Accessing Pinellas County Florida Court Records: Complete 2026 Public Access & Docket Guide

This operational guide details the retrieval, inspection, and verification of judicial filings maintained by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. It focuses exclusively on court dockets, case files, and official judgments, distinguishing these judicial records from municipal police arrest logs and state-level criminal background checks administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Navigating the Pinellas County Court Public Access Portal

Public access to judicial records in Pinellas County operates primarily through the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s online portal infrastructure. Under Florida’s open government standard, established by Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes and Rule 2.420 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, the vast majority of circuit and county court records are accessible to the public.

The public search interface allows users to inspect civil litigation, criminal dockets, traffic citations, family court proceedings, and probate filings across the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Pinellas and Pasco counties.

[Note: Diagrammatic views are replaced by structured text tables below.]

Access Tiers: Anonymous Guests vs. Registered Portal Users

The Pinellas County public viewing platform categorizes system access into tiered registration levels to maintain statutory privacy compliance:

• Anonymous Guest Access: Allows open searches by case number, party name, or attorney bar number. Guest users can inspect summary dockets, hearing schedules, judgment indexes, and basic filings. However, specific document images—particularly in family law, probate, and non-party civil cases—may be masked or restricted to comply with privacy mandates.
• Registered User Accounts: Available to litigants, licensed Florida attorneys, media representatives, and commercial background researchers. Registration requires identity verification through the portal. Registered party members gain access to unredacted document images in cases where they are a party of record, along with expanded remote document viewing capabilities for civil and probate files.

Official Pinellas County Courthouse Locations and Public Terminals

When court documents are shielded from public internet viewing due to statutory redactions, physical inspection remains available via public access terminals located at county courthouses. Public terminals provide raw access to electronically filed records that have undergone automated processing.

Primary Administrative Operations

Pinellas County Justice Center (CJC)14250 49th Street North, Clearwater, FL 33762Primary Jurisdiction: Felony Criminal, Misdemeanor Criminal, Traffic Division, and Criminal Records Public Viewing Terminals.

Clearwater Historic Courthouse315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756Primary Jurisdiction: Circuit Civil, County Civil, Small Claims, Family Law, Probate, and Official Records / Deeds.

St. Petersburg Judicial Building545 1st Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701Primary Jurisdiction: Civil, Small Claims, Family, and Traffic Branch Operations.

North County Branch Office29582 US Highway 19 North, Clearwater, FL 33761Primary Jurisdiction: Civil Filings, Traffic Fine Payments, and Recording Services.

Types of Court Records Accessible in Pinellas County

The Sixth Judicial Circuit organizes case files into specialized divisions. Understanding these judicial categories simplifies record retrieval within the automated search interface.

+-------------------------------------------------+ | Pinellas County Court Case Classifications | +-----------------------+-------------------------+ | +-------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+ | | | | +----+----+ +----+----+ +----+----+ +----+----+ | Civil | | Criminal| | Family | | Probate | +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+

Civil, Criminal, Family, and Probate Classifications

1. Circuit Civil: Encompasses high-value civil litigation involving damages exceeding $50,000, real estate foreclosures, medical malpractice, professional negligence, and quiet title actions.
2. County Civil and Small Claims: Handles monetary disputes up to $8,000 for Small Claims and up to $50,000 for County Civil filings, alongside residential and commercial eviction actions and personal injury protection (PIP) litigation.
3. Criminal Records: Divided into Misdemeanors (County Court) and Felonies (Circuit Court). Case dockets document charging affidavits, formal informations, grand jury indictments, motion filings, plea agreements, sentencings, and probation orders.
4. Family Law: Contains proceedings for dissolution of marriage (divorce), child custody and support modifications, paternity determinations, adoption proceedings, and petitions for injunctions against domestic, repeat, dating, or sexual violence.
5. Probate and Guardianship: Covers formal estate administrations, summary administrations, proceedings regarding last wills and testaments, trusts, involuntary commitments under the Baker Act or Marchman Act, and legal guardianship dockets.

