Taylor County Court Records Search
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Taylor County, Florida sits in the heart of Florida's Big Bend region, with its county seat in Perry. The county's court system falls under the Third Judicial Circuit and handles everything from misdemeanor traffic offenses to complex civil litigation, estate proceedings, and family law matters. Court records across these proceedings are official documents maintained by the Taylor County Clerk of the Circuit Court, who keeps judicial files, dockets, transcripts, exhibits, and other case materials under Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420.
If you need to locate Taylor County court case information, you have a few options. Florida's state courts website, FloridaStateCourts.us, can help you identify the right court, understand case types, and find publicly available court information. Beyond that, you can search records through the Clerk's online portal, visit the courthouse in person, or contact the Sheriff's Office — depending on what type of record you need.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Taylor County?
Start with the Taylor County Clerk of the Circuit Court, led by Clerk Gary Knowles. This office manages records for every category of case heard in the county — Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, County Criminal, County Civil, Probate, Family Law, Juvenile, Domestic Violence, and Traffic divisions.
Taylor County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Address: 108 North Jefferson Street, Suite 102, Perry, FL 32348
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 620, Perry, FL 32348
Phone: (850) 838-3506
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Clerk's online records search portal lets you look up cases by party name or by document type and filing date — the most efficient option if you'd rather not visit in person. If you do go to the courthouse, staff can help you locate case files, certify copies, and process formal record requests.
Taylor County falls under the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, which also serves Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, and Suwannee counties. The circuit's administrative offices handle judicial assignment questions and court scheduling. Current judicial assignments for Taylor County include Judge Bill Blue and Judge Gregory S. Parker.
Through the Clerk's website, you can also make secure payments for court-related fees, submit documents through e-Recording, and access do-it-yourself legal forms — all without a courthouse visit.
Are Court Records Public in Taylor County?
Florida law broadly favors public access to court records. Under Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420, all records of the judicial branch are presumed public unless a specific rule or statute says otherwise. That means most case filings, dockets, judgments, and court documents in Taylor County are available to anyone who makes a proper request.
The Florida Public Records Law (Florida Statutes Chapter 119) extends this principle to records held by law enforcement and other county offices, giving the public the right to inspect and copy most government-held documents.
That said, certain categories of records are exempt from public disclosure under Rule 2.420(c) and related statutes. The following are generally confidential and unavailable to the general public:
- Juvenile court records — delinquency and dependency case files are restricted
- Adoption records — sealed by statute
- Sealed court files — including cases where a court order has restricted access
- Trial and appellate court memoranda — internal judicial working papers
- Affidavits of arrest or search warrants — confidential until the warrant has been executed
For criminal history records specifically, certain arrests that didn't result in conviction — as well as expunged or sealed records — are protected from public disclosure. If you want to seal or expunge a criminal record, you can start that process through the Clerk's office. The fee for sealing or expunging any court file or record is $42.00.
Taylor County Criminal Court Records
Criminal matters in Taylor County are handled at two levels. The County Court takes misdemeanor offenses; the Circuit Court handles felony charges. Both divisions run through the Taylor County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- Felony/Circuit Criminal Department — Handles serious crimes such as grand theft, aggravated assault, and murder. Contact the Clerk at (850) 838-3506, Ext. 105 or Ext. 106.
- Misdemeanor/County Criminal Department — Handles minor criminal offenses. Contact the Clerk at (850) 838-3506, Ext. 115 or Ext. 117.
Arrest records, booking information, and inmate status are maintained separately by the Taylor County Sheriff's Office (TCSO), the county's primary law enforcement agency. The TCSO is the originating custodian of arrest records and provides public access to arrest and crime reports through its website. The Sheriff's Office also maintains information on outstanding warrants, searchable by name.
Taylor County Sheriff's Office
Address: 108 N Jefferson Street, Suite 103, Perry, FL 32347
Phone: (850) 584-4225
For jail and inmate inquiries, the Taylor County Detention Center can be reached at (850) 584-4333, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The TCSO's jail information page provides current inmate status and detention center details.
If you need a comprehensive criminal history background check that goes beyond local court records, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) maintains a statewide criminal history repository through its Division of Criminal Justice Information Services. A statewide criminal history record check can be requested online for $24.00 per search (as of January 2025), whether or not the search returns a record. This is especially useful when someone has lived in multiple Florida counties or when a thorough background check is needed for employment or licensing purposes.
Taylor County Civil Court Records
Civil disputes in Taylor County are split by dollar amount. The County Civil Department handles claims up to $30,000, including evictions and small claims matters. The Circuit Civil division covers amounts greater than $30,000, along with equity matters, injunctions, foreclosures, and real property disputes.
