| Clerk of Court | Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller — Court Records Public Access |
|---|---|
| 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 Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller keeps circuit- and county-court
records for the county, from felonies and larger civil suits down to misdemeanors, small claims, and
most traffic cases. There is no separate county clerk office in Florida's structure, so county_clerk
is set to null here.
The Clerk's Public Access Case Records site lets anyone search criminal, civil, traffic, family, probate, and juvenile case information without registering for most records. As in other Florida counties, full results are withheld for mental health, probate, guardianship, juvenile, and domestic-relations cases when searched as a member of the general public — those case types return limited information even though the docket exists.
Pinellas includes Clearwater (the county seat), St. Petersburg, and several other cities, but all trial courts and clerk records are centralized in the one countywide office.
Pinellas is Florida's most densely populated county, and its courts sit at more than one location — Clearwater is the main courthouse, with additional facilities elsewhere in the county — yet the online case-search portal still functions as one countywide index regardless of which courthouse a case was heard in. That consolidation is convenient for research but means the search tool itself carries a heavier caseload of confidential-by-default case types than smaller counties, which is why juvenile, guardianship, and domestic-relations results are trimmed down for the public tier.
Search Pinellas County court records online
Clerk of Court
Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller — Court Records Public Access
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Criminal, civil, traffic, family, and probate case records for Pinellas County; juvenile and mental health cases show limited public information
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
One elected clerk serves both circuit and county courts in Pinellas County, so county_clerk is set to null. Mental health, probate, guardianship, juvenile, and domestic-relations searches do not return complete results to the general public even though the case exists in the system.
What is available online
The public access portal covers criminal, civil, traffic, family, and probate cases by party name, case number, attorney, or calendar. Mental health, probate, guardianship, juvenile, and domestic-relations cases have restricted public results by design, showing limited or no detail to a general-public search even when other case types on the same portal are fully visible.
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. Search the Public Access Case Records site at https://courtrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov/ free of charge for most case types.
Restricted case types or certified copies. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office directly for mental health, probate, guardianship, juvenile, or domestic-relations records, and for certified copies of any document.
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
Can I search all Pinellas County case types online for free?
Most case types, yes — criminal, civil, traffic, family, and probate are searchable without an account. Mental health, guardianship, juvenile, and domestic-relations cases show limited results to the general public by design.
Is there a separate county clerk in Pinellas County?
No. The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller keeps both circuit and county court records, so this guide lists that office as district_clerk and leaves county_clerk null.
Why can't I see full details on a Pinellas probate or juvenile case?
Those case types have statutory or rule-based restrictions on public access. The docket may exist in the system, but the public search intentionally withholds full detail; contact the Clerk's office directly if you need more.
Does Pinellas County charge to search court records online?
No, searching the Public Access Case Records site is free. Certified copies and some document requests may carry a fee, confirmed with the Clerk's office.
Does it matter which Pinellas courthouse handled my case when I search online?
No. The Clerk's public access portal is one countywide index covering the main Clearwater courthouse and other county court facilities alike, so the location where a case was heard does not change how you search for it.
Sources
- Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller — https://www.mypinellasclerk.gov/
- Pinellas County Court Records Public Access — https://courtrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov/
- 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.