Redactions and Exemptions Under Florida Rule 2.420

Although Florida enforces broad public record access, Rule 2.420 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration mandates the automatic redactions or total sealing of specific sensitive datasets. The public portal automatically screens and redacts standard personal identifiers before displaying document images online.

Under Florida law, standard public court dockets automatically mask:

• Full Social Security Numbers, Financial Account Numbers, and Credit Card details.
• Juvenile Delinquency and Dependency case files (restricted exclusively to named parents, guardians, and legal counsel).
• Adoption records and birth certificate modifications (permanently sealed absent a direct court order).
• Victim identity information in sexual offense cases, human trafficking matters, and child abuse prosecutions (governed by Marsy’s Law protections).
• Petitions and clinical evaluation records under the Baker Act (involuntary mental health commitments) and Marchman Act (substance abuse evaluations).
• Financial affidavits, child support worksheets, and psychological evaluations submitted within Family Law proceedings.

Step-by-Step Guide: Searching and Viewing Case Files

To search and view case files in Pinellas County, follow this structured process:

1. Access the Search Portal: Navigate to the official online record system maintained by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Select the Public Access to Court Records interface.
2. Select Search Methodology:
   
   
   • By Name: Enter the exact last name and first name of the individual or corporate entity. Use wildcards if spelling variants are anticipated.
   • By Case Number: Input the precise Sixth Judicial Circuit case formatting (e.g., Year + Division + Sequential Number, such as 26-001234-CO).
   • By Uniform Case Identifier (UCN): Standardized 20-digit identifier required for cross-county tracking across Florida courts.
   • By Attorney Bar Number: Used to pull dockets associated with a specific Florida Bar licensed practitioner.
3. Filter Search Results: Narrow the output list using judicial divisions (Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate), filing date ranges, or case status (Active, Inactive, Closed).
4. Inspect Docket Entries: Click the target Case Number link to load the complete chronological docket history. Review listed filings, judicial orders, hearing notices, and trial outcomes.
5. View and Download Document Images: Open available PDF document icons directly adjacent to the docket entry lines. Documents requiring mandatory Rule 2.420 screening that have not yet been processed by clerk staff will show an "In Review" tag, requiring manual clerk review prior to digital release.

Public Record Access Matrix and Fee Structures

The table below outlines public accessibility, remote image availability, statutory confidentiality restrictions, and copy fees for Pinellas County court filings.

Certified Copies vs. Uncertified Dockets

Understanding the legal distinction between uncertified docket prints and official certified court copies is essential for formal proceedings, background screenings, and regulatory compliance.

Uncertified Electronic Dockets

Uncertified PDF prints downloaded directly from the portal serve informational and personal record-keeping purposes. They are commonly used for legal research, monitoring ongoing civil litigation, or tracking general court schedules. However, uncertified dockets lack judicial certification marks and are generally inadmissible as formal evidentiary exhibits in government proceedings, mortgage closings, out-of-state background checks, or administrative license hearings.

Official Certified Court Copies

A Certified Copy is an official paper or electronically authenticated document produced directly by the Pinellas County Clerk of Court. The Clerk verifies that the copy is a complete, true, and correct reproduction of the original document retained in the court file. Certified documents carry the official embossed or cryptographic digital seal of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court alongside the deputy clerk's signature.

Ordering Certified Documents

• Online Electronic Certification: Certified documents can be requested through the Clerk’s portal, which issues a digitally signed PDF embedded with a tamper-evident cryptographic security seal.
• In-Person Retrieval: Visit the Clerk of Court records counter at the Pinellas County Justice Center or the Clearwater Historic Courthouse.
• Statutory Fee Calculation: Florida Law dictates a charge of $1.00 per page for every court document reproduced, plus a mandatory $2.00 fee per instrument for the Clerk’s verification seal.

