Find Madison County Court Records

Madison County court records are kept by the Clerk of Court in the city of Madison. The county sits in north-central Florida with a population of about 18,000. Clerk Tim Sanders manages the office and oversees all court records operations. The clerk handles civil, criminal, family, and traffic case filings for the entire county. Court records in Madison County are public under Florida law unless a judge has sealed them or a state statute makes them confidential. You can look up case filings through the CiviTek online portal or go to the courthouse in Madison to search records in person.

Madison County Clerk of Court

The Madison County Clerk of Court is the official keeper of all court records in the county. Clerk Tim Sanders manages the office at the Madison County Courthouse. You can reach the clerk by phone at (850) 973-1500. The office handles all case filings, stores court documents, and provides copies to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Madison County are open to the public unless sealed or exempted by law.

Madison County sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit along with Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. This is one of the larger circuits by land area in Florida, covering a wide stretch of rural north Florida. The circuit court handles felonies, civil cases over $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. County court deals with misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both types of court records go through the same clerk's office in Madison. The staff there can help you figure out which court handled a particular case if you are not sure.

The Madison County Clerk website shows available services and court filing information.

Besides court records, the clerk's office handles marriage licenses, official records, and other county services.

Madison County Court Records Online

Madison County court records can be searched online through the CiviTek online records portal. The system lets you look up case data by party name, case number, or document type. It covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases filed in Madison County. The search is free to use. Downloading or printing certain documents may cost a small fee. CiviTek runs the online records system for many small Florida counties.

Results show party names, case type, filing date, and case status. Some documents may be viewable online. For others, you will need to go to the courthouse or send a mail request. Madison County does not have the case volume of a big metro area, but the records that do exist are subject to the same public access laws. If a case was filed here, you have the right to look at it unless a specific exemption says no.

The CiviTek portal gives you a direct way to search Madison County court records from any device.

If you are having trouble with the online search, call the clerk at (850) 973-1500. They can help you find what you need or tell you the best way to get it.

Note: Madison County's online records may not include all older filings. Cases from before the digital conversion might only be on file at the courthouse.

Public Access and Privacy Rules

Florida Statute 119.0714 requires clerks to redact certain personal details from court records. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar sensitive data get removed before records go public. This rule applies in Madison County the same way it does everywhere in Florida. Anyone who files a court document must also take out confidential info before submitting it.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 lays out which court records are open and which can be restricted. Most records are fully public. Juvenile cases, mental health proceedings, and records sealed by a judge are not. You can challenge a denial of access under Rule 2.420 by filing a written request with the court that explains your position.

Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 from the Florida Supreme Court lets courts post public documents online. Madison County follows this order. The fact that it is a small, rural county does not reduce your legal right to access court records. The same standards apply here as they do in Tallahassee or Jacksonville.

Getting Copies of Madison County Records

There are a few ways to get copies of Madison County court records. You can visit the clerk's office in Madison. You can mail a written request. Or you can use the online system if the record is available there. The clerk charges fees set by Florida law.

Standard fees in Madison County:

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

For a mail request, send your letter to the Madison County Clerk of Court. Include the case number, which documents you need, and a check or money order for the fees. If you are not sure what it will cost, call the office first at (850) 973-1500. Mail requests can take a week or more. In-person visits to the courthouse are the quickest way to get records in a small county like this. Florida law requires new court filings to go through the E-Filing Portal. Paper filings at the clerk's window are no longer accepted for most case types.

Per Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14, public court documents in Madison County can be posted online for viewing. The number of records posted may be smaller than in a larger county, but the legal standard for access is the same.

State Resources for Madison County

State tools can help with Madison County court records searches. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website has links to all 67 county clerks. If you are not sure which county holds the records you need, start there. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees and fines across the state.

For appellate records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) offers free access to case data from all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Madison County case went to a higher court, you can track it on ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center has free forms and guides for self-represented litigants. These resources cover divorce, custody, small claims, and other case types that come up often in smaller counties.

Note: Madison County is in the 3rd Judicial Circuit with six other counties. Circuit-wide resources and court schedules may cover all seven counties together.

Cities in Madison County

Madison is both the county seat and the largest city in Madison County. Greenville and Lee are smaller communities in the county. All court records for Madison County are filed and stored at the clerk's office in the city of Madison. There are no cities in the county with a population over 75,000. The clerk's office serves all residents no matter where they live in the county.

Nearby Counties

Madison County borders several counties in north Florida. Each county has its own clerk of court and its own records system. Check that the case you want was filed in Madison County before you search here.