Find Holmes County Court Records

Holmes County court records are kept by the Clerk of Court in Bonifay. This is a small, rural county in the Florida panhandle with a population around 19,500. The clerk handles all civil, criminal, family, and traffic case filings for the county. Despite its small size, Holmes County follows the same public records laws as every other county in the state. Clerk Cindy L. Prince runs the office and manages court records operations. You can search Holmes County case filings online through the CiviTek records portal or visit the clerk's office in person at the courthouse in Bonifay.

Holmes County Clerk of Court

The Holmes County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. The office is at the Holmes County Courthouse in Bonifay, Florida. You can call (850) 547-1100 to ask about records or services. The clerk handles case filings, stores court documents, and provides copies to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Holmes County are public unless sealed by a judge or made confidential by law.

Holmes County is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit along with Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Jackson, and Washington counties. This is one of the larger circuits in the panhandle by area. The circuit court handles felony cases, civil cases over $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. The county court in Holmes covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both court levels share the same clerk's office. All filings for Holmes County end up at the courthouse in Bonifay.

The Holmes County Clerk of Court website is your starting point for court records and other clerk services.

The clerk's site also covers jury duty, recording services, and other functions for Holmes County residents.

Holmes County Court Records Search

Holmes County court records can be searched online through the CiviTek online records portal. This is the main tool for looking up case filings in Holmes County. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The system covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. Searching is free, though fees may apply for copies of documents. CiviTek hosts the online records system for many of Florida's smaller counties, and Holmes is one of them.

Search results give you basic case data like party names, case type, filing date, and case status. Some documents may be viewable online. Others could need a trip to the clerk's office in Bonifay or a written mail request. Holmes County has a low case volume compared to larger counties, so your searches should be fairly straightforward. Use a full name or case number for the best results. The CiviTek system works the same way for Holmes County as it does for other small counties in the panhandle.

The CiviTek portal for Holmes County provides online access to court case records and official documents.

If you have trouble finding a record, call the clerk at (850) 547-1100. Staff can look up what is on file and tell you how to get a copy.

Note: Holmes County's online records may not include all historical filings. Older records from before the digital system may only exist in paper form at the courthouse.

Public Access to Holmes County Records

Court records in Holmes County are subject to Florida's public access laws. Florida Statute Section 119.0714 requires the clerk to redact personal details from records before they go public. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar sensitive info get removed. People who file documents in Holmes County must also strip out confidential information before submitting them to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 controls which court records can be sealed or kept confidential. Most records are public. Juvenile cases, mental health cases, and records sealed by court order are restricted. If you believe a Holmes County court record is being wrongly kept from public view, you can challenge it under Rule 2.420. You would file a written motion with the court explaining your case.

Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 allows Florida courts to post public court documents on the internet. Holmes County participates in this process. The online collection may be smaller than what you find in a big county, but the legal right to access public records is the same. Whether you are in Holmes County or Hillsborough County, the rules do not change.

Getting Copies of Holmes County Court Records

You can get copies of Holmes County court records by visiting the clerk's office in Bonifay, using the online portal, or sending a mail request. The clerk charges standard fees set by Florida law. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. If you need something for a legal matter, the certified version is what you want. Walking into the courthouse is the quickest way to get records.

Standard copy fees include:

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

For mail requests, write to the Holmes County Clerk of Court in Bonifay. Include the case number, documents you need, and a check or money order. Call first if you are unsure of the total. Mail requests can take a week or more to process. New court filings in Florida must be submitted electronically in most cases. Use the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal to file new documents in Holmes County.

Note: Holmes County shares the 14th Judicial Circuit with five other panhandle counties. Circuit-level forms and resources often cover all of them together.

State Resources for Holmes County

Statewide tools can help with Holmes 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 Holmes County and across Florida.

The Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) gives free access to appellate case data from Florida's District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Holmes County case went up on appeal, track it through ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center has free forms and self-help guides for common case types. These resources work for anyone in Holmes County who is handling a court case on their own.

Cities in Holmes County

Holmes County is a rural county in the Florida panhandle. Bonifay is the county seat and the largest town. Other communities include Ponce de Leon, Esto, Noma, and Westville. All court records for Holmes County are filed at the clerk's office in Bonifay. There are no major cities with separate pages in Holmes County, but the clerk's office serves everyone in the county.

Nearby Counties

Holmes County sits in the northwest part of Florida between Washington, Jackson, and Walton counties. Each has its own clerk and court records system. Use the links below if you need records from a different county.