Santa Rosa County Court Records

Santa Rosa County court records are held by the Clerk of Court in Milton. This county sits in the Florida panhandle, just east of Pensacola, and has a population of about 190,000. The clerk files and stores civil, criminal, family, and traffic court records for the whole county. Donald E. Spencer serves as the Clerk of Court, and his office runs all day-to-day court records work. You can search most Santa Rosa County court records for free using the clerk's online tools. Walk-in visits to the courthouse in Milton are also an option if you need copies or want to view files in person.

Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court

The Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court is the main record keeper for all court filings in the county. The office sits in the courthouse in Milton. You can call them at (850) 983-1960 for questions about case records, copy requests, or filing procedures. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Santa Rosa County are open to the public unless a judge has sealed the file or a law makes it confidential.

Santa Rosa County is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit, which also includes Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. The circuit court handles felonies, civil cases over $50,000, family law, probate, and juvenile cases. County court covers misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic. Both levels of court records go through the same clerk's office. If you are not sure which court has your case, the clerk's staff can help.

The Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court website provides links to court records, official records, and other clerk services.

From the clerk's homepage you can also find information on jury service, marriage licenses, and how to pay fines in Santa Rosa County.

Searching Santa Rosa County Court Records Online

The Santa Rosa County court records search lets you look up case filings from your computer. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The tool covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. Searches are free. You do not need an account to use the system. Results show basic case details like party names, case type, filing date, and status. Some documents may be viewable online, while others may need an in-person visit to the clerk's office.

The search is a good place to start. But keep in mind that not all records are in the system. Older files from before the digital era may not show up. If you can't find what you need, call the clerk's office. They keep paper records going back much further than the online database does.

The official records search on the clerk's site shows recorded documents like deeds, liens, and other public filings.

This is a separate system from the court case search. Use it for property records and liens. For case filings from civil or criminal matters, use the court records search instead.

Note: Santa Rosa County online records may not include all historical filings, especially those from before the clerk's system went digital.

Public Access Rules in Santa Rosa County

Florida Statute 119.0714 says the clerk must keep certain personal data out of public records. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar sensitive info get redacted before records go online or are given to the public. Anyone filing a document in Santa Rosa County also has to remove confidential details before they submit it. This is true for all 67 Florida counties.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 controls which court records are open and which can be sealed. Most records are public. Juvenile cases, mental health proceedings, and records sealed by a court order are not. If you think a Santa Rosa County court record was wrongly kept from you, Rule 2.420 gives you the right to challenge that. You would need to file a written request with the court.

Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 allows courts to post public documents online. Santa Rosa County follows this order. The clerk posts many case documents to the online system for public viewing. Sealed and confidential records stay hidden. The same rules apply here as in every other Florida county.

Getting Copies of Santa Rosa Court Records

You can get copies of court records by visiting the clerk's office in Milton, by mail, or through the online system. The clerk charges standard fees set by Florida law. Certified copies cost more than regular copies. If you need a document for a legal matter, you will probably need the certified version.

Standard fees in Santa Rosa County include:

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

Mail requests should include the case number, the documents you need, and a check or money order. Call the clerk at (850) 983-1960 if you are not sure what the cost will be. Walk-in requests at the Milton courthouse are the fastest way to get copies. Mail requests can take a week or more.

All new court filings in Santa Rosa County go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. The state requires electronic filing for most case types. You can file at any time since the portal runs around the clock. Once filed, the clerk adds the document to the case record.

State Resources for Santa Rosa 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 for records across more than one county. The MyFloridaCounty portal handles online payments for court fees in Santa Rosa County and elsewhere.

For appellate court records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) provides free case data from all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If a Santa Rosa County case was appealed, you can track it through ACIS. The Florida Courts Help center has free forms and self-help guides for people who do not have a lawyer. These cover common case types like divorce, custody, and small claims.

Note: Santa Rosa County is in the 1st Judicial Circuit with Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. Circuit-level resources may cover all four counties together.

Cities in Santa Rosa County

Santa Rosa County includes the communities of Milton, Gulf Breeze, Pace, Navarre, and Jay. Milton is the county seat. All court records for these areas are filed with the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court in Milton. There are no major cities in Santa Rosa County that meet the population threshold for a separate page, but the clerk's office serves all residents regardless of where they live in the county.

Nearby Counties

Santa Rosa County borders Escambia County to the west and Okaloosa County to the east. Each county has its own clerk and court records system. Court records from one county will not show up in another county's system. Make sure you are searching in the right place before you start.