Search Wakulla County Public Records

Wakulla County public records are kept by the Clerk and Comptroller's office in Crawfordville and are open to any member of the public under Florida's open records law. This page covers how to find court case files, property documents, and other official records in Wakulla County, whether you go online, send a written request, or visit the courthouse on Crawfordville Highway.

Public Records Law in Wakulla County

Florida's public records law is codified at Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes and applies to every government body in the state. Wakulla County and all its offices are subject to the same rules as any other Florida jurisdiction. The basic rule is simple: records made or received by a public body in the course of official business are open to anyone. You don't need to say who you are or why you want the records. Section 119.07 of the statutes makes clear that the custodian must allow inspection at any reasonable time.

Copy fees are set by statute. For standard paper copies of administrative records, the fee is 15 cents per page. Copies of documents recorded in the official records cost up to $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry an additional $5.00 certification fee. Research time for staff to locate and pull records is free for the first 30 minutes. Beyond that, a reasonable hourly rate may be charged. The right to inspect without copying is always free.

Not all records are open. Section 119.071 lists the main exemptions, which include active law enforcement investigation files, certain personal identifying data, and specific categories of health and financial information. If your request is denied, you are entitled to know which exemption applies. For help, call the Florida Attorney General's mediation line at (850) 245-0140 or see the AG's open government page. The First Amendment Foundation also provides free assistance to anyone navigating a records dispute in Florida.

Wakulla County Clerk and Comptroller

Greg James serves as the Clerk and Comptroller for Wakulla County. His office in Crawfordville is the primary custodian for court records, official recorded documents, marriage licenses, and county financial records. The Clerk handles case filings at both the circuit and county court levels in Wakulla County.

The office is open weekdays during regular business hours. If you are planning a visit to Crawfordville to look at records, calling ahead first is a good idea. Staff can confirm what is available, whether records are online or need to be pulled, and what to include in a written request if you prefer that route.

The image below comes from the Wakulla County Clerk's website, which is the primary online resource for accessing records in the county.

The site provides links to available online search tools, contact information for each division of the office, and guidance on how to submit records requests.

Court Records in Wakulla County

Wakulla County is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida. The 2nd Circuit also covers Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Franklin counties, with the circuit court seat in Tallahassee. Circuit court cases in Wakulla County include felony criminal charges, civil disputes over the jurisdictional threshold, family law matters such as divorce, paternity, and adoption, juvenile proceedings, and probate. County court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, civil claims under the threshold, small claims, and traffic offenses.

Court records are generally available to the public under Chapter 119 and the rules governing court record access in Florida. The main restrictions apply to juvenile case files, which are confidential by statute, and any records a judge has ordered sealed or expunged. Some domestic violence records and mental health records may also carry limited access rules. Call the Clerk's office at (850) 926-0905 before making a trip to confirm that the file you need is accessible and at which location.

For a directory of all Florida county clerks, the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers directory lists all 67 offices with current contact details. It is useful if your search involves multiple counties or if you need to confirm who handles a particular record type statewide.

Property and Official Records

The Wakulla County Clerk records and indexes official documents affecting real property in the county. Deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, and easements all flow through the Clerk's office and are indexed for public access by name and document type. These records represent the complete and official chain of title for any parcel in Wakulla County. If you are researching a property, the Clerk's recorded documents are the authoritative source.

Copy fees for recorded documents run up to $1.00 per page, with a $5.00 certification fee for certified copies. There is no charge to inspect records at the office. If you want to check whether recorded documents for Wakulla County are available through the statewide portal, try myfloridacounty.com, which aggregates official records from many Florida counties.

Marriage licenses are issued and maintained by the Clerk. Divorce records are part of the family law circuit court file and are held by the same office. Both are public records accessible by name or case number at the Crawfordville office.

How to Get Wakulla County Records

You have three ways to access records from the Wakulla County Clerk. Visit in person at 3056 Crawfordville Hwy in Crawfordville. Call (850) 926-0905 for guidance on what is available and what process to follow. Or mail a written request to the same address. No specific form is required. Florida law asks only that you describe the records you want clearly enough for staff to find them.

Include as much detail as you can in any request: names, dates, case numbers, and document types. The more specific you are, the faster staff can respond. Wakulla County is a smaller county, and its staff handles all records work. Calling ahead before a visit avoids wasted trips for records that may be archived or need extra time to retrieve.

For records held by other Wakulla County offices, like the Sheriff's Office or the Board of County Commissioners, contact those offices directly. Each one is its own records custodian under Chapter 119 and handles requests independently of the Clerk. The FDLE public records page covers requests for state-level criminal justice records if what you need extends beyond county records.

Other Record Sources in Wakulla County

The Clerk is the main record-keeper for courts and official documents in Wakulla County, but it is not the only source of public records. The Wakulla County Property Appraiser maintains current ownership and assessment data for all parcels. The Tax Collector keeps property tax payment records and vehicle registration files. The Board of County Commissioners holds minutes from public meetings, adopted budgets, and county ordinances. All of these offices are subject to Chapter 119 and must provide access on request.

Vital records such as birth and death certificates are a state function in Florida. They are held by the Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, not by the county clerk. You would contact that office or use the state's online ordering system for those documents.

The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office holds law enforcement records. Arrest records and incident reports are generally open under Chapter 119. Active investigation files may qualify for an exemption. Contact the Sheriff's Office directly for those requests. If you run into any trouble getting records from Wakulla County government, the First Amendment Foundation at floridafaf.org offers free guidance to anyone dealing with a public records problem in Florida.

Cities in Wakulla County

Wakulla County has no incorporated cities that meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Crawfordville is the county seat and the Clerk's office there serves the entire county.

Nearby Counties

Wakulla County borders five other North Florida counties, each with its own Clerk's office and records system.