Small Claims and County Civil Filing Fees
The following fees apply to cases filed in the County Civil Department (Ext. 109):
| Case Type | Claim Amount | Filing Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Small Claims | Less than $100 | $55 |
| Small Claims | $100 – $500 | $80 |
| Small Claims | $501 – $2,500 | $175 |
| Small Claims | $2,501 – $8,000 | $300 |
| County Civil (Non-Eviction) | $8,001 – $15,000 | $300 |
| County Civil (Non-Eviction) | $15,001 – $50,000 | $400 |
| Eviction (no damages or up to $2,500) | — | $185 |
Additional per-case fees include $10 per summons issued and $2.50 per defendant after the fifth named party. A one-time $25 partial payment fee applies when a payment plan is set up, and reopen fees range from $25 to $50 depending on the original claim amount.
For Circuit Civil matters including foreclosures, filings go through the Clerk's office (Ext. 110). A $70 foreclosure sale fee applies to properties going to auction, and disbursing surplus funds from a foreclosure sale costs $15 per check. Foreign judgment enforcement carries an additional $42 fee on top of the standard filing fee.
Civil case records can be accessed through the Clerk's online records portal or by visiting the courthouse during business hours. The Clerk's court services page lists all department extensions for targeted inquiries.
Taylor County Family Court Records
Family law matters in Taylor County go through the Circuit Court's Family Law division, administered by the Clerk's office at Ext. 110. The division covers a broad range of case types:
- Dissolution of marriage (divorce) — including contested and uncontested proceedings
- Child custody and time-sharing — parenting plans and modifications
- Child support — payment processing and enforcement (Ext. 104 or (850) 838-8104)
- Domestic violence injunctions — petitions for protection against another person (Ext. 109 or Ext. 110)
- Adoption proceedings — handled through Circuit Court; records are sealed
- Paternity actions — establishing legal parentage
Divorce and marriage dissolution records filed with the Circuit Court are maintained by the Clerk and are generally accessible through the online records portal or by in-person request. To locate a specific record, have the full names of both parties, the case filing date, and, if you know it, the case number.
The Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics also maintains marriage and divorce certificates from June 6, 1927 to the present. These certificates can be ordered for a $5.00 search fee (additional fees may apply) by mail or in person. Mail requests require the completed DH261 Marriage Certificate Application or the DH260 Dissolution of Marriage Application, submitted with the appropriate fees to:
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
Walk-in Address: 1217 N Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
Walk-in Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Birth certificates for Taylor County residents are held by the same Bureau and are confidential if under 125 years old. Eligible requesters include the registrant (if 18 or older), parents named on the record, legal guardians, and legal representatives. The search fee for a birth record is $9.00. The DH726 Application for a Florida Birth Record is required for mail-in requests (also available in Spanish).
Death records under 50 years old are restricted to eligible parties — the decedent's spouse, parent, adult child, grandchild, or sibling, or anyone with a documented legal interest in the estate. The search fee is $5.00, and requests use the DH727 Application for a Death Record, also available in Spanish. Ineligible applicants seeking a confidential birth record must submit a notarized Affidavit to Release (Form DH1958), while those requesting a confidential death record must provide Form DH1959, which authorizes release of cause-of-death information.
Taylor County Probate Court Records
Probate proceedings in Taylor County — estate administration, will filings, guardianships, and conservatorships — are heard in the Circuit Court. The Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains all probate case files, and the Probate & Guardianship Department can be reached at (850) 838-3506, Ext. 110.
All probate filings and original wills are processed at the Taylor County Courthouse at 108 North Jefferson Street, Suite 102, Perry, FL 32348. Most probate records are public and available to any interested party. Common documents found in a probate file include:
- Petitions for administration — filed by personal representatives to open an estate
- Last will and testament — original wills submitted to the court upon death
- Inventories and accountings — detailing estate assets and distributions
- Orders and final judgments — court approvals for distributions and estate closure
- Guardianship petitions — for appointment of a guardian for a minor or incapacitated adult
To access probate records, use the Clerk's online records search portal and search by the decedent's name or case number. In-person requests can be made at the Clerk's office during regular business hours. Certified copies of probate documents are available for a fee — the base copy rate is standard, with additional charges for certification.
The Mental Health Department (Ext. 110) handles related Baker Act (involuntary mental health examination) and Marchman Act (substance abuse) proceedings, which can intersect with guardianship matters in some cases. Juvenile dependency cases involving guardianship of minors are administered separately through the Juvenile Dependency Department (Ext. 104 or (850) 838-8104), and most juvenile records are confidential by statute.
For those researching deceased relatives or conducting estate-related genealogical work, the Clerk's public records portal and the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics together offer the most reliable official sources for both court filings and vital certificates dating back nearly a century.