Calhoun County Court Records

Calhoun County court records are stored at the clerk's office in Blountstown, the county seat. This is one of the smallest counties in Florida, with a population of about 14,000. Clerk Carla A. Hand oversees all court filings and public records for the county. Despite its small size, Calhoun County operates under the same state laws as every other Florida county when it comes to public access to court records. The clerk handles civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases for the 14th Judicial Circuit. If you need to search for a case, get a copy of a court document, or check on a filing in Calhoun County, the clerk's office in Blountstown is where you go.

Calhoun County Clerk of Court

The Calhoun County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. Clerk Carla A. Hand manages the office in Blountstown. You can reach the clerk at (850) 674-4545. The office files and stores all case records, issues certified copies, processes records requests, and handles other court-related business. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, most court records in Calhoun County are open to the public. The exceptions are cases sealed by a judge and records that fall under a specific state exemption.

Calhoun County is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit, along with Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties. The circuit court handles felonies, major civil cases, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. The county court takes care of misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. In a county this small, the clerk's office handles all of it. There is no separate division or branch office. Everything runs through the Blountstown courthouse.

The Calhoun County Clerk of Court website provides access to court services and public records information.

You can find info on the clerk's site about court filings, recording services, and how to contact the office in Calhoun County.

Search Calhoun County Court Records

Calhoun County court records are available online through the CiviTek online records portal. CiviTek hosts the court records database for several smaller Florida counties, and Calhoun is one of them. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The search covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases filed in Calhoun County. There is no charge to search the database. If you want copies of specific documents, the clerk may charge a fee.

Because Calhoun County is small, the number of records in the system is much lower than what you would find in a large metro county. Searches tend to return fewer results, which makes it easier to find what you need. The CiviTek system shows case type, party names, filing dates, and status for each record. Some documents may be available to view or download online, while others will require you to contact the clerk's office directly.

You can also use statewide tools to look up Calhoun County court records. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal connects to court data from counties across the state. And the Florida Courts Help center has free forms and guides that are useful for anyone dealing with a case in Calhoun County.

The Florida Courts Help center offers free self-help resources that apply to Calhoun County cases.

If you run into trouble finding a Calhoun County court record online, the best thing to do is call the clerk's office at (850) 674-4545. In a small county like this, the staff can often pull up a record quickly and let you know how to get a copy.

Note: The CiviTek database for Calhoun County may not include records filed before the system was set up, so check with the clerk for older cases.

Calhoun County Records Access Rules

Florida's public records laws apply to Calhoun County the same way they apply everywhere else in the state. Florida Statute 119.0714 says the clerk must strip out personal information like social security numbers and bank account numbers before making court records available to the public. This applies to both online records and copies handed out at the clerk's office. Anyone filing a document in Calhoun County is also responsible for removing confidential data before they turn it in.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 controls which court records are open and which can be restricted. Sealed cases, juvenile records, and mental health proceedings are not available for public review in Calhoun County. Everything else is fair game. Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 allows courts to post public documents online. Calhoun County follows this order, though the volume of posted records is naturally smaller than in a major county. The same rights and rules apply regardless of the county's size.

Getting Copies of Calhoun County Records

To get copies of Calhoun County court records, visit the clerk's office in Blountstown, make a request by phone, or send a written request by mail. The clerk charges standard Florida fees for copies. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost more and include an official seal from the clerk. If you need a court document for a legal proceeding, you will almost certainly need the certified version. Walk-in requests at the Blountstown courthouse are the simplest option in a small county like Calhoun.

Standard fees for Calhoun County court records include:

• Plain copies: $1.00 per page
• Certification fee: $2.00 per document
• Search fee: $2.00 per year per name

If you are mailing a request, include the case number, a description of the documents you want, and a check or money order for the fees. Send it to the Calhoun County Clerk of Court in Blountstown. You can call (850) 674-4545 for a fee estimate before you send your request. New court filings must go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. This applies to Calhoun County just like every other county in the state.

State Court Resources for Calhoun County

State-level tools are especially useful in smaller counties like Calhoun where local online resources may be limited. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to every county clerk in the state. The Florida Courts main site has general information about the court system, including the 14th Judicial Circuit that serves Calhoun County. For online payments of court fees and fines, the MyFloridaCounty portal handles transactions for Calhoun County and other Florida counties.

If a Calhoun County case is appealed, you can track the appellate proceedings through the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS). This free tool covers all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. For people who are representing themselves in a Calhoun County case, the Florida Courts Help center has approved forms and step-by-step instructions for common case types. These resources are the same ones used in every Florida county and can save you a lot of time and effort.

Note: Calhoun County shares the 14th Judicial Circuit with Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties.

Cities in Calhoun County

Blountstown is the county seat and the primary community in Calhoun County. Altha is the only other incorporated town. All court records for Calhoun County are filed and stored at the clerk's office in Blountstown. With just two municipalities and a small total population, all court business in Calhoun County is handled at a single location. There are no major cities with separate court records pages in the county.

Nearby Counties

Calhoun County is in the Florida panhandle, bordered by several other rural counties. Each county keeps its own court records. If you are not sure which county handled your case, check the filing location before you search.