Lafayette County Court Records

Lafayette County court records are managed by the Clerk of Court in Mayo. This is one of the least populated counties in all of Florida, with fewer than 9,000 residents. The clerk files and stores civil, criminal, family, and traffic case records for the whole county. Court records here are public under Florida law. Clerk Paula C. Rogers runs the office and handles all records requests. You can search for case filings online or go to the clerk's office in Mayo to look up records in person. The small size of the county means the volume of cases is low, but the same state rules on public access still apply.

Lafayette County Clerk of Court

The Lafayette County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. Clerk Paula C. Rogers manages the office at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Mayo. You can reach the clerk by phone at (386) 294-1600. The office handles all case filings, stores court documents, and gives out copies of records to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Lafayette County are open to the public unless sealed by a judge or made confidential by law.

Lafayette County sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit. This circuit also includes Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. The circuit court handles felony cases, civil cases over $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. County court covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both levels of court records go through the same clerk's office in Mayo. If you need help finding a case, call the clerk's staff. They can point you in the right direction.

The Lafayette County Clerk website provides access to court services and filing information.

The site also has details on recording services, marriage licenses, and other clerk functions for Lafayette County residents.

Searching Lafayette County Court Records Online

Lafayette County court records can be searched through the CiviTek online records portal. This system gives you access to court case data for Lafayette County. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The tool covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. Searching is free. If you want to print or download copies of certain documents, there may be a fee. CiviTek runs the online records system for many of Florida's smaller counties, and Lafayette is one of them.

Search results show basic case details like party names, case type, filing date, and status. Some records may be viewable online. Others might need a trip to the clerk's office or a mail request. Lafayette County has far fewer filings than larger counties. But the same public access rules apply here. Florida law says everyone can look at court records unless a specific exemption blocks it.

The CiviTek portal for Lafayette County shows court records data in a simple search format.

You can also use the portal to look up official records like deeds and liens filed in Lafayette County. The system is separate from the court records search, so make sure you pick the right search type.

Note: Lafayette County's online records database may not include older cases that were filed before the digital system was set up.

Public Access Rules in Lafayette County

Court records in Lafayette County follow the same public access rules as every other county in Florida. Florida Statute 119.0714 requires clerks to keep certain personal details out of the public record. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive data get taken out of court records before they go online or get handed to the public. Anyone who files a document in Lafayette County must also remove confidential info before they turn it in to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 spells out which court records are open and which ones can be restricted. Most records are public. Juvenile cases, mental health proceedings, and records sealed by a judge are not available for public review. If you think a Lafayette County court record is being wrongly withheld, you can challenge that under Rule 2.420. You would file a written request with the court that explains why the record should be open.

The small size of Lafayette County does not change your rights. The same laws that apply in a county with a million people apply here too. Public records are public records, no matter the county.

Getting Copies of Court Records

You can get copies of Lafayette County court records by visiting the clerk's office in Mayo. You can also send a written request by mail. The clerk charges standard fees set by Florida law for copies and certifications. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. If you need a document for a legal matter, you will likely need the certified version. Walk-in requests are the fastest way to get what you need in a small county like Lafayette.

Standard 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, send a letter to the Lafayette County Clerk of Court in Mayo. Include the case number, the documents you want, and a check or money order for the fees. If you are not sure about the total, call (386) 294-1600 first. The clerk's staff can give you an estimate. Mail requests may take a week or more. All new court filings in Florida must go through the E-Filing Portal. The state requires electronic filing for most case types.

Per Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14, many public court documents can now be posted online for viewing. Lafayette County follows this order, though the volume of posted documents is lower than you would see in a bigger county.

State Resources for Lafayette County

Several state-level tools can help you track down court records tied to Lafayette County. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to every county clerk in the state. It is a good starting point if you are searching across multiple counties. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees and fines.

For appellate court records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) gives free access to case data from all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Lafayette County case was appealed, you can track it through ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center has free forms and guides for people who represent themselves in court. These cover divorce, custody, small claims, and other common case types.

Note: Lafayette County shares the 3rd Judicial Circuit with six other counties, so circuit-level resources and court calendars may reference multiple counties at once.

Cities in Lafayette County

Lafayette County is one of the most rural counties in Florida. Mayo is the county seat and the only incorporated town. Other communities include Day and Cooks Hammock. All court records for Lafayette County are filed and stored at the clerk's office in Mayo. There are no major cities with separate pages in this county, but the same clerk's office serves all residents regardless of where they live in Lafayette County.

Nearby Counties

Lafayette County shares borders with several counties in north-central Florida. Each county runs its own clerk's office and court records system. Make sure your case was filed in the right county before you search. Records from one county will not show up in another county's system.