circuit Courts. Record seekers can access these records online through the Clerk of Court's Records Search portal. On the portal, users can search for records either by case party name or document type and filing date. Alternatively, they can visit the Clerk of Court's office during regular business hours, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, to request court records in person at:

108 North Jefferson St.
Perry, Florida 32347
Phone: (850) 838-3506

Taylor County Marriage and Divorce Records

Taylor County Clerk of Circuit Court is the primary custodian of marriage and divorce records. These records are considered public, and the County Clerk of Circuit Court makes them available to everyone through different avenues.

Interested persons can access or request copies of marriage and divorce records online through the Taylor County Clerk of Court's Records Search portal. Alternatively, interested persons can visit the Clerk of Court's Office to order marriage or divorce records in person. To facilitate their requests, record seekers must provide sufficient information about the sought-after record to identify it appropriately, such as:

For Taylor County marriage records:

• The full names of both spouse before their marriage
• Each spouse's date of birth
• Date of marriage
• Place of marriage

For divorce records:

• The full names of both spouses listed in the record.
• The marriage dissolution date.
• The county where the dissolution was granted.

It is worth noting that the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics also maintains Taylor County marriage and divorce certificates from June 6, 1927, to the present. Interested persons can order any of these records from the state's DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics by mail or in person at a $5.00 search fee. Note that additional fees may apply. Record seekers can use the DH261 form (for Taylor County marriage certificates) and the DH260 form (for divorce certificates) for mail-in requests. Alternatively, in-person requests can be made during lobby hours—Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.—at the physical address of the DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics:

1217 N Pearl Street,
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Taylor County Birth and Death Records

As alluded to, Florida's Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics maintains Taylor County vital records, including birth and death records. Under Florida law, Taylor County birth records that are under 125 years old and death records under 50 years old are confidential and are only accessible to eligible individuals:

For birth certificates

• The registrant (the individual named on the record) provided that they are of legal age (18)
• The registrant's parent(s) named on the birth record
• The registrant's Legal guardian
• Legal representative of any of the aforementioned eligible individuals
• An individual with a court order that requires the release of the record
• The registrant's spouse, child, grandchild, or sibling, provided they are of legal age, the registrant is dead, and they present the registrant's death record.

For death certificates:

• The decedent's spouse or parent
• The decedent's child, grandchild, or sibling. Provided they are of legal age
• Anyone who presents a will, insurance policy, or other legal document that proves they have an interest in the decedent's estate
• Anyone who presents documentation that shows they are acting on behalf of any of the aforementioned eligible persons
• An individual with a court order that requires the release of the record

If an individual wishes to request a confidential Taylor County birth certificate but does not qualify as an eligible applicant (such as those listed above). In that case, they must present a notarized Affidavit to Release a Birth Certificate (DH Form 1958) signed by any eligible person listed above. They must submit the notarized DH Form 1958, along with their request application, any supporting documentation, a copy of their valid photo ID, and a photo ID of the person authorizing release. Similarly, instead of DH Form 1958, an ineligible applicant must present a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (DH Form 1959) when requesting a confidential death record. A significant difference between confidential and public death records is that confidential death records contain the deceased's cause of death and full Social Security number.

The DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics charges requesters a $5.00 search fee for a death record and $9.00 for birth records, regardless of whether they are public or confidential. Note that other fees may apply. Nonetheless, interested persons can request these vital records from the Bureau via walk-in or mail-in request. For walk-in requests, applicants can visit the DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics office in Jacksonville during lobby hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Meanwhile, applicants can complete the appropriate request form, such as

DH727 Application for a Death Record (also available in Spanish) or DH726 Application for a Florida Birth Record (also available in Spanish). Applicants can mail the completed application form, with the appropriate fee and other required documentation to:

Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics,
P.O. Box 210,
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042

Taylor County Probate Court Records

In Taylor County, the Circuit Court hears all probate cases. These include and are not limited to cases that involve the administration of a decedent's estate and wills. The County Clerk of Circuit Court serves as the record custodian of the Circuit Court. As a result, all court records and other legal documents concerning probate cases are preserved by the Clerk of Circuit Court. Most of these records are public and available to everyone who requests them.

Interested parties can visit Taylor County's Clerk of Circuit Court office during regular business hours to request public probate documents in person. Alternatively, they can use the Clerk's Records Search portal to access probate court records and other probate documents online.

Taylor County Property Records

In Taylor County, property records, such as deeds, plats, leases, easements, and other similar documents, as well as encumbrances, like liens and mortgages, are recorded with the County Clerk of Circuit Court. Interested persons can visit the Clerk of Circuit Court's office to request these records in person. Alternatively, they can utilize the Clerk's Records Search portal to access these records online.

Taylor County Court Records Online

Taylor County Court records are accessible online through third-party websites, like Floridacourtrecords.us. These websites feature an easy-to-use search interface, and minimal information about the sought-after record, such as the case's party name or case number, is required to conduct a search. Furthermore, searches conducted through this website are not geographically limited. Therefore, users can simultaneously search for court records from multiple courts across various Texas counties, streamlining the entire process.

Nevertheless, one prominent downside to using third-party websites is that they are typically not affiliated with government entities. Thus, regular updates to reflect recent changes in a case happen less frequently. As a result, the record they provide may contain incomplete or outdated information.