Sealing and Expungement of Criminal Records

If a court record involves a criminal charge that was dismissed, dropped, or resulted in a non-conviction (such as a Disposition of Adjudication Withheld), the record remains visible to the public until formal judicial action is taken to seal or expunge it.

Sealing vs. Expungement

• Sealing a Record: The court record is removed from general public access. Government agencies, law enforcement, and specific regulatory bodies retain access to the files, but civil background checks will return a negative result.
• Expunging a Record: The physical and digital court files are permanently destroyed by court order, with only a confidential archive retained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Statutory Procedure in Pinellas County

To seal or expunge a criminal court record in the Sixth Judicial Circuit:

1. Apply for Certificate of Eligibility: Obtain a formal application packet from the FDLE to verify statutory eligibility under Section 943.0585 or 943.059, Florida Statutes.
2. Submit Fingerprint Card and Certified Disposition: Obtain certified disposition documents from the Pinellas County Clerk of Court for the target case number and submit them to the FDLE with the processing fee.
3. File Petition with the Sixth Judicial Circuit: Upon receipt of the FDLE Certificate of Eligibility, file a formal Petition and Affidavit to Seal or Expunge in the Pinellas County Court where the original case was prosecuted.
4. Serve State Attorney’s Office: Serve formal notice to the Pinellas/Pasco State Attorney's Office. If no objection is lodged by the prosecutor, the presiding circuit judge reviews the petition for entry of a final order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find public criminal background records in Pinellas County?

Public criminal records can be viewed online using the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s public search portal by searching the subject’s full legal name. For official, state-wide certified criminal history background screenings, inquiries should be directed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Civil Search System.

The online county portal yields immediate chronological docket data for local felony, misdemeanor, and traffic infractions filed within the Sixth Judicial Circuit. However, cases that have been judicially sealed or expunged will not appear in public search query returns.

Can I view confidential family law or divorce documents online?

While basic family law case dockets, index information, and hearing schedules are publicly viewable online, individual document images within family law cases (such as divorce petitions, financial affidavits, and parenting plans) are restricted from anonymous guest access.

Under Florida Rule 2.420, access to specific document images within family law case files requires a registered user account verified as a party of record, an attorney of record, or an individual acting under a signed court authorization order.

What is the cost for obtaining certified court documents in Pinellas County?

Pursuant to Florida statutory fee schedules, certified copies of court documents cost $1.00 per page, plus a $2.00 administrative certification fee per document.

For example, a certified copy of a 5-page Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage costs $7.00 total ($5.00 for page reproduction plus $2.00 for the official Clerk signature and seal authentication). Electronic delivery options are available via the online portal.

How can I remove or expunge a criminal court record from public search?

To remove a criminal case from public view, you must petition the Sixth Judicial Circuit court for a formal Order to Seal or Expunge, following the issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility by the FDLE.

Once a judge signs the sealing or expungement order and it is recorded by the Clerk of Court, the public online dockets are updated immediately, permanently removing the records from public view and background search interfaces.

What should I do if a search reveals incorrect information on my court record?

If you discover a clerical error, administrative misspelling, or docketing mistake on a Pinellas County record, submit a formal written Request for Administrative Review directly to the Clerk of Court Records Management Division.

For substantive legal errors regarding dispositions or party assignments, you must file a formal motion with the court or contact the attorney of record to request a judicial correction or nunc pro tunc order.

Institutional Resources and Official Contacts

For primary access to court dockets, filing services, or certified record requests, contact the official administrative offices of the Sixth Judicial Circuit:

• Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller: Public Access Operations Center, 315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756.
• Sixth Judicial Circuit Administration: Pinellas County Justice Center, 14250 49th Street North, Clearwater, FL 33762.
• Official Web Access: Access official record management applications, pay traffic infractions, and search court dockets directly through the official site of the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court.