Find Public Records in Brevard County

Brevard County public records are maintained by the Clerk and Comptroller's office in Titusville and are open to the public under Florida's Chapter 119 open records law. With more than 625,000 residents, Brevard is one of Florida's larger counties, and its Clerk's office offers comprehensive online access for court cases, official records, and other county documents.

Brevard County Clerk and Comptroller

Rachel Sadoff serves as Brevard County Clerk and Comptroller. Her office manages court records, official recorded documents, and county financial records for the 18th Judicial Circuit. The main office is in Titusville on the second floor of the courthouse complex. Brevard County also has branch locations in Melbourne and other parts of the county to serve residents in this geographically large coastal county.

Brevard County has invested significantly in online records access. The Clerk's website is one of the more capable county portals in the state, offering court case searches, official records lookups, marriage license searches, and document imaging. Many records are available as downloadable PDFs without a formal request.

The image below is from the Brevard County Clerk and Comptroller's website, which provides the public with access to court and official records across the county's 18th Judicial Circuit jurisdiction.

The site shown above serves as the central access point for Brevard County public records, with navigation to case search, official records, and department-specific resources.

Brevard County Public Records Law

Florida's public records law, codified in Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, makes all records held by Brevard County offices presumptively open to the public. You do not need to give your name, show ID, or explain why you want a record. The law says inspection must be permitted at any reasonable time under Section 119.07.

When a record is withheld, the agency must identify the specific statutory exemption that applies. The most common exemptions involve active criminal investigations, certain personal identifying information, and records related to pending litigation. Even when exemptions apply, the agency typically must release the non-exempt portions of a document rather than withholding the whole thing.

Brevard County, like all Florida counties, cannot make you sign a release or agree to terms before allowing you to inspect public records. That kind of condition would be an unlawful restriction on public access. If you run into this kind of problem, the Florida AG's Open Government resources or the First Amendment Foundation can help.

Note: Brevard County may have its own public records request policy posted on the Clerk's website. It is worth reviewing that policy to understand any county-specific procedures.

Searching Brevard County Court Records Online

Brevard County's court records search is available through the Clerk's website. The system covers Circuit and County Court cases in the 18th Judicial Circuit. You can search civil, criminal, family law, probate, and traffic cases. Results show party names, case type, filing date, case status, and in many instances the actual court documents as scanned images.

Search by party name using last name first, or enter a case number if you have one. Florida case numbers follow a standardized format: the two-digit year, the case type code, and a sequential number. For example, a 2023 civil case might appear as 2023-CA-012345. Knowing the case type helps you narrow results when searching by name alone.

For records older than the Clerk's online system covers, you may need to request paper files from the courthouse. The Titusville office handles main requests, but branch locations may be able to help with records originating from their area.

The myfloridacounty.com statewide platform provides additional access to Brevard County official records. Check both portals when doing a comprehensive search.

Official Records in Brevard County

Official records recorded with the Brevard County Clerk include real property deeds, mortgages, liens, assignments, and other instruments. These are permanent public records and form the backbone of the county's land title system. Title companies, attorneys, and lenders rely on these records when verifying property ownership and encumbrances.

The Clerk's official records search lets you look up instruments by grantor or grantee name, document type, or recording date. Images of recorded documents are generally available as PDFs. For certified copies, the fee is $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Plain copies of administrative records cost up to $0.15 per single-sided page under Florida law.

Brevard County has a long and well-maintained official records index going back many decades. The digitization of older records is ongoing, but the Clerk's staff can assist with retrieving older instruments that haven't yet been scanned.

Brevard County Sheriff and Other Agency Records

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office maintains its own records separate from the Clerk. Sheriff records include arrest reports, incident reports, jail booking information, and call logs. These are public records under Chapter 119, subject to exemptions for active investigations and specific categories listed in Section 119.071.

To request Sheriff records, contact the Brevard County Sheriff's Office directly. Many Florida sheriffs now use online portals for public records requests, and Brevard may have this option. Check the Sheriff's website for the current process and any applicable fees.

Other record custodians in Brevard County include the Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and the various municipal governments within the county. Each municipality has its own records and its own process for requests. The county seat is Titusville, but Palm Bay and Melbourne are larger cities with their own city-level records offices.

Note: Municipal records from cities within Brevard County are not held by the County Clerk. Contact the city's clerk or records department directly for those files.

Copy Fees for Brevard County Public Records

Standard Florida fees apply to Brevard County public records. Administrative record copies cost up to $0.15 per single-sided page or $0.20 per double-sided page. Court and official records cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies add a $5.00 certification fee per document. Electronic copies may be available at lower cost for records already stored digitally.

Research fees apply when significant staff time is needed. Florida law allows agencies to charge for time beyond the first 30 minutes. The rate is based on the salary of the lowest-paid employee capable of handling the work. For large requests, the Clerk's office can provide a fee estimate before work begins. Requesting an estimate is always a good idea when you're not sure how much material your search will turn up.

Cities in Brevard County

These cities in Brevard County each have a dedicated public records page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Brevard and each has its own public records resources and Clerk's office.