Pasco County Court Records

Pasco County court records are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Dade City. The clerk's office serves the 6th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Pinellas County. With a population near 560,000, Pasco County sees a steady flow of new case filings each year across civil, criminal, family law, and probate divisions. The clerk offers members of the general public access to court records through an Online Court Records Search tool. This free tool runs day and night. You can also visit the courthouse in Dade City to view files in person or request copies by mail.

Pasco County Clerk of Court

The Pasco County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the official custodian of all court records filed in the county. The main office is at 14236 6th Street, Dade City, FL 33523. You can reach the attorney support line at (352) 521-4542 for questions about court records, case status, or filing procedures. Staff can help you find the right form and point you to the tools you need, though they are not allowed to give legal advice. Walk-in service is available on weekdays during normal business hours.

The clerk handles every type of case in Pasco County. That means circuit civil, county civil, criminal, family law, probate, guardianship, and mental health cases all pass through one office. Each case creates a file with a progress docket that tracks motions, hearings, and orders. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Pasco County are public unless a judge seals them or a statute makes them confidential. The clerk must let anyone inspect and copy public records during regular hours. There is a balance between individual privacy and the need to have records readily available for viewing, and the clerk follows state rules on what stays visible in Pasco County court records.

The Pasco County Clerk homepage gives you a quick look at the main services for court records and public filings.

From this page you can get to the court records search, official records portal, and all the other tools the clerk makes available to the public in Pasco County.

Search Pasco County Court Records Online

The main way to look up court records in Pasco County is through the clerk's Online Court Records Search tool. This system lets you search by name, case number, or citation number. It is free and open to the general public. You do not need an account to run a basic search. Results show case details, party names, case type, and filing dates. The tool covers civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases in Pasco County.

Access to electronic court records in Pasco County is determined by the user's role and applicable statutes, rules, and administrative policy as prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court. The general public gets a basic level of access. That means you can see case information and non-confidential documents for most Pasco County court records. Attorneys of record may request enhanced access by submitting a Registration Agreement to the clerk's office. Enhanced access opens up more document images and case details that go beyond what the standard public search shows.

The Pasco County court records search page explains the tools and access levels for looking up cases online.

Under Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14, the clerk can post many public court document images for online viewing. Pasco County takes part in this program. That means you can often see the actual documents filed in a case, not just the docket entries. The clerk still reviews items before posting to make sure protected data stays out of public view.

Note: For best results on Pasco County court records searches, use the full case number or complete name of the party you are looking for.

Pasco Court Records by Case Type

The Pasco County court records page on the clerk's site breaks down the different case types and what each one covers. Circuit civil cases deal with disputes over $30,000, real estate matters, and injunctions. County civil cases handle smaller claims and landlord-tenant issues. Both types of court records in Pasco County are searchable through the clerk's online tool. The 6th Judicial Circuit covers both Pasco and Pinellas counties, so the volume of cases is significant.

Criminal court records in Pasco County fall into two groups. Circuit criminal handles felonies. County criminal covers misdemeanors and some ordinance violations. The clerk keeps records for both. Traffic cases are filed in county court as well, and you can search those through the same online system. If you need to look up a traffic citation from Pasco County, use the citation number for the fastest results.

The Pasco County court records overview page details the types of cases on file and how to access them.

Family law court records cover divorce, custody, child support, paternity, and domestic violence cases in Pasco County. Probate records deal with wills, estates, and guardianship. Mental health cases have their own division as well. The clerk even offers a Mental-Health Case Search tool for that specific type of court record. Not every mental health case is open to the public, so results may be limited based on Florida law.

Pasco County Court Record Tools

The Pasco County Clerk offers a handful of specialized search tools beyond the standard court records lookup. These go deeper into specific record types that other counties don't always put online. The Animal Abuser Search tool lets you check if someone has been convicted of animal cruelty in Pasco County. The Case Section/Division Lookup helps you figure out which court division is handling a specific case. There is also a Wills on Deposit Search if you need to find out whether a will was filed with the clerk before a person passed away.

Another useful tool is Order E-Certify Court Documents. This lets you get certified copies of certain Pasco County court records without going to the courthouse. You place the order through the clerk's site and get the document with the clerk's seal. For most people, this saves a trip to Dade City. The clerk also maintains a list of Orders Sealing Noncriminal Court Records, which shows which cases in Pasco County have had their records sealed by a judge outside of the criminal context.

For official records like deeds, liens, and mortgages, the Pasco County Official Records Search is the right tool. This is separate from the court records system. Property records and recorded documents go through this portal. If you need to look up a deed or a lien filed in Pasco County, start here instead of the court records search.

Note: The Wills on Deposit Search only shows wills that were filed with the Pasco County Clerk before the person's death, not wills that went through probate.

Confidential Court Records in Pasco County

Not all court records in Pasco County are open for public viewing. Florida law keeps certain types of information private. Under Florida Statute 119.0714, the clerk must remove social security numbers, bank account data, and other sensitive details from any court record before making it public. This happens automatically. You do not need to ask for it. The clerk reviews documents and redacts protected data as part of the standard process in Pasco County.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 spells out the broader rules on what stays confidential. Juvenile court records are generally closed to the public. Sealed and expunged criminal records will not show up in any search. If a judge signs an order sealing a case in Pasco County, that record drops out of public view. Only certain people, such as law enforcement and some government agencies, can still see it after that. Mental health cases and some domestic violence files also have limits on what the public can access in Pasco County court records.

If you file a document with the court, you are responsible for taking out confidential info before you submit it. The clerk can reject filings that have unredacted social security numbers or financial account data. This rule applies to everyone who files in Pasco County, whether you have a lawyer or you file on your own.

Legal Resources for Pasco County

The Florida Courts Help center has free forms and self-help guides for anyone who needs to file in Pasco County without a lawyer. All court forms approved by the Florida Supreme Court are available at no cost. The 6th Judicial Circuit also has self-help resources at the courthouse. Staff can point you to the right forms and explain the steps, but they cannot give legal advice about your Pasco County court case.

The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is where all new filings go in Pasco County. The state requires electronic filing for most case types. The portal runs around the clock, so you can file court documents any time. Once your filing is processed, the clerk adds it to the case record. You can track your filing status through the portal too. For fee payments on existing Pasco County cases, MyFloridaCounty.com handles online transactions.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerks in the state. You can use their site to find links to any county's court records system, not just Pasco County. For general questions about how courts work in Florida, the Florida Courts main site has guides, statistics, and contact information. Bay Area Legal Services also covers Pasco County and provides free legal help for people who qualify based on income.

Cities in Pasco County

All court records for cities in Pasco County are filed through the county clerk's office in Dade City. Communities like New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, and Land O' Lakes all use the same Pasco County court system. There are no separate city courts. If a case involves a person or property in any part of Pasco County, it goes through the Pasco County Clerk of Court regardless of which city or town they are in.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pasco County. Each has its own clerk and its own court records system. Make sure you search in the right county, since records from one will not show up in another county's database.