Access Monroe County Court Records

Monroe County court records are held by the Clerk of Court in Key West. The county covers the Florida Keys from Key Largo down to Key West, with a population of about 82,000. Clerk Kevin Madok manages the office and oversees all court records operations. The clerk files and stores civil, criminal, family, and traffic case records for the whole county. Under Florida law, court records in Monroe County are public unless sealed by a judge or made confidential by statute. You can search for case filings on the county website or visit the courthouse in Key West to look up records in person.

Monroe County Clerk of Court

The Monroe County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. Clerk Kevin Madok runs the office from Key West. You can reach the clerk by phone at (305) 292-3416. The office files new cases, stores court documents, and provides copies to the public. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Monroe County are open to the public unless a judge has sealed them or a law exempts them.

Monroe County is the sole county in the 16th Judicial Circuit. That makes it unusual. Most judicial circuits in Florida cover multiple counties. But Monroe County has its own circuit. The circuit court handles felony cases, civil disputes over $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. County court covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases. Both levels of court records flow through the same clerk's office in Key West. The geography of the Keys means some court services are spread across locations, including Marathon and Plantation Key, to serve residents in the upper and middle Keys.

The Florida Courts website has statewide resources that also apply to Monroe County.

You can find links to Monroe County's court system through the statewide Florida Courts website, along with self-help resources and legal forms.

Monroe County Court Records Online

Monroe County court records can be searched through the clerk's court records page. The system lets you look up cases by party name, case number, or other criteria. It covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases filed in the county. Monroe County has a decent online system for a county of its size. You can view basic case data and, for many cases, access documents directly through the website.

The clerk's website also provides access to official records like deeds, mortgages, and liens. These are separate from court case records. Make sure you are using the right search tool for what you need. Court case records are for lawsuits, criminal charges, and other court matters. Official records are for property-related documents.

For statewide resources, the Florida Courts main website has links to all circuit courts and provides information on how the court system works. The E-Filing Portal connects to court data from counties across the state, including Monroe. If you need to file a new case, all filings in Florida must go through the e-filing system.

Note: Monroe County's court system operates across multiple locations in the Keys. Records from all locations funnel through the same clerk's office, but you may need to specify which courthouse location you need if you are requesting physical copies.

Public Access and Privacy in Monroe County

Florida Statute 119.0714 requires clerks to redact personal information from court records before they go public. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive details get removed. This applies in Monroe County the same as everywhere else. Anyone filing a document must also take out confidential info before submitting it to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs which court records are public and which can be restricted. Most are open. Juvenile records, mental health cases, and anything sealed by a judge are not available to the public. If you believe a Monroe County court record is being wrongly withheld, Rule 2.420 gives you the right to challenge that decision by filing a written motion.

Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 from the Florida Supreme Court lets courts post public documents online. Monroe County follows this order and makes many court documents available through its website. The unique geography of Monroe County, stretching over 100 miles of islands, makes online access especially important for residents who may live far from the courthouse in Key West.

Getting Copies of Monroe County Court Records

You can get copies of Monroe County court records by visiting the clerk's office in Key West. You can also submit a request online or by mail. The clerk has satellite offices in Marathon and Plantation Key, which may be able to help with some records requests as well. Fees are set by Florida law.

Standard fees for Monroe County:

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

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website provides a directory of all county clerks in the state.

The statewide directory can help if you need records from a county other than Monroe or need to contact the clerk in a neighboring county.

For mail requests, send your letter to the Monroe County Clerk of Court in Key West. Include the case number, which documents you need, and payment by check or money order. Call (305) 292-3416 if you need to find out the cost. Mail requests take about a week to process, sometimes a bit longer because of the Keys' geography.

State Resources for Monroe County

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to all 67 county clerks in the state. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees and fines across Florida, including Monroe County.

For appellate records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) provides free access to case data from all Florida appellate courts. If a Monroe County case was appealed, ACIS will have the records. The Florida Courts Help center offers free forms and guides for people handling legal matters without a lawyer. These self-help tools cover divorce, custody, small claims, and other common case types.

Note: Monroe County is the only county in the 16th Judicial Circuit. This means all circuit-level resources and administrative orders apply solely to Monroe County, unlike multi-county circuits where rules may vary slightly between counties.

Cities in Monroe County

Monroe County covers the Florida Keys chain. Key West is the county seat. Other communities include Marathon, Key Largo, Islamorada, Big Pine Key, and Tavernier. All court records for Monroe County are filed and stored through the clerk's office in Key West, though satellite offices in Marathon and Plantation Key can assist with some services. There are no cities in Monroe County with a population over 75,000, so no separate city pages exist for this county.

Nearby Counties

Monroe County's mainland border touches Miami-Dade County to the northeast and Collier County to the northwest. These are the only two counties that share a land border with Monroe. Each has its own clerk and court records system.