What are Wakulla County Public Records?
Chapter 119.01 of the Florida Sunshine Laws defines public records to mean all documents, electronic or physical, generated or obtained pursuant to governmental functions. Public records may be in various forms, such as papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, and other materials. The essential element in public records is that a public agency should have created or received the document pursuant to a law or in connection with its functions. However, not all documents that fall within this scope are public records. Chapter 119.071 of the Florida Sunshine Laws provides exemption for some records, including:
- Examination questions, answers, and other materials used for licensing, certification, or employment by a government agency.
- Financial statements that a government agency receives from prospective bidders to qualify for public works projects.
- Videotapes in the custody of or produced by a federally licensed radio or television station under an agreement with a public agency.
- All criminal intelligence and criminal investigative information received by a criminal justice agency before January 25, 1979.
- Criminal intelligence and information on ongoing investigations.
- Any information that reveals surveillance techniques, processes, or personnels of public security agencies.
- Any information revealing the substance of a person’s confession to a crime until the judicial proceedings come to end.
- Any information that reveals the identity of a confidential informant or a confidential source.
- Records that are confidential pursuant to law or a court order.
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location including the city, county or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Wakulla County Crime Statistics
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains records of crime statistics for Florida, including Wakulla County. In 2019, the Law Enforcement Department recorded that Wakulla had 578 crimes, consisting of 75 violent crimes and 503 property crimes. The violent crimes included no murder, 11 rapes, two robberies, and 62 aggravated assaults, while the property crimes consisted of 124 burglaries, 346 larcenies, and 33 motor vehicle thefts. Compared to the total crimes recorded for the County in 2018, there was a decrease in crime by 1%.
How to Obtain Wakulla County Civil Court Case Records
The Wakulla County Clerk of Courts has custody over Wakulla County civil court case records. These civil court case records are open to members of the public that make requests for them. Any person can make requests by mail, in person, or online. Requests can be made either to the Clerk of Courts or at the courthouse that determined the case. Physical inspection of civil court case records usually costs nothing. Electronic copies online can also be gotten for free. However, requesters that wish to obtain copies of Wakulla civil court records would need to pay the applicable fees of $1 for each page and $2 for certification.
Online requests can be made through the Landmark Web Official Records Search. Online records cannot be used for official purposes, as they are not certified. Searches can be conducted with the name of the parties, case number, or date of the case. Requesters that wish to obtain certified copies of civil court records would need to make their requests in person or by mail to:
Wakulla County Official Records Department
3056 Crawfordville Hwy
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Email: receptionist@wakullaclerk.com
Are Wakulla County Criminal Records Public?
Wakulla County criminal records are public and any interested person can make a request to obtain access to the records. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Division of Criminal Justice Information Services is the central repository for Florida criminal records, including for Wakulla County. There is a $24 charge fee to obtain Wakulla criminal records. The Department accepts instant searches, certified/non-certified searches, and ORI searches.
Results for instant searches are available immediately. These instant searches can be done through the Instant Florida Criminal History Search Portal. The results can be printed or received by email, although they will not be certified. Instant search requests cost $24, with an extra $1 credit card processing fee. Certified or non-certified searches require requesters to submit demographic information. The results can be notarized and are returned through US Mail. Non-certified processing times are usually about five days, while certified processing times are usually between six to seven days. Payment should be made by credit or debit card and each search costs $24. Requests can be made through the request portal.
Requesters can conduct ORI searches by providing an ORI (Originating Agency Identifier). The Department accepts requests through ORI Based Florida Criminal History Search.
How to Obtain Wakulla County Police Reports and Arrest Records?
The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office maintains Wakulla arrest records and police reports. These records are open to the public and any interested person can access them through a request, as long as they are not confidential. Each page of a police report or arrest record costs 15 cents. Requests can be made at:
Wakulla County Sheriff's Office
15 Oak St,
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Phone: (850) 745-7100
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Wakulla County
The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintain Wakulla County sexual offenders registry. These registries are open to the public and contain the names and information of known sexual offenders within the county.
The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office provides both sex offender notification and sex offender search. Users that sign up for sex offender notification will need to provide their address, city, state, zip, and email. The law enforcement agency will send information about sex offenders within close proximity to any user that signs up for the service. With the sex offender search option, users can find sex offenders by name, location, non-compliance, or internet names and emails. Information provided about offenders include the offender’s name, address, date of birth, photograph, physical description, and crime.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement registry search only supports name searches. However, users can choose to filter their search results by the offender type, offender status, state status, and aliases. Any person that conducts a search on the registry will have information on the offender such as the offender’s name, photograph, status, address, and vehicle information. Users can also track offenders through the notification system.
