Marion County Court Records
Rule 2.420 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration defines a court record as the contents of a court file, including transcripts, exhibits, electronic records, videotapes, and stenographic tapes of case proceedings in court filed or documented with the Clerk of Court. These records are filed and managed by the Marion County Clerk of Court, and they furnish interested persons with details about the judicial proceedings of a court case.
Are Court Records Public in Marion County
Court records are considered public records in Marion County. The Florida Public Records Law states that individuals can examine and copy court records. A court record may, however, be kept confidential in accordance with applicable federal law, Florida statutes, or court rules. Court records and information within a court record that are typically restricted to the public include:
- Adoption records
- Several clinical records
- Juvenile delinquency records
- Social Security, bank account, debit and credit card numbers
- Protected information about victims of child abuse or sexual offenses
- Trial and appellate court memoranda, drafts of opinions and orders, court conference records, and notes prepared by judges or court staff.
Where to Conduct a Marion County Case Lookup
Court records are generated during a judicial proceeding and are primarily documented with the Clerk of Court. A Marion County case search can be conducted at the following places:
- Florida Supreme Court
- Marion County Court
- Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal
- Marion County Fifth Judicial Circuit Court
How to Conduct a Marion County Case Records Search
To make a court record request, individuals may visit the Clerk’s office during operational hours or send in a public records request via Phone: (352) 671-5607) or email (publicrecords@marioncountyclerk.org) to the Custodian of Public Records. An email should include the sender’s first and last name, phone number, subject, and case number (if available). A fee must be paid to the Clerk of Court to obtain a certified copy of a court record. The Clerk typically determines this fee, and is contingent on the volume and nature of the requested record. Court record requests can be sent via mail to the Custodian of Public Records at:
Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller
Attn: Public Records Liaison
P.O. Box 1030
Ocala, FL 34478
Electronic access to court records is made possible through the court records search portal on the Clerk of Court website. This portal provides various access options like:
Marion County Civil Court Case Records
A civil court case record contains information about a case heard in a civil court. The Civil Courts hear all civil cases in Marion County. Specifically, the Marion County Circuit Civil handles civil actions with damage claims that do not exceed $30,000, while the County Civil handles disputes of more than $8,000 but lower than $ 30,000.
Civil Court case records are in the custody of the Clerk of Court and can be obtained in person during business hours, by phone, email, or online. The Court Clerk's website provides electronic access to Civil case records via the Court Record Search Portal. The public has access to a civil record through the public access option of the search portal and conducting a person or case search.
Marion County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court cases arise from crimes committed by individuals against a state. A criminal court case record is generated from the judicial proceedings of a criminal case. The Criminal Circuit Court of Marion County is divided into four divisions: County Criminal, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, and Sealing and Expunging. The Marion County Criminal Division handles misdemeanor crimes, while the Felony Division handles felony cases. Criminal court case records can be obtained online, by mail, email, phone, or in person at the Marion County Clerk of Court’s Office.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Court case records can be accessed online for free via the County Clerk’s Court Record search portal public access option. Interested persons may conduct a search by Person or Case. The Person search allows a search by Individual or business name and date range of the case, date of birth, social security number, and court type if known. For the Case search, the year, court type, and sequence number are the compulsory search criteria, while the party identifier and branch location can be used to narrow down the search results.
Courts in Marion County
Marion County is served by one court within its borders.
Marion County Judicial Center
110 NW First Avenue
Ocala, FL 34475
Phone: (352) 401-6700
