Florida Court Docket Search

A Florida court docket search allows members of the public to obtain information about court cases heard within state limits. Dockets are essentially a compilation of Florida court records or court case information of both pending and decided cases. Pursuant to the provisions of the Florida Public Records Law, the details of a court proceeding are deemed public information unless pertaining to a juvenile or otherwise specified by statute or judicial order. Hence, Florida residents can conduct a court docket search by making in-person queries to the record custodian in their jurisdiction or using their online resources. Court dockets are also maintained by Federal Courts, and the Supreme Court’s Docket System offers inquirers a means to obtain information on cases filed since 2001.

What is a Court Docket in Florida?

A court docket is a schedule of upcoming case proceedings in a court of law. When an individual or establishment brings a legal action to a Florida court, the court clerk issues a docket number (also called a case number) for the case and adds the case to the court's docket. The docket lists the names of parties involved in a court case, the case number, and court appearance dates, among other details. In many Florida counties, courts maintain their dockets online.

Are Court Dockets Public Record in Florida?

Yes, the public can examine or copy court dockets in Florida. Per Fla. Stat. §28.24 and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420 b(1)(A), court dockets are classified as "court records". According to the Florida Public Records Law, the public has the right to access or request such records from the courts.

However, court dockets of cases sealed by law, order, or court rule are not publicly available in Florida. Only case parties and attorneys can access dockets of restricted cases.

Where to Find a Court Docket in Florida

Because court dockets are a type of court record in Florida, the records are preserved in courthouses - typically in court clerks' offices. Hence, anyone who wants to find a court docket in Florida should commence their search at the courthouse. This must be the courthouse that received the case filing, however.

How to Conduct a Florida Court Docket Search

Members of the public can conduct a Florida court docket search through the state court responsible for handling a case. Courts in Florida generally provide access to dockets in physical and electronic formats.

A person who opts for electronic access should check the presiding court or clerk of court's website for a secure online portal. It may be interlinked with the court's case management database or maintained separately. Regardless, the portal is often accessible with specific keywords, and a Florida court docket search may be conducted using the case party's name, case number, attorney's name, judge's name, or filing date.

For example, individuals looking for the Bay County Circuit Court docket can access the court's case search tool with a name or case number. Once the search results are generated, the researcher can click "Events" to view the court docket events for a case. Advanced search options that deliver complete court docket information are also available to users with a username and password.

On the other hand, individuals who want to view dockets generated by the Florida Supreme Court or Courts of Appeal can access the Online Public Docket site. Clicking the links supplied on the site takes a researcher to a web portal, where they can input parameters such as a case number or party's name to view online appellate court dockets. Like the Florida appellate courts, the Citrus County Circuit Clerk's office also maintains an independent Court Docket Search tool for easy access to court dockets.

Admittedly, although several Florida courts provide a secure court docket portal on the internet, interested persons may still visit the courthouse to inspect dockets. One may as well obtain printed copies of court dockets in person or by mail from a court clerk's office. Usually, there is a charge per page for each copy request.

Using Third-Party Sites for a Florida Court Docket Search

Certain private aggregate websites also disseminate court dockets, e.g., for cases of public interest. When using third-party sites for a Florida court docket search, care should be taken to verify case information or documents obtained against the official dockets maintained by the applicable court clerk's office (where the case was filed). This way, a researcher can guarantee the accuracy and completeness of case information retrieved from third-party sites.

What is the Purpose of a Court Docket in Florida?

A court docket is an important judicial document for case proceedings. At a glance, it shows the full history of a case (i.e., all court-related activities and filings in a case) in the form of a chronological index. The docket also serves as a court's official timetable, informing the court of all pending hearings or events in each case. In the end, this helps courts manage cases, track case progress, and hear cases timely.

In Florida, dockets are also beneficial to case parties, attorneys, and members of the public. For these entities, the court docket is an excellent resource for several reasons, including determining the date and location of a court hearing, the judge presiding over a legal matter, documents submitted to the court, the cases to be heard on a particular day, the outcome of a case proceeding, and more.

What Do Court Dockets Contain in Florida?

Court dockets generated in Florida contain the following details:

The names of case parties, i.e., the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) names
The name of an attorney representing a party
The assigned case number
The case type. For example, family, traffic, criminal, or civil.
The dates and times of scheduled court proceedings, as well as the type of proceeding
The next scheduled court proceeding
The court location where a hearing will take place
The name of the presiding judicial officer (the magistrate or judge)
A brief description of the case, including the claims or charges brought in a case, the statute(s) violated, and outstanding fines. Some courts also include notes that give individuals additional information, such as if a court appearance is necessary for a hearing.
The case's filing date
Results of court proceedings, including rulings entered by the court
The case status, such as if the case is active or closed
A list of documents filed in a court case, such as pleadings, motions, affidavits, orders, and briefs

However, in Florida, the contents of court dockets vary by court. As a result, some dockets contain only some of the information mentioned above, whereas others may deliver additional case details.

What is a Court Docket Number in Florida?

In its simplest form, a court docket number in Florida is the court system's tracking number for a case. It identifies a particular action filed in a court and is used to track the case on the court's docket. The unique number also appears on all documents originating from a court case. As such, it can be used to retrieve case information and documents from a court.

Although referred to as a number, court docket numbers in Florida consist of letters, numbers, and sometimes, special characters like a hyphen. For instance:

SCXX-0000000, which identifies a case filed in the Supreme Court;
1DXX-0000, which represents a court case heard in the First District Court of Appeal; or
01-2022-XX-000000-A or 2022-XX-000000, as one may find in a trial court.

Nonetheless, while each Florida court has its docket number format, certain details are often embedded in any court docket number, such as:

The year of filing
The court location where a case was filed
The type of court case
The sequential number assigned to the case

How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in Florida

One primary criterion for inspecting a court docket in Florida, regardless of the court where the record was generated, is a court docket number. Being unique to each court case, members of the public can use a court docket number to locate information and documents filed in an unrestricted court case easily. A person bearing a court docket number can conduct a Florida court docket search by entering the digits on a Florida court's case access database. Alternatively, they may give the number to the relevant clerk's office to retrieve case information.

However, if an inquirer is not a case party (the plaintiff or defendant), the case party's attorney, or a close relative, or if the case is not of public interest, it may be challenging to determine the docket number attached to a case. Fortunately, the Florida courts index their records with other keywords to simplify the search process and facilitate the recovery of case records when one does not know or have a court docket number.

Anyone interested in finding a court docket number should (ideally) possess a case party's full name, the case attorney's name, or the presiding judge's name, depending on the alternative search options offered by the relevant court. Subsequently, the individual can input the keyword(s) into the online docket search system provided on the court or clerk of the court's website to find the docket number assigned by the court.

Persons who do not have access to an internet-enabled device or cannot find a court's docket on the internet can visit the court clerk's office during open hours to search via a kiosk (if that option is provided), or they may call the clerk's office for the information. Alternatively, a person may pay a nominal fee to the clerk's office to obtain a copy of a public document filed in the case, as a court docket number is included on each record filed during a Florida court case.

Like the inquiries made on a court's online docket search portal, an individual who visits, calls, or writes the court to find a court docket number, must provide other search queries (such as a case party's last name and filing date) to aid the court staff's search. Note that the court may also require a fee to research records on one's behalf.