Highlands County Court Records

Highlands County court records are held by the Clerk of Court in Sebring. Located in south-central Florida, Highlands County has a population around 106,000 and is known for its lakes and agricultural land. The clerk handles all civil, criminal, family, and traffic case filings. Court records are public under Florida law unless sealed or made confidential by statute. Clerk Sherry H. Polsgrove manages the office and all records operations. You can search Highlands County court records online through the clerk's website or go to the courthouse in Sebring in person.

Highlands County Clerk of Court

The Highlands County Clerk of Court is the official keeper of all court records in the county. The main office is at the Highlands County Courthouse in Sebring, Florida. Call (863) 402-6565 for questions about records or clerk services. The office handles case filings, stores court documents, and releases copies to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Highlands County are open to the public unless a judge has sealed them or a law makes them confidential.

Highlands County is part of the 10th Judicial Circuit along with Hardee and Polk counties. The circuit court takes felony cases, civil cases above $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. The county court handles misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both court levels use the same clerk's office in Sebring. If you are not sure which court handled your case, the clerk's staff can help you figure it out.

The Florida Courts homepage is a statewide resource that connects to court records systems across all 67 counties, including Highlands.

You can use the statewide portal to find links to the 10th Judicial Circuit and other court-related resources that cover Highlands County.

Highlands County Court Records Search

Highlands County court records can be searched online through the clerk's court records page. The system lets you search by party name, case number, or case type. It covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic filings for Highlands County. Searching is free. You may need to pay a fee if you want copies or downloads of certain documents.

The search results show basic case info including party names, case type, filing date, and status. Some documents can be viewed directly from the results. Others may require an in-person visit to the courthouse in Sebring or a written request by mail. Highlands County has a moderate case volume for its size, so searches tend to be manageable. Try to use a full name or case number for the most accurate results. Partial names can bring up a long list of matches.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website connects to clerk offices across all 67 Florida counties.

You can use the statewide clerks portal to verify Highlands County clerk contact info or find links to neighboring county clerks in the 10th Judicial Circuit.

Note: Highlands County's online records system may not include all older filings. Records from before the digital transition may only be available in paper form at the courthouse.

Public Access to Highlands County Records

Court records in Highlands County follow Florida's public access laws. Florida Statute Section 119.0714 requires the clerk to redact certain personal information from records before they are released. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive data get removed. Anyone who files a document in Highlands County also needs to take out confidential details before submitting it to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs which court records can be sealed or made confidential. Most records are public by default. Juvenile cases, some mental health proceedings, and records sealed by a judge are exceptions. If you think a Highlands County court record is being wrongly withheld, you have the right to challenge that under Rule 2.420. The process involves filing a written request with the court.

Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 lets Florida courts post public court documents online. Highlands County follows this order. The clerk makes many records available through the online system. But some documents, particularly older ones, may not be in the digital system yet. In those cases, you would need to visit the Sebring courthouse or send a mail request to get copies.

Getting Copies of Highlands County Court Records

Copies of Highlands County court records can be obtained in person at the Sebring courthouse, through the online system, or by mail. Standard fees set by Florida law apply to all copy requests. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. If you need a document for court or a legal matter, go with the certified version. In-person visits are the fastest way to get records.

Common copy fees in Highlands County:

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

For a mail request, send a letter to the Highlands County Clerk of Court in Sebring. Include the case number, the documents you want, and a check or money order. Call ahead if you need a fee estimate. Mail requests can take a week or longer. New court filings in Florida must use the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal in most cases. That is the required way to submit new documents to the Highlands County court system.

Note: Highlands County shares the 10th Judicial Circuit with Hardee and Polk counties. Some circuit-level forms and resources will reference all three counties.

State Resources for Highlands County

Several statewide tools can help you with Highlands County court records. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to every county clerk in the state. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees and fines in Highlands County and across Florida.

For appellate records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) provides free access to case info from Florida's District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Highlands County case was appealed, you can track it on ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center has free self-help forms and guides for people who represent themselves. These cover divorce, custody, small claims, and other common case types you might deal with in Highlands County.

Cities in Highlands County

Highlands County includes the cities of Sebring (the county seat), Avon Park, and Lake Placid. All court records for Highlands County are filed and stored at the clerk's office in Sebring. There are no major cities in Highlands County with separate pages on this site, but the same clerk's office serves all residents throughout the county.

Nearby Counties

Highlands County is bordered by several counties in central and south-central Florida. Each has its own clerk and court records system. Use the links below if you need records from a different county.