Access Taylor County Public Records

Taylor County public records are held by the Clerk and Comptroller's office in Perry and are open to any member of the public under Florida law. This page covers how to search court case files, official recorded documents, and other government records in Taylor County, whether you look online, mail in a request, or visit the courthouse on North Jefferson Street.

Open Records Rights in Taylor County

Every person in Florida has the right to inspect and copy public records. That right is set out in Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes and backed by Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution. The law applies to Taylor County and all its offices the same way it applies to every other county in the state. You do not need to explain why you want a record. No one can require you to give your name before letting you look at a public document.

Under Section 119.07, the custodian must let you inspect public records at any reasonable time. If you want copies, the agency can charge up to 15 cents per page for standard paper copies of administrative records. Certified copies of recorded official documents run up to $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. The first 30 minutes of research time the agency spends pulling records for you does not cost anything. After that, a reasonable hourly fee may apply.

Not every record is open. Section 119.071 lists exemptions. Active law enforcement investigations, Social Security numbers, and certain personal data are among the categories that can be withheld. If a request is denied, the agency must tell you which exemption applies. For help with a dispute, you can call the Florida Attorney General's open government mediation line at (850) 245-0140, or visit the AG's Open Government page for more detail.

Taylor County Clerk and Comptroller

Gary Knowles, Jr. serves as the Clerk and Comptroller for Taylor County. His office in Perry is the official custodian for all court filings, official recorded documents, marriage records, and county finance records. The Clerk handles cases from both the circuit court and county court levels.

The office is open weekdays during normal business hours. If you are not sure whether records you want are available online or need to be requested by mail or in person, a quick call to (850) 838-3506 can save you time. Staff can tell you which division handles a specific type of record and what to include in your request.

The screenshot below is taken from the Taylor County Clerk's website, the primary online access point for court and official records in the county.

The website provides access to online search tools, office hours, and guidance for submitting requests for records that are not available through the online portal.

Court Records in Taylor County

Taylor County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit of Florida. That circuit also covers Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, and Suwannee counties. Circuit court cases in Taylor County include felony criminal charges, civil actions over the threshold amount, family law matters such as divorce and child custody, adoption, juvenile cases, and probate. County court covers misdemeanor criminal cases, small claims, civil cases under the threshold, and traffic offenses.

Court records are generally public under Chapter 119 and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. The main exceptions are juvenile case records, which are confidential by statute, and records that a judge has ordered sealed or expunged. Some portions of domestic violence case files may also be protected. If you call the Clerk's office before visiting, staff can confirm whether a particular case file is accessible before you make the trip to Perry.

You can find contact information for the Taylor County Clerk and all other Florida clerks through the statewide Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers directory. The directory is maintained by the state association and is current.

Property and Official Records

All documents affecting real property in Taylor County are recorded and indexed by the Clerk's office. Deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, and easements are filed here and are the definitive source for the chain of title on any parcel in the county. The official records index can be searched by party name or document type. Many recorded documents are available online through the clerk's website.

If you need a certified copy of a recorded document -- for closing a real estate transaction or for use in court, for instance -- the fee is up to $1.00 per page plus the $5.00 certification charge. Uncertified copies are less. For a simple inspection of a record at the office, there is no charge to look.

Marriage licenses in Taylor County are issued and held by the Clerk. Divorce records are part of the circuit court file maintained by the same office. Both are public records accessible by name or case number. The statewide portal at myfloridacounty.com may also have some official records for Taylor County depending on what the clerk has indexed there.

How to Request Taylor County Records

You have three main options for requesting records from the Taylor County Clerk. Visit in person at 108 N Jefferson St in Perry, call (850) 838-3506, or send a written request by mail to the same address. No official form is required. The law just asks that you describe what you want clearly enough for staff to locate it.

Include as much detail as possible: names of parties involved, date ranges, case numbers if you have them, and the type of document or record you need. Good detail speeds up the search. Agencies must respond promptly. If the search takes more than 30 minutes, you may be charged a reasonable rate for staff time. Standard copy fees apply on top of that.

Taylor County is a small county. Its clerk's staff is not large. Calling ahead is a practical step before making a trip, especially for older or archived records that may take more time to pull. If records are held by other county offices, like the Sheriff or the Board of County Commissioners, contact those offices directly -- they each handle their own requests under Chapter 119.

Other Sources for Taylor County Records

Several other agencies hold public records relevant to Taylor County. The Taylor County Property Appraiser keeps current assessment data and ownership information for all parcels. The Tax Collector holds property tax records and vehicle registration files. The Board of County Commissioners maintains minutes from public meetings, adopted budgets, and ordinances. All of these are public records subject to Chapter 119.

Birth and death certificates for events in Taylor County are not kept by the Clerk. Florida vital records are a state function handled by the Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. You would contact them directly or use the state's online ordering portal to get those documents.

Law enforcement records from the Taylor County Sheriff's Office are also open under Chapter 119 in most cases. Arrest records and incident reports are generally available. Active investigation files may be exempt. Contact the Sheriff's Office directly for those requests. If you run into trouble getting records from any Taylor County office, the First Amendment Foundation offers free guidance and advocacy for people seeking public records in Florida.

Cities in Taylor County

Taylor County has no incorporated cities that meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Perry is the county seat, and the Clerk's office there handles records for the entire county.

Nearby Counties

Taylor County borders five other North Florida counties, each served by its own clerk and records system.