Pasco County Public Records

Pasco County public records are maintained by the Clerk and Comptroller's office in Dade City, and Florida law gives every person the right to inspect and copy them on request. This page explains how to find court filings, official records, and other government documents held by county offices, along with fees, response times, and online access options in Pasco County.

Florida Public Records Law in Pasco County

Florida's open records framework starts with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, commonly called the Public Records Law. It says that all records made or received by a public agency are open to inspection and copying unless a specific exemption applies. The Florida Constitution reinforces this in Article I, Section 24, which treats public access as a constitutional right. Pasco County offices, courts, and agencies all fall under these rules.

You do not need to give your name when you make a request. You do not need to explain why you want a document. The law puts the burden on the agency to show that an exemption applies, not on you to prove why you deserve access. Requests can be made in person, by phone, by mail, or electronically depending on which office holds the record. Nearly every document created or received by a county body in Pasco is a public record by default under Chapter 119.

Common exemptions are listed in Section 119.071. These include active criminal investigation files, certain victim data, some law enforcement personnel details, and medical records. If an agency denies a request, it must tell you which exemption it is relying on. If you think a denial was wrong, the Florida Attorney General's Office runs a mediation line at (850) 245-0140 to help resolve disputes at no cost to the requester.

Agencies must let you inspect records promptly. They can ask for a reasonable time to locate and review files, but they cannot simply ignore a request or delay without cause. The first 30 minutes of staff research time are typically provided at no charge; additional time may be billed at a reasonable hourly rate.

Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller

Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq. serves as the Clerk and Comptroller for Pasco County. Her office is the central custodian for court records filed in the 6th Judicial Circuit covering Pasco County and for official records such as deeds, mortgages, liens, and judgments recorded with the county. It is the largest single source of public documents in Pasco County, covering civil, criminal, family law, probate, and traffic court matters.

The Clerk's office is open on weekdays during regular business hours. Staff can direct you to the right division when you call. The office handles everything from small claims filings to felony case records. It also records real estate instruments for transactions throughout Pasco County, so property owners and title researchers use it regularly.

The screenshot below comes from the Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller's official website, which is the main online point of contact for court and official records.

The page above shows the primary portal where you can navigate to court record search, official records, and online services offered by the Clerk's office for Pasco County.

Searching Pasco County Court Records Online

The Pasco County Clerk's website at pascoclerk.com provides online access to court records and official records. Basic searches by party name or case number are available without creating an account. Court cases handled in the 6th Judicial Circuit covering Pasco County are in the system, along with recorded instruments going back a number of years.

For civil matters, you can search by plaintiff or defendant name and view case status, scheduled hearing dates, and scanned documents in many instances. Criminal records, family law filings, probate cases, and traffic citations are also searchable through the Clerk's portal. Older records that have not been digitized may require an in-person visit to the courthouse in Dade City or a written request submitted to the Clerk's archives. Call ahead to confirm availability for older files.

Official records, including deeds, mortgages, satisfaction of mortgages, liens, and related instruments, are recorded and indexed by the Clerk's office. These records are critical for real estate transactions and title searches in Pasco County. Many are available to view online through the official records search function on the Clerk's website. The myfloridacounty.com portal also covers Pasco County and lets you search across multiple Florida counties in one place.

Pasco County Records Fees and Copies

Florida sets standard fees for public record copies under Chapter 119. The base copy fee is $0.15 per one-sided page. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification statement fee. If a document requires extensive research, staff time beyond the first 30 free minutes may be billed at a reasonable hourly rate.

For court records, certified copies of filed documents are often needed for legal or financial purposes. You can request them in person at the Clerk's office in Dade City or, in many cases, through the online portal. Electronic copies, when available, may be provided at a lower cost than paper copies. Many court documents can be downloaded directly from the Clerk's online system, which saves time and avoids copy fees altogether.

Check the Clerk's website for the most current fee schedule and accepted payment methods before submitting a request. For mail requests, the Clerk will typically ask for prepayment based on an estimated page count, with any overage refunded or underpayment collected before the documents ship.

Other Pasco County Public Records Sources

The Clerk and Comptroller's office handles court and official records, but other agencies in Pasco County also maintain public records. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office handles arrest records and incident reports. The Property Appraiser's office maintains property assessment records. The Supervisor of Elections keeps voter registration data. Each of these offices has its own process for responding to records requests under Chapter 119.

For criminal history records at the state level, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the statewide repository. A background check through FDLE covers criminal records from all 67 Florida counties, not just Pasco, and is often the best option when you need a comprehensive search.

The Florida Clerks directory can help you locate any county clerk statewide. Legal aid resources are available to low-income residents through Bay Area Legal Services and other organizations serving the Tampa Bay region. The Florida First Amendment Foundation can also assist when agencies improperly deny public records requests.

Cities in Pasco County

Pasco County includes Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel among its fastest-growing communities, both of which have dedicated public records pages on this site.

Nearby Counties

Pasco County borders five other counties. Each has its own Clerk and Comptroller office with separate court records and official records systems.