Hendry County Court Records Search
Hendry County court records are kept by the Clerk of Court in LaBelle. Located in southwest Florida, Hendry County has a population around 42,000 and covers a large area of mostly agricultural land. The clerk files and stores all civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases for the county. Court records are public under Florida law unless sealed by a judge or exempted by statute. Barbara Butler serves as Clerk of Court. You can search Hendry County case filings online through the CiviTek records portal or visit the clerk's office in person at the LaBelle courthouse.
Hendry County Quick Facts
Hendry County Clerk of Court
The Hendry County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. The main office is at the Hendry County Courthouse in LaBelle, Florida. You can reach the clerk by phone at (863) 675-5217. The clerk handles case filings, stores court documents, and releases copies to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Hendry County are open to the public unless sealed by a judge or made confidential by law.
Hendry County is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit along with Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Lee counties. The circuit court handles felony cases, civil cases above $50,000, family law matters, probate, and juvenile proceedings. The county court in Hendry covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both court levels share the same clerk's office. Hendry County also has a courthouse annex in Clewiston, which handles some court proceedings for the eastern part of the county.
The Hendry County Clerk of Court website is your starting point for court records and clerk services.
The clerk's site also has info on recording services, marriage licenses, jury service, and other functions the office provides to Hendry County residents.
| Office | Hendry County Clerk of Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Barbara Butler |
| Phone | (863) 675-5217 |
| Website | hendryclerk.com |
Hendry County Court Records Online
Hendry County court records can be searched online through the CiviTek online records portal. This is the main tool for looking up case filings in Hendry County. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The system covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. Searching is free. You may need to pay a fee if you want to print or download copies of specific documents.
Search results show basic case data. You will see party names, case type, filing date, and status. Some documents can be viewed from the results page. Others may need a trip to the clerk's office in LaBelle or Clewiston, or a written mail request. Hendry County is not a high-volume court system, but the same public access rules apply as in any other Florida county. If a record exists and is not sealed, you have the right to see it.
The CiviTek portal gives online access to Hendry County court records and official documents.
If you cannot locate a specific Hendry County court record online, call the clerk at (863) 675-5217. Staff there can check what is available and explain how to get a copy.
Note: Hendry County's online records may not go back as far as those in larger counties. Older records may only be available in paper form at the clerk's office.
Public Access to Hendry County Records
Court records in Hendry County are subject to Florida's public records laws. Section 119.0714 of the Florida Statutes requires the clerk to redact certain personal information from records before they go public. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar data must be removed. Anyone who files a document in Hendry County also needs to take out confidential details before turning it in to the clerk.
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs which court records can be sealed or kept confidential. Most court records are public. Juvenile proceedings, some mental health cases, and records sealed by court order are exceptions. If you think a Hendry County record is being wrongly kept from the public, Rule 2.420 gives you the right to challenge that decision. You file a written motion explaining why the record should be open.
Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 lets courts post public documents online. Hendry County follows this order. The number of online documents may be smaller than in a big county, but the legal right to access is the same everywhere in Florida. A court record that would be public in Miami-Dade is public in Hendry County too.
Getting Copies of Hendry County Court Records
You can get copies of court records in Hendry County by visiting the clerk's office in LaBelle, using the online portal, or submitting a mail request. Standard fees set by Florida law apply. Certified copies cost more than regular copies. If you need a document for a court case or legal proceeding, you will want the certified version. In-person visits to the courthouse are the fastest way to get copies in Hendry County.
Common copy fees:
- Plain copies: $1.00 per page
- Certification fee: $2.00 per document
- Search fee: $2.00 per year per name
To make a mail request, write to the Hendry County Clerk of Court in LaBelle. Include the case number, documents you need, and payment by check or money order. Call ahead for a fee estimate. Mail requests generally take a week or more. New court filings in Florida must be submitted electronically in most situations. Use the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal for that.
Note: Hendry County has a courthouse annex in Clewiston that also processes some court records requests. Call the clerk to find out which location can help with your specific need.
State Resources for Hendry County
Statewide tools can help with Hendry County court records searches. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to every county clerk in the state. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online court fee payments for Hendry County and the rest of Florida.
The Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) provides free access to appellate case data from Florida's District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Hendry County case was appealed, track it through ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center offers free self-help forms and guides. These cover common case types such as divorce, custody, and small claims, and they work for cases in Hendry County or anywhere else in the state.
Cities in Hendry County
Hendry County has two main towns: LaBelle and Clewiston. LaBelle is the county seat. Clewiston sits on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee and has its own courthouse annex. All court records for Hendry County go through the clerk's office. There are no major cities in Hendry County with separate pages on this site, but the same clerk's office serves everyone in the county.
Nearby Counties
Hendry County borders several counties in southwest and south-central Florida. Each has its own clerk and court records system. If you need records from a neighboring county, use these links.