Hialeah Public Records

Hialeah public records come from two sources: the City of Hialeah for city government documents, and the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts for court filings and official property records. The city operates within Miami-Dade County under the 11th Judicial Circuit. Florida's open government law at Chapter 119 makes both sets of records available to any person who requests them, with no need to give a reason or show identification.

Hialeah City Records

The City of Hialeah produces public records through its city council, city departments, and municipal operations. Records you can request from the city include city council meeting minutes and agendas, ordinances and resolutions passed by the council, building permits and development approvals, code enforcement case files, city contracts and purchase orders, and correspondence from city officials and staff. The city's main office is at 501 Palm Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33010. The city phone number is (305) 883-5820. You can reach the right department from there and submit a request by phone, in person, or in writing.

The Hialeah city website at hialeahfl.gov provides links to city departments and contact information to help you direct your records request to the right office.

Miami-Dade Clerk Records for Hialeah

Court records and official property records for Hialeah are handled by the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts. Because Hialeah is a city within Miami-Dade County, all civil, criminal, family, and probate court filings related to Hialeah go through the 11th Judicial Circuit and are filed with the Miami-Dade Clerk. The Clerk's online search portal is at miamidadeclerk.gov. You can search case indexes by name, case number, or filing date at no charge. Copies of actual documents carry the standard state fee of $0.15 per page.

The Clerk also maintains the official records series for all of Miami-Dade County, including Hialeah. Deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions, and other recorded instruments are part of this series and are searchable through the Clerk's online system. The online index is free to use. If you need a certified copy of a deed or mortgage for legal purposes, you will pay $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Most people use the online index to verify that a record exists and then order only the specific pages they actually need.

Requesting Hialeah Public Records

Florida law does not require a form. There is no standard application to fill out. You simply describe what you need and ask the agency that holds it. Requests can go in by phone, email, regular mail, or in person. No reason is required. No identification is required. The agency must respond in a reasonable time, which typically means quickly for simple requests and longer for large or complex ones.

The state-set fee schedule is the same for all Florida public agencies. Regular copies: $0.15 per page. Certified copies: $1.00 per page plus $5.00 per certification. If your request requires more than 30 minutes of staff time, the agency can charge for additional time. The first 30 minutes are always free. Most simple requests for a single record or a short document involve no charge. If you are denied access to a record you believe is public, contact the Florida Attorney General's mediation program at (850) 245-0140. That program is free and handles many disputes without involving the courts.

Hialeah Police and Criminal Records

The Hialeah Police Department maintains its own internal records, including incident reports and arrest records. Police reports in Florida are generally public once an investigation is no longer active, subject to exemptions under Section 119.071 F.S. You can contact the Hialeah Police Department directly to request incident reports.

For criminal court records tied to Hialeah cases, you would contact the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts, since court filings for any offense handled in Miami-Dade courts are held there, not at the police department. The two systems are separate. The police hold the initial report. The Clerk holds the court case once charges are formally filed.

Florida Open Records Law

Florida maintains one of the most open records systems in the country. The Public Records Law at Chapter 119 covers all forms of government records, including emails, text messages, reports, meeting notes, and database records. The format does not matter. What matters is whether the record was made or received in connection with official government business.

The First Amendment Foundation at floridafaf.org publishes the Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual each year, which is a detailed guide to Florida's open meeting and public records laws. It covers how to make requests, what exemptions apply, and how to handle denials. It is a useful reference if you plan to make a complex records request to any Florida agency, including those in Hialeah or Miami-Dade County.

Hialeah Records Contact Information

Nearby Cities

Other cities in Miami-Dade County also have public records accessible through the county clerk system.

Miami-Dade County Records

Public records for Hialeah are maintained by the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court. Visit the county page for office details and search resources.