Lauderdale Lakes Public Records

Lauderdale Lakes public records are held by the Broward County Clerk of Courts and the City of Lauderdale Lakes, covering court filings, official property instruments, city permits, and government documents. The Broward County Clerk at browardclerk.org is the main source for court cases, recorded deeds, mortgages, and other official records for Lauderdale Lakes. City-level records like building permits, city commission minutes, and code enforcement files come from Lauderdale Lakes City Hall. Florida's public records law at Chapter 119 opens all of these records to any person who asks.

Broward County Clerk of Courts

The Broward County Clerk, Brenda D. Forman, maintains all court records and officially recorded documents for Lauderdale Lakes through the 17th Judicial Circuit. The Clerk's main office is at 201 SE Sixth St, Suite 18150, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, with a phone number of (954) 831-6565. The online portal at browardclerk.org allows anyone to search civil, family, probate, and criminal court cases. Official records searches cover recorded deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, and other instruments tied to Lauderdale Lakes properties.

Broward County is one of Florida's largest counties and has put significant resources into online access. Civil case filing records, traffic case data, official recording services, and more are accessible through the Clerk's digital systems. If you need a certified copy of a recorded deed, a lien search on a Lauderdale Lakes property, or a court case docket from the 17th Circuit, the Broward County Clerk is where you start. Case index information is generally free online, while physical or certified copies carry per-page fees.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains statewide criminal history records, which can supplement what you find through Broward County's court system for Lauderdale Lakes cases.

City of Lauderdale Lakes Records

The City of Lauderdale Lakes keeps records tied to its own government operations. Building permits, code enforcement files, city commission meeting minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and department-level records are maintained by city staff. Lauderdale Lakes City Hall is at 4300 NW 36th St, Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319. The city clerk's office handles records requests and can direct you to the right department custodian for the type of record you need.

Lauderdale Lakes Police Department records are handled through the department's records division, separate from both the city clerk and the county court system. Incident reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement files may be requested from the Police Department directly. Some law enforcement records have statutory exemptions under Florida law, particularly for active investigations. The department must identify the specific exemption if it withholds any portion of a record.

Note: You do not need to explain your reason for requesting public records under Florida law, and no agency can require you to give identification as a condition of access.

Requesting Public Records in Lauderdale Lakes

The process for getting public records in Lauderdale Lakes follows the same rules as anywhere in Florida. Any person can request any public record held by any government agency. Requests can be made verbally or in writing, in person, by phone, by email, or by mail. There is no required form. Just describe what you are looking for and tell the agency where you think it is held.

Standard copy fees are $0.15 per one-sided page or no more than $0.20 for double-sided copies. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. If your request requires more than 30 minutes of staff time to compile, the agency may charge for that additional time. You can always ask for a cost estimate before the agency starts work. Records inspection in person is free, so you can review what you need before committing to paid copies.

If your request is denied, the agency must provide a written explanation and cite the specific statutory basis for withholding the record. If you think the denial was wrong, the Florida Attorney General's Open Government Mediation Program offers free help. Call the mediation line at (850) 245-0140. Both parties must agree to participate, but mediation resolves many disputes without litigation.

State-Level Public Records Resources

State agencies hold records that go beyond what Broward County and Lauderdale Lakes city offices maintain. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement processes public records requests for its own files, including statewide criminal history databases. The Florida Department of State handles requests for corporate filings, election records, and historical government documents archived at the State Library in Tallahassee.

The MyFloridaCounty.com portal gives statewide access to official records from Florida's county clerk network, including Broward County. Use it to search recorded documents across counties or to look up instruments quickly without going to a courthouse. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers directory links to every county clerk in Florida. The First Amendment Foundation offers free guidance through a hotline at (850) 222-3518 and publishes the Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual each year for journalists, public officials, and citizens alike.

Lauderdale Lakes Records Contact Information

Nearby Cities

Other Broward County cities near Lauderdale Lakes use the same Clerk system and Florida public records law.

Broward County Records

Public records for Lauderdale Lakes are maintained by the Broward County Clerk of Courts. Visit the county page for office details and search resources.