| Clerk of Court | Lee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller — Matrix Case Search |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Check the county website |
| Phone | Listed on the clerk website |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $1.00 per page (Fla. Stat. § 28.24(6)(a)) |
| Certified copy fee | $2.00 certification fee per instrument, plus the $1.00-per-page copy fee (Fla. Stat. § 28.24(4)(a) and (6)(a)) |
The Lee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller keeps circuit- and county-court records for the county,
including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and the surrounding area. As in every Florida county there is no
separate county clerk; county_clerk is null in this record.
The Clerk's online search, known as Matrix, is split into two paths after a disclaimer screen: one for criminal and traffic cases, and one for civil, family, and probate cases. Search by case number, name, or attorney, and enter an asterisk after a partial name if you don't have the full spelling. Some records reach back to 1984 or earlier in certain case types, though purged or confidential cases are excluded.
Both the Clerk's main website and the Matrix search tool blocked an automated verification request during research (a common anti-bot response for government case-search systems); their addresses are confirmed official through independent search results, but treat both as needing a manual re-check before relying on them.
Search Lee County court records online
Clerk of Court
Lee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller — Matrix Case Search
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Criminal, traffic, civil, family, and probate case records for Lee County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
One elected clerk serves both circuit and county courts in Lee County, so county_clerk is set to null. Matrix splits searches into a criminal/traffic path and a civil/family/probate path after an initial disclaimer. An automated verification request to this URL and to the main clerk site returned a bot-blocking response rather than a normal page load; both are confirmed as official Lee County Clerk addresses by independent web search results, but should be manually re-checked.
What is available online
Matrix covers criminal, traffic, civil, family, and probate cases; some records go back to 1984 or earlier depending on case type, but purged or confidential cases are not shown. Search by case number, name (with an asterisk for partial names), or attorney.
Which clerk has your record
In Florida, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Florida page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (20 judicial circuits) | Felony criminal cases; Family law (divorce, custody, paternity); Probate and guardianship | Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of the county |
| County Courts | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Traffic infractions and criminal traffic; Civil cases up to $50,000 (small claims up to $8,000) | Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Online. Use Matrix at https://matrix.leeclerk.org/, accept the disclaimer, then choose the Criminal & Traffic path or the Civil, Family & Probate path depending on the case type. Electronic certified copies can be ordered for documents available in the system.
Records not online, or certified paper copies. Contact the Lee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller's office directly.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Florida |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.00 per page (Fla. Stat. § 28.24(6)(a)) |
| Certified copy | $2.00 certification fee per instrument, plus the $1.00-per-page copy fee (Fla. Stat. § 28.24(4)(a) and (6)(a)) |
These are the statewide statutory fees clerks charge for photocopies and certification under Florida Statutes Chapter 28. Individual clerks may charge additional amounts for electronic certified copies ordered online (commonly an added convenience or processing fee) — confirm the total with the specific county clerk before paying.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Florida court records are presumed open under Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, which lists roughly 19 specific categories of information the clerk must keep confidential even within an otherwise public case file (for example Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain victim and minor-witness identifying information). Confidentiality of court records in Florida is governed by this court rule, not by the state's public-records law (Chapter 119), which does not apply to the judicial branch.
The Florida guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Matrix ask me to choose between two search options?
Lee County's Matrix system splits case search into Criminal & Traffic and Civil, Family & Probate. Pick the path that matches the case type before searching by name, case number, or attorney.
How far back do Lee County's online records go?
Some records reach back to 1984 or earlier depending on case type, though purged or confidential cases are excluded from the public search.
Is there a separate county clerk in Lee County?
No. The Clerk of Court & Comptroller keeps both circuit and county court records, so this guide lists that office as district_clerk and leaves county_clerk null.
How do I search a Lee County case by partial name?
Enter what you know of the name followed by an asterisk in the Matrix search; both a first and last name are otherwise required for a full-name search.
Sources
- Lee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller — https://www.leeclerk.org/
- Lee County Clerk — Matrix case search — https://matrix.leeclerk.org/
- Florida Courts — Structure of the State Courts System — https://www.flcourts.gov/Courts-System/court-structure/district-courts-of-appeal
- Florida Appellate Case Information System (ACIS) — https://acis.flcourts.gov/
- FDLE — Obtaining a Florida Criminal History Record Check — https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/criminal-history-records/florida-checks
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (Authority) — https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/authority/
- Florida Statutes § 943.0585 — Court-Ordered Expunction of Criminal History Records — https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/943.0585
- Florida Statutes § 943.059 — Court-Ordered Sealing of Criminal History Records — https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/943.059
- Florida Statutes § 28.24 — Service Charges by Clerks of the Circuit Court — https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/28.24
- Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 — Public Access to Judicial Branch Records — https://www.flcourts.gov/core/fileparse.php/255/urlt/RULE-2-420-Jan2014.pdf
- Southern District of Florida — Federal Judicial Districts of Florida — https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/federal-judicial-districts-florida
- Middle District of Florida — U.S. District Court — https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Florida counties.