How to Find Wakulla County Inmate Records
Inmates in Wakulla County are kept in the Wakulla County Detention Facility with a total capacity of 350 inmates. Inmate records from the facility are open to the public. Interested persons can find Wakulla County inmate records by contacting the Sheriff’s Office at:
Wakulla County Sheriff's Office
15 Oak St,
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Phone: (850) 745-7100
Interested persons can also contact inmates in detention through phone calls, mails, and visitation.
Wakulla County Court Records
Wakulla County is part of the Florida judicial system. The County’s court system includes a circuit court and a county court. These courts handle different kinds of cases that fall within their jurisdiction. The Wakulla Circuit Court can hear cases on appeal and handle serious criminal matters, while the County Court largely handles small civil claim and ordinance violations. Court records of the courts are also maintained by clerks and these records are open to the public.
Location of Courts in Wakulla County
Wakulla County Circuit Court
Wakulla County Courthouse
3056 Crawfordville Highway,
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Phone: (850) 926-0905
Fax: (850) 926-0938
County Court of Wakulla County
Wakulla County Courthouse
3056 Crawfordville Highway,
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Phone: (850) 926-0905
Fax: (850) 926-0938
Are Wakulla County Court Records Public?
Wakulla County court records are open to the public pursuant to the Florida Sunshine Law. However, confidential records such as adoption records, juvenile records, and sealed records are closed to the public. Any person interested in obtaining Wakulla court records can make requests to the court clerk or the courthouse that determined the case. Requests for Wakulla court records may be subject to some preconditions, such as providing a clear description of the record, making requests through approved channels, and paying any applicable fees.
How to Obtain Wakulla County Criminal Court Records
The Wakulla County Clerk of Courts maintains Wakulla County criminal court records and makes the records available to the public. Any person can make a request for copies of the record or physically go to the courthouse to inspect the records. Requests can be made physically, by mail, or online. If the requester wants copies of the record, there is a $1 per page fee. There is an additional $2 fee for certification of records. Simply inspecting records in person comes at no cost. Electronic records may also be accessed for free. The Wakulla County Clerk of Courts maintains an online database of court records. Interested persons can make requests through the database and obtain electronic copies of court records. The electronic copies are not certified records and cannot be used for official purposes. Users can search for Wakulla criminal court records with the online database by name, case number, and record date.
Mail requesters should include a self-addressed stamped envelope in their request which the Clerk may use to send copies of the records. Requests can be made at:
Wakulla County Official Records Department
3056 Crawfordville Hwy
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Email: receptionist@wakullaclerk.com
What are Wakulla County Vital Records?
Wakulla County vital records are documentations of certain significant events that take place within the County, such as divorces, marriages, deaths, and births. Depending on the record, they are available at the state and county level.
The Clerk of the Wakulla Circuit Court accepts and processes requests for divorce decrees. Wakulla divorce certificates are also available at the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. The Bureau maintains marriage records from June 6, 1927. Requests for divorce certificates should be made at least sixty days after the divorce, as this is how long it takes for the Clerk of the Circuit Court to forward the divorce records to the Bureau. There is a non-refundable $5 search fee, with one certified cop if the record is found. There is also a $4 fee for each additional certified copy and a $2 fee for each year searched if the exact year of the divorce is not known. Interested persons can make requests by mail or in person. Requests take between three and five days to process.
Wakulla County marriage records are issued in the form of Wakulla County marriage certificates. They are abstracts of the marriage license and the marriage records are public. The Florida Department of Health maintains Wakulla marriage records from June 6, 1927 till present. It takes 60 days for the Circuit Court to forward marriage records to the Department of Health. Therefore, requests for marriage records should be made at least 60 days after the marriage. Requesters need to pay a $5 search fee for the record. If the record is found, one certified copy will be provided. If the record is not found, the fee is non-refundable. $4 will be paid for each additional certified copy and $2 will be paid for every year searched if the marriage year is unknown.
Wakulla County birth records contain information about births in the county, such as the date of birth, place of birth, and the parents. Wakulla County birth certificates for births less than 100 years old are confidential and can only be issued to:
- The record subject, if they are up to 18 years old.
- A parent or legal guardian.
- A legal representative.
- A person acting pursuant to a court order.
The Florida Department of Health accepts mail and in-person requests for birth certificates. Requesters would need to pay a non-refundable $9 fee for a search and one certified copy. Each additional certified copy costs $4 and there is a $2 search fee for each year if the year of birth is unknown.
Wakulla death certificates are available at the Florida Department of Health for a $13 fee. Certificates without the cause of death are open to the public, while those containing the cause of death are only open to close family members and legal representatives.
Vital records requests can be made to:
State of Florida
Vital Statistics Office
1217 N Pearl Street,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
