Walton County Court Records Search

Walton County court records are held by the Clerk of Court in DeFuniak Springs. This panhandle county has a population of about 75,000 and has grown in recent years, partly due to the beach communities along the coast. Clerk A. Ken Burton Jr. manages the office that handles all civil, criminal, family, and traffic court filings. You can search Walton County court records online through the clerk's website or visit the courthouse in DeFuniak Springs for in-person access. Under Florida law, most court records are public.

Walton County Clerk of Court

The Walton County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all court records in the county. A. Ken Burton Jr. serves as clerk. The main office is at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs. You can reach them at (850) 892-8115. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, court records in Walton County are open to the public unless they have been sealed by a judge or are exempted by a specific state law.

Walton County is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit, which also includes Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa 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 are filed through the clerk's office in DeFuniak Springs. The 1st Circuit spans the western end of the Florida panhandle and is one of the busier circuits in that part of the state.

The Walton County Clerk website provides links to court records searches, official records, and other clerk services.

You can also find info on marriage licenses, recording services, and jury duty on the clerk's site.

Searching Walton County Court Records Online

The Walton County court records search lets you look up cases filed in the county. You can search by party name, case number, or document type. The system covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. It is free to use. No account is needed. Results show basic case information like party names, case type, filing date, and status.

Walton County has also grown in case volume over the years as more people have moved to the area. The beach towns along 30A and South Walton attract seasonal residents, which means court filings spike at certain times. The online search is the easiest way to find records without going to the courthouse. But for detailed documents or older files, a visit to DeFuniak Springs may be necessary.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers site connects you to all 67 county clerks across the state.

Use this resource when you need records from more than one Florida county. You can jump to any clerk's website from one place.

Note: Walton County's online system may not include all historical filings. Records from before the digital conversion may only be available in paper form at the courthouse.

Public Access Rules in Walton County

Florida Statute 119.0714 requires the clerk to redact certain personal info from public records. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive data get removed before records are posted online or given to the public. Filers in Walton County also must strip out confidential details before submitting their documents to the clerk.

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 controls which court records stay open and which can be sealed. Most are public. Juvenile records, certain mental health cases, and files sealed by a judge are exceptions. Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 lets courts post public documents online. Walton County follows this order. If you believe a record was improperly withheld, Rule 2.420 gives you the right to challenge that by filing a written request with the court.

Walton County has a mix of year-round and seasonal residents. The public access rules apply to everyone, whether you live in the county or not. If the record is public, anyone can ask to see it.

Getting Copies of Walton County Court Records

You can get copies of Walton County court records at the clerk's office in DeFuniak Springs, by mail, or through the online system. Fees follow Florida law. Certified copies cost more than regular ones. For legal matters, the certified version is usually what you need.

Standard fees in Walton County:

• 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 want, and a check or money order. Call the clerk at (850) 892-8115 to check costs ahead of time. Walk-in requests are the fastest option. Mail can take a week or more. New court filings go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which is required for most case types in the state.

State Resources for Walton County

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website links to all 67 county clerks. It is a useful starting point when you need records from more than one county. The MyFloridaCounty portal processes online payments for court fees in Walton County and every other Florida county.

For appellate court records, the Appellate Court Information System (ACIS) gives free access to case data from all Florida appellate courts. If a Walton County case was appealed, ACIS is where you track it. The Florida Courts Help center provides free forms and guides for people representing themselves in Walton County courts. These tools cover divorce, custody, small claims, and other common types of cases.

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

Cities in Walton County

Walton County includes the communities of DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Paxton, and the beach areas of South Walton. DeFuniak Springs is the county seat. All court records for these places are filed with the Walton County Clerk of Court in DeFuniak Springs. No cities in Walton County meet the population threshold for a separate page, but the clerk's office serves all residents of the county.

Nearby Counties

Walton County borders Okaloosa County to the west, Holmes County to the north, Washington County to the northeast, and Bay County to the east. Each county has its own clerk and court records system. Records from one county do not appear in another county's database.