Hillsborough County Public Records Search: Court, Property, Deeds & Arrest Records
Hillsborough County public records are split between several offices. Court cases and recorded documents are handled by the Clerk, parcel and assessment information by the Property Appraiser, tax payments by the Tax Collector, Sheriff records by HCSO, and birth or death certificates by Florida Health.
The most useful first step is to identify the record type, then use the official database that actually maintains it.
Which Hillsborough County Office Has Your Record?
| Record needed | Correct source | Best starting detail |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, criminal, traffic, probate or family case | Hillsborough Clerk HOVER | Case number, citation number, party or business name |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, judgment or marriage record | Clerk Official Records Index | Name, document type, instrument data or recording date |
| Property owner, parcel or assessed value | Hillsborough County Property Appraiser | Folio, parcel number, owner or address |
| Property-tax payment or tax account | Hillsborough County Tax Collector | Property or tax-account information |
| Arrest or current jail inquiry | Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office | Name and booking information |
| Birth or death certificate | Florida Health in Hillsborough County | Name, event date, ID and eligibility |
| County-department public record | Hillsborough County Public Records Request | Department, record type and date range |
How to Search Hillsborough County Public Records
- Identify the record type. Decide whether you need a court case, arrest record, deed, parcel record, tax account or certificate.
- Open the actual custodian. Avoid searching one county database for a record another office controls.
- Use the strongest identifier. Case number, citation number, folio, parcel number or recording reference usually beats a broad name search.
- Verify the match. Compare names, dates, case type, property address or document type.
- Request the correct copy. Use the agency’s certification or public-record process when a browser result is not enough.
Search Hillsborough County Court Records With HOVER
HOVER is the Hillsborough County Clerk’s public court-record system. It provides electronic access to many court indexes, dockets and non-confidential document images.
- Choose the search method that matches the information you have.
- Use case number or uniform case number when available.
- Otherwise search by party/business name, citation or date range.
- Open the likely case and verify the court type and parties.
- Review the docket and available document images.
HOVER supports searches by case number, uniform case number, citation number, party/business name and date range with court or case type.
Some documents will not be available remotely
Court-record access is controlled by Florida court-access rules. Confidential, sealed or otherwise restricted documents may not appear for public remote viewing.
Need an electronically certified court record?
The Clerk provides eCertify for eligible court and Official Records documents. Electronically certified records are delivered by email.
Hillsborough County Arrest Records and Jail Inquiry
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office maintains arrest and jail information. HCSO specifically warns that arrest data on its website does not necessarily reflect later charging decisions or the outcome of a criminal case.
- Open the Who’s In Jail / Arrest Inquiry route.
- Search the person carefully.
- Compare booking and arrest details.
- Do not treat the arrest entry as the final case outcome.
- Use HOVER to verify the related criminal court case.
Need the police or Sheriff report itself?
HCSO provides an online records-and-reports request route. Body-camera footage and records requiring redaction can take longer than a simple report copy.
Search Hillsborough County Property Records
The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser is the correct source for parcel, owner, assessed-value and exemption information.
The current search supports Folio, Parcel Number, Owner and Address.
- Use Folio or Parcel Number when you already have it.
- Otherwise search by owner or property address.
- Open the correct parcel and verify the site address.
- Review assessed values, ownership and exemption information.
- Save the parcel or folio before moving to tax or deed research.
Current downtown Property Appraiser office
The main office is on the 15th floor of County Center at 601 E. Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa. Published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Search Hillsborough County Deeds, Liens and Mortgages
The Clerk’s Official Records Index is separate from HOVER. Use it for property deeds, mortgages, liens, notices of commencement, easements, certified judgments, marriage records and other recorded instruments.
- Choose the appropriate search type.
- Use a party or business name when researching an owner or borrower.
- Add a recording-date range when possible.
- Open the matching record and review the document image.
- Use eCertify when you need an electronically certified copy.
Do not confuse HOVER with Official Records
HOVER is for Circuit and County Court cases such as traffic, criminal cases, evictions, divorces and lawsuits. The Official Records Index is for recorded instruments such as deeds, mortgages, liens, easements and marriage records.
Broad name search returning too many results?
The Clerk notes that Official Records searches exceeding 5,000 results will not be delivered. Narrow the date range or other criteria when a common name produces an oversized result set.
Hillsborough County Property Tax Records
Property-value and exemption questions belong with the Property Appraiser. Property-tax bills, payments and collection services belong with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector.
- Choose the property-tax service.
