Access Broward County Public Records

Broward County public records are managed by the Clerk of Courts in Fort Lauderdale and are available to any person under Florida's open records framework. As one of the most populous counties in Florida with nearly two million residents, Broward maintains extensive online search tools covering court cases, official documents, and other government records held across its 17th Judicial Circuit.

Broward County Clerk of Courts

Brenda D. Forman serves as Clerk of Courts for Broward County. The main office is located in downtown Fort Lauderdale at the Broward County Courthouse. The Clerk's office is responsible for maintaining court records for the 17th Judicial Circuit, which covers only Broward County, and also serves as the county recorder for official instruments such as deeds and mortgages.

Broward County's Clerk website is among the most feature-rich in Florida. It offers online case search, official records lookup by name or document type, marriage record search, and a public records request portal. Most records from the past two decades are fully digitized and accessible without a visit to the courthouse. The site also has branch office information for residents in different parts of this large county.

The image below shows the Broward County Clerk of Courts website, which is the main public access portal for court and official records in Broward.

The Broward Clerk site provides comprehensive access to public records with online search tools covering court cases, recorded instruments, and department-specific requests.

Note: Broward County has multiple courthouse locations. The main courthouse is in Fort Lauderdale, but branch offices serve residents throughout the county.

Broward County Public Records Law

All Broward County public records are subject to Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. This law declares that all state, county, and municipal records are open for inspection by any person. No reason is required. No identification is needed. The agency must respond promptly, and Section 119.07 requires that inspection be permitted at any reasonable time.

In a county as large as Broward, the volume of public records requests is high. The Clerk's office and other county agencies handle thousands of requests each year. Because of this scale, Broward has formalized processes for submitting and tracking requests, including online portals and designated records contacts in each department. Using those formal channels tends to result in faster responses than informal inquiries.

Section 119.071 lists exemptions that apply statewide. Common ones include active criminal intelligence information, certain law enforcement investigative files, and personal identifying information in specific contexts. When a record is withheld, the agency must cite the specific exemption. Partial disclosure is required when only a portion of a document is exempt.

For unresolved disputes, the Florida AG mediation program is available at (850) 245-0140. The AG's Open Government page has guidance on filing a complaint. The First Amendment Foundation also provides assistance and has tracked public records issues across Florida for many years.

Searching Broward County Court Records

Broward County court records are among the most extensively digitized in Florida. The 17th Judicial Circuit handles a large volume of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases each year. The Clerk's online case search allows you to look up cases by party name, case number, attorney, or business entity. Results include case status, hearing dates, and in many instances the actual filed documents.

Court documents in Broward may be available as PDFs through the online portal without a formal records request. However, some documents are sealed or restricted by court order. Those will appear in the case index but won't show the full document without a court authorization. If you need a sealed record, you'll need to file a motion with the court.

The Clerk's office also provides certified copies of court records for legal purposes. A certified copy includes the Clerk's official stamp and costs $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Orders can be placed online, by mail, or in person at the courthouse.

Broward County Official Records

Official records in Broward County include all instruments recorded with the Clerk. These encompass real property deeds, mortgage documents, satisfactions, assignments, and liens. The Broward County official records index is fully searchable online through the Clerk's website. You can search by name, document type, and recording date range.

Broward is one of Florida's most active real estate markets, so the official records index is very large and updated frequently. Title researchers and real estate attorneys use it regularly. For property-related searches, you may also want to check the Broward County Property Appraiser's records, which show ownership and assessment information, and the Tax Collector's records for tax payment status.

Recording a new instrument with Broward County requires submitting the document with the correct recording fees. The Clerk publishes a current fee schedule on the website. E-recording is available for many document types, allowing law firms and title companies to submit instruments electronically without mailing originals.

Note: The Broward County official records system is separate from the court case management system. A name search in official records will not return court case results, and vice versa.

Broward County Sheriff and Municipal Records

The Broward County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, incident reports, and jail records that are public under Chapter 119. The Sheriff's office has its own public records process, separate from the Clerk. Many Florida sheriffs provide online records request portals, and Broward is no exception. Check the Sheriff's website for the current submission method and fee schedule.

Broward County contains many incorporated municipalities, each with its own city records. Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, Coral Springs, and other cities maintain records independently. City police reports, building permits, and city commission minutes are held by the respective city. Contact each city's clerk or records office for those files.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers directory lists all county clerk contacts. For a county as large as Broward, it is worth knowing which type of record you need and which office holds it before you submit a request.

Public Records Fees in Broward County

Broward County follows Florida's statutory fee schedule for public records. Plain copies of administrative records cost up to $0.15 per single-sided page or $0.20 per double-sided page. Court records and official instruments cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies of official records carry a $5.00 certification fee in addition to the per-page charge. Electronic copies of already-digitized records may be available at reduced cost.

Research fees apply for requests that require significant staff time. Florida law exempts the first 30 minutes from charges and then bills at the rate of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the work. For very large requests, Broward may require a deposit before work begins. Asking for a fee estimate is always a smart first step with large or broad requests.

The myfloridacounty.com platform provides free online access to some Broward County official records. Using that portal for initial research can reduce the number of copies you need to order from the Clerk.

Cities in Broward County

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

Nearby Counties

Broward County borders two neighboring counties, both of which have their own Clerk's offices and public records systems.