Columbia County Records Search

Columbia County court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Lake City. Clerk P. DeWitt Cason manages all court filings and public records for this north Florida county. With a population of about 72,000, Columbia County has a moderate-sized court system that handles civil, criminal, family, traffic, and probate cases. The county is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit. Court records here are public under Florida law, and the clerk provides both online and in-person access. If you need to find a case, look up a hearing date, or get copies of court documents from Columbia County, the clerk's office in Lake City is where you start.

Columbia County Clerk of Court

The Columbia County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. Clerk P. DeWitt Cason runs the office at the Columbia County Courthouse in Lake City. You can call the clerk at (386) 758-1341. The office handles case filings, document storage, certified copies, and public records requests. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Columbia County are open to the public unless a judge has sealed the case or a state law makes it confidential.

Columbia County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which also includes Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. The circuit court handles felonies, major civil cases, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. The county court covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic violations. Both sets of records go through the same clerk's office in Lake City. Columbia County is the most populous county in the 3rd Circuit, so it sees a larger share of the caseload than many of its neighbors.

The Columbia County Clerk of Court website is the main hub for court records and county services.

The clerk's website also covers marriage licenses, recording services, and other county business handled out of the Lake City office.

Columbia County Court Records Online

Columbia County court records can be searched through the CiviTek online records portal. This system hosts court records data for several Florida counties, and Columbia County is one of them. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The results cover civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases filed in Columbia County. Searching is free. You may need to pay a fee to get copies of specific documents.

The CiviTek search results show case type, party names, filing dates, and case status. Some documents may be viewable online. Others will require you to contact the clerk's office or visit the courthouse in Lake City. Columbia County has a moderate volume of court records compared to larger metro counties, so searches tend to be manageable. If you have a case number, use that for the fastest results. Name-based searches work too but can return multiple hits if the name is common.

The CiviTek portal provides online access to Columbia County court records and case data.

You can also use statewide portals to look up Columbia County court records. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal connects to court data from counties across the state. The Florida Courts main site has general info about the court system and the 3rd Judicial Circuit that serves Columbia County.

Note: Columbia County's CiviTek database may not include every older record that was filed before the digital system was in place.

Access Rules for Columbia County Records

Court records in Columbia County follow Florida's public records framework. Florida Statute 119.0714 requires the clerk to strip out personal information such as social security numbers and bank account numbers from court records before making them public. This applies to both online records and copies provided in person. Anyone filing a document in Columbia County should also remove confidential details before submitting it to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 sets the ground rules for which court records are public and which can be restricted. Most records are open. Juvenile cases, mental health proceedings, and sealed files are the main exceptions. Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 allows courts to post public documents online for viewing. Columbia County follows this order. The practical effect is that a good number of Columbia County court records are available through the online portal, though the clerk's office in Lake City has more complete records if you need something that is not in the digital system yet.

Copies of Columbia County Court Records

You can get copies of Columbia County court records by visiting the clerk's office in Lake City, making a request online, or mailing a written request. The clerk charges standard fees under Florida law. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. If you need a record for a legal proceeding, you will likely need the certified version with the clerk's official seal. Walk-in requests at the Lake City courthouse are usually the quickest way to get what you need.

Common fees for Columbia County court records are:

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

For mail requests, send a letter to the Columbia County Clerk of Court in Lake City with the case number, a description of the documents you need, and payment by check or money order. Call (386) 758-1341 for a fee estimate. Mail requests can take a week or more. New court filings must go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal since the state requires electronic filing for most case types.

State Resources for Columbia County

Several state-level tools can help you work with Columbia County court records. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers site links to all 67 county clerks, which is useful if you need to search records in a neighboring county too. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees and fines in Columbia County and statewide. For appellate case info, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) covers all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

If you are handling a Columbia County case on your own, the Florida Courts Help center has free forms and step-by-step guides for common case types. These resources are approved by the Florida courts and are designed for people who do not have a lawyer. Using the right forms can help you avoid common mistakes when filing in Columbia County. The 3rd Judicial Circuit also has its own local rules that apply to all counties in the circuit, so check with the clerk's office if you are unsure about a specific requirement.

Note: Columbia County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which includes Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties.

Cities in Columbia County

Lake City is the county seat and the largest city in Columbia County. Fort White is the only other incorporated municipality. Other communities include Five Points and Ellisville. All court records for Columbia County are filed and stored at the clerk's office in Lake City. Whether a case originates in Lake City, Fort White, or elsewhere in the county, the records end up at the same place.

Nearby Counties

Columbia County is in north-central Florida, near the intersection of Interstates 75 and 10. It borders several other counties. Each one has its own clerk and court records system. Check the filing location before you start your search to make sure you are looking in the right county.