Santa Rosa County Public Records

Santa Rosa County public records are kept by the Clerk and Comptroller's office in Milton, and under Florida law every person has the right to see or copy them on request without stating a reason. This page explains how to access court filings, official recorded instruments, and government documents held by Santa Rosa County offices, along with online tools, fee information, and guidance on what to do when records require additional steps to obtain.

Santa Rosa County and Florida Open Records Law

The legal basis for public records access in Florida is Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, which declares that records made or received by a public agency are open to any person for inspection and copying. Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution also enshrines this as a constitutional right. Santa Rosa County agencies, courts, and government offices are all subject to these rules. The law does not require you to identify yourself or give a reason for your request.

Agencies in Santa Rosa County must respond to records requests promptly. A simple request for an available document should be handled without delay. Complex requests covering many records or requiring significant staff research may take longer, but the agency must give you at least an acknowledgment and a reasonable timeline. If records are withheld, the agency is required to cite the specific exemption in Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes that justifies withholding them. Disputes about denied requests can be taken to the Florida Attorney General, which offers free mediation at (850) 245-0140.

Santa Rosa County is in the 1st Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. Court filings from Santa Rosa County cases are maintained by the Santa Rosa County Clerk and are not combined with records from the other counties in the circuit.

Santa Rosa County Clerk and Comptroller

Jason D. English, Esq. serves as the Clerk and Comptroller for Santa Rosa County. His office in Milton is the primary custodian for court records filed in the 1st Judicial Circuit's Santa Rosa County division and for official recorded instruments including deeds, mortgages, liens, and related documents. The office is the central repository for public records generated by Santa Rosa County's court system and property recording functions.

The Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. The main location in Milton handles civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic court records for Santa Rosa County. Staff can help direct you to the right record or online tool when you call. The Clerk's office also records real estate instruments for property in Santa Rosa County and maintains them as official public records.

Below is a screenshot from the Santa Rosa County Clerk and Comptroller's official website.

The Clerk's site shown above provides access to online court records, official recorded documents, and other services maintained by the Santa Rosa County Clerk and Comptroller's office in Milton.

Searching Santa Rosa County Records Online

The Santa Rosa County Clerk's website at santarosaclerk.com provides online access to court records and official recorded instruments. You can search court cases by party name or case number to view case status, hearing dates, and available scanned documents for matters filed in Santa Rosa County. Official records such as deeds and mortgages are also available through the online records search on the Clerk's site.

Santa Rosa County has grown steadily. The number of court filings and recorded instruments has increased with that growth, and most recent records are available in digital form. Older records that have not been converted to electronic format may require a written request or an in-person visit to the courthouse in Milton. Calling ahead at (850) 981-5554 to confirm record availability before making the trip is a good practice, especially for documents that may be in physical storage rather than the digital system.

The myfloridacounty.com portal also provides access to official records from Santa Rosa and many other Florida counties through a single interface, which is useful when you are not certain which county holds a particular document.

Santa Rosa County Records Fees

Florida law establishes standard fees for public record copies. In Santa Rosa County, copies cost $0.15 per one-sided page for standard size documents. Certified copies are $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification statement. Research time is free for the first 30 minutes and may be billed at a reasonable hourly rate for longer requests.

Documents available in the online system can often be downloaded as PDFs at no charge, which avoids the copy fee for standard (non-certified) records. Certified copies for legal or financial purposes still require a formal request to the Clerk's office. For mail requests, include a check or money order for the estimated fee. The Clerk's office will refund any overpayment. Contact (850) 981-5554 to get a fee estimate before mailing if you are uncertain of the cost.

Other Public Records in Santa Rosa County

Other agencies in Santa Rosa County also maintain public records under Chapter 119. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office handles arrest records and incident reports for unincorporated areas. The Milton Police Department and Navarre-area agencies handle their own local records. The Property Appraiser's office maintains assessment and ownership information for all parcels in the county. The Supervisor of Elections keeps voter registration data.

For statewide criminal history, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement operates the central repository covering all 67 counties. Their system is the most complete option when you need records that may span multiple counties or involve arrests outside Santa Rosa County. The Florida Clerks directory lists contact information for every county clerk in Florida if you need records from a neighboring county.

Legal aid for low-income Santa Rosa County residents is available through Northwest Florida Legal Services and similar organizations. The Florida First Amendment Foundation can connect residents with legal aid programs serving the Panhandle region and help when agencies improperly deny public records requests.

Cities in Santa Rosa County

Santa Rosa County includes Milton, Gulf Breeze, and several unincorporated communities, but none of the cities in the county currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. Contact the Santa Rosa County Clerk and Comptroller's office for records related to any community in the county.

Nearby Counties

Santa Rosa County borders three Florida counties. Each has its own clerk and records access system.