Find St. Petersburg Public Records

St. Petersburg public records come from two main sources: the City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Clerk of Courts. City documents such as permits, code enforcement files, city contracts, and commission meeting minutes are held by city departments at 175 5th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Court case files and officially recorded property instruments go through the Pinellas County Clerk's office under the 6th Judicial Circuit. Florida's open records law makes both levels of records available to any member of the public without requiring identification or a stated reason.

St. Petersburg City Records

The City of St. Petersburg generates its own public records through the city council, mayor's office, and various city departments. These include city council meeting minutes and agendas, city ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements the city enters into, building permit applications and decisions, code enforcement cases, and records from city services like the fire department and parks. You can reach city hall by phone at (727) 893-7171. Most simple requests can be handled by calling the department most likely to hold what you need, or by visiting in person at 175 5th St N.

The city's website at stpete.org provides department contacts and information on how to submit a records request to the appropriate city office.

St. Petersburg Court Records

Court records for St. Petersburg are under the 6th Judicial Circuit, served by the Pinellas County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk maintains case files for civil, criminal, family, and probate matters. An online records search is available at mypinellasclerk.gov. Case index data is generally open and searchable at no cost. If you want paper copies of filed documents, the standard state fee applies: $0.15 per page for regular copies and $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 fee for certified copies.

The Pinellas County Clerk also handles recording of official documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements for the St. Petersburg area. All of these fall under the official records series and are searchable through the same online system at mypinellasclerk.gov. Many older records are digitized and available online. Older paper records may require an in-person visit to the Clerk's office.

How to Request Records in St. Petersburg

Anyone can request public records in St. Petersburg. No reason is required. Florida's open government law under Article I, Section 24 of the state constitution gives that right to all people. Requests can be made by phone, in person, by mail, or by email. The agency must respond in a reasonable time. For most standard requests, this is fast.

Fees under state law: $0.15 per page for copies, $1.00 per page for certified copies plus a $5.00 certification statement. If your request requires more than 30 minutes of staff time to compile, the agency can charge you for extra time at the rate of the lowest-paid person who can do the work. Simple requests for a single document or a few documents almost never trigger a time charge. If you believe an agency improperly denied your request, you can reach the Florida Attorney General's open government mediation program at (850) 245-0140 for free help.

St. Petersburg Property Records

Property records for St. Petersburg and the rest of Pinellas County are recorded with the Pinellas County Clerk. If you want to check who owns a property, verify a lien, review a mortgage, or trace the chain of title, the Clerk's official records index is where to start. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser maintains a separate database of assessed values and ownership for tax purposes. Both databases are public records. Ownership and assessed value information from the Property Appraiser is free to view online. Copies of recorded documents from the Clerk carry a per-page fee.

Exemptions in Pinellas County Records

Not every record is open. Section 119.071 of Florida law lists many categories of exempt records. These include active criminal investigation records, certain personal data like driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers, medical records, and some personnel files. An agency that denies a request must cite the specific exemption in writing. If you disagree, you have recourse through mediation or the courts. Exemptions are meant to be narrow. The default rule under Chapter 119 is openness, not secrecy.

St. Petersburg Records Contact Information

Nearby Cities

Other cities in the Tampa Bay area have public records you can access through Pinellas and Hillsborough county clerks.

Pinellas County Records

Public records for St. Petersburg are maintained by the Pinellas County Clerk of Court. Visit the county page for office details and search resources.