Okeechobee County Public Records

Okeechobee County public records are maintained by the Clerk and Comptroller's office and are open to any person under Florida law, which requires public agencies to provide access to records they hold. This page covers how to search and request court filings, official records, and government documents in Okeechobee County, along with contact information and what to do if a request is denied.

Florida Public Records Law and Okeechobee County

Florida's open records law, Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, requires all public agencies to make their records available for inspection and copying by any person. Okeechobee County, like every county in Florida, operates under this law. You do not need to give your name or explain your reason for wanting a document. The agency carries the burden of justifying any refusal by citing a specific statutory exemption.

Okeechobee County is part of the 19th Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. This means that some court cases may have records held across more than one clerk's office if the case crossed county lines. The Okeechobee Clerk's office handles cases filed in Okeechobee County itself.

Exemptions to disclosure are found in Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes. They include active criminal investigation files, certain victim data, and parts of some personnel records. If an agency invokes an exemption, it must name the specific provision. For help with a denied or delayed request, the Florida AG's mediation line is (850) 245-0140. The AG's Open Government page explains what to do step by step.

Okeechobee County Clerk and Comptroller

Jerald D. Bryant, Esq. serves as Clerk and Comptroller for Okeechobee County. His office is the primary custodian for 19th Judicial Circuit court records filed in Okeechobee and for official records such as deeds, mortgages, and liens recorded in the county.

The office is open weekdays during standard business hours. It handles civil, criminal, family law, probate, and traffic court records, along with official instruments recorded for property transactions in Okeechobee County. Staff can help you find the right division and tell you whether the record you need is available online or requires a written request.

The Florida Attorney General's office provides guidance on open government rights across all Florida counties. The screenshot below comes from the AG's open government resource page, which explains how Chapter 119 applies statewide.

The AG's site shown above covers your rights under Chapter 119, how to submit requests, and what to do when agencies deny or delay access to records in any Florida county including Okeechobee.

Searching Okeechobee County Records Online

The Okeechobee County Clerk's website at okeechobeecclerk.com provides access to court and official records. You can search by name, case number, or document type for basic lookups. Civil, criminal, family law, probate, and traffic cases are included, along with recorded instruments in the official records system.

Okeechobee is one of Florida's smaller counties. The volume of digitized records in the online system is lower than in larger counties, but basic case and official record searches are available. For older records, a written request or in-person visit to the courthouse may be needed. The Clerk's staff can tell you what is available online for the record type you need.

The statewide portal at myfloridacounty.com also provides access to Okeechobee County official records and is a useful tool when you want to search multiple Florida counties at once. Property records are managed by the Okeechobee County Property Appraiser in a separate system, and tax records are held by the Tax Collector.

Fees for Okeechobee County Records

Florida law sets the standard fee structure. Administrative copies cost $0.15 per single-sided page or $0.20 for double-sided. Certified copies of official records from the Clerk cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification statement. Court certified copies also run $1.00 per page.

Research time is not billed for the first 15 minutes. After that, the county charges the applicable employee's hourly rate. For large or complex requests, ask for a cost estimate before work starts. Many records available in the Clerk's online system can be viewed and downloaded at no charge. If a document is already scanned and public, no fee applies to view it.

Okeechobee County is small enough that in-person visits to the courthouse can be efficient for most records. The county seat, also called Okeechobee, is the hub for most public records activity in the county.

Sheriff Records in Okeechobee County

The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office maintains its own records separate from court filings. These include arrest records, incident reports, jail booking logs, and offense reports. They are public records under Chapter 119 unless a specific exemption applies, such as an active investigation or victim protection.

Requests go directly to the Sheriff's Office by call, mail, or in person. No reason or name is required. Fees are $0.15 per single-sided page, $0.20 per double-sided page, with no charge for the first 15 minutes of staff research. Victims of certain offenses may request copies at no cost.

Types of Records Available

Okeechobee County holds the full range of public documents required by Florida law. Court records from the 19th Judicial Circuit cover civil, criminal, family law, and probate cases. Official records include deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments recorded with the Clerk. Property records sit with the Property Appraiser. Tax records go to the Tax Collector.

Other accessible records include county commission meeting minutes, planning and zoning documents, building permits, and agency-specific files. Each county department is the custodian for its own records. If you are not sure which office holds what you need, the Clerk's office is a good first call.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers directory lists every clerk in Florida. The Florida First Amendment Foundation provides help when a records request is denied without a valid exemption.

Submitting a Public Records Request

Requests can be made in any format. Call, write, email, or visit in person. No specific form is required. Give the date range, the type of document, and the names of the people involved when you know them. Being specific speeds things up and reduces the back-and-forth.

For county department records outside the Clerk's system, contact the relevant agency directly. Okeechobee County's small size often makes for faster responses on straightforward requests. If a request is denied or delayed, contact the AG's mediation line at (850) 245-0140 for free assistance.

Cities in Okeechobee County

The City of Okeechobee is the county seat and the main hub for public records access in the county. No city in Okeechobee County meets the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Okeechobee and each maintains its own public records office.