- Search the correct property or tax account.
- Confirm the tax year.
- Review the balance or payment information.
- Save the official receipt if you make a payment.
Hillsborough County Birth and Death Certificates
Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County provides local birth- and death-certificate services.
Birth certificates
The local office issues Florida birth certificates from 1930 to the present. The current local fee is $14 for the first birth certificate and $9 for each additional certificate ordered at the same time.
- Confirm that you are eligible to receive the record.
- Prepare valid photo identification.
- Complete the birth-certificate application.
- Choose in-person, mail or authorized online ordering.
- Confirm the current fee before paying.
Death certificates
The local office provides Florida death certificates from 2009 to the present. The current fee is $10 per death certificate. Cause-of-death copies have additional eligibility requirements.
Request Hillsborough County Records That Are Not Online
Hillsborough County’s general request system is for records involving County government business, employees or services. It is not a universal substitute for the Clerk, Sheriff or other independent custodians.
- Confirm Hillsborough County government is the correct custodian.
- Use the County’s online request system for qualifying records.
- Describe the department and record type.
- Provide a narrow date range and useful identifiers.
- Review any cost estimate before staff begins chargeable work.
Current county request-fee rules
- Research taking 30 minutes or less is currently provided without a staff-time charge.
- Longer research may be charged using the hourly wage of the lowest-paid employee able to perform the work.
- The first 10 paper pages are currently free.
- Additional paper pages are currently $0.15 each.
What to Do When a Hillsborough County Search Returns Nothing
| Problem | Try next |
|---|---|
| No court case | Use case/citation number, simplify the party name or broaden the date range. |
| Too many Official Records results | Narrow the date range or document criteria; searches over 5,000 results must be reduced. |
| Property owner search fails | Search by folio, parcel number or simplified address. |
| Arrest appears but outcome is unclear | Search the related criminal case in HOVER for the later court disposition. |
| Older vital record is unavailable locally | Use Florida’s state Bureau of Vital Statistics for the older record range. |
| Online document is not accepted | Order the required certified or electronically certified copy. |
Hillsborough County Public Records Offices
419 Pierce Street, Room 140
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-276-8100
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
800 E. Twiggs Street
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-276-8100
County Center, 15th Floor
601 E. Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-272-6100
2008 E. 8th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-247-8000
13601 N. 22nd St.
Tampa, FL 33613
Phone: 813-307-8002
Clerk Official Records office map
Recorded-document services are available at the Pat Collier Frank Courthouse at 419 Pierce Street in downtown Tampa. Court services may use a different Clerk location depending on the service.
Before You Rely on a Hillsborough County Public Record
- Verify the correct person, case, parcel or recorded document.
- Do not treat arrest information as proof of conviction.
- Do not rely on the Property Appraiser alone when legal title is the question.
- Respect confidential, sealed, exempt and redacted information.
- Use a certified copy when an official recipient requires certification.
Hillsborough County Public Records Search FAQs
1. Where do I search Hillsborough County court records?
Use the Hillsborough County Clerk’s HOVER system. It supports searches by case number, citation number, party or business name and date-related criteria.
2. Where do I search Hillsborough County arrest records?
Use the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrest and jail inquiry. Check the related criminal case in HOVER when you need the court outcome.
3. Does an HCSO arrest record prove a conviction?
No. HCSO states that arrest information does not reflect final guilt, innocence, dismissal, acquittal or other court disposition.
4. Where do I search Hillsborough County deeds and liens?
Use the Hillsborough County Clerk Official Records Index for deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements and other recorded instruments.
5. Where do I search Hillsborough County property records?
Use the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser. Search by folio, parcel number, owner or address.
6. Does the Property Appraiser collect property taxes?
No. The Property Appraiser assesses property and prepares the tax roll. Tax collection is handled by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector.
7. Where do I order a Hillsborough County birth certificate?
Use Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County for qualifying Florida birth certificates from 1930 to the present.
8. Where do I order a Hillsborough County death certificate?
The local Health Department provides Florida death certificates from 2009 to the present. Older records are obtained through the state Bureau of Vital Statistics.
9. Where do I request other Hillsborough County public records?
For qualifying county-government records, use the Hillsborough County Public Records Request system. Court, Clerk, Sheriff and other independent-office records should go to their actual custodian.
10. Why might a Hillsborough County record not appear online?
The record may be confidential, sealed, exempt, indexed differently, maintained by another agency, outside the online system’s coverage or subject to remote-access restrictions.