Dade County Public Records: Miami-Dade Court, Property, Deed, Sheriff & Tax Records
If you search for “Dade County public records,” the modern government name you need is Miami-Dade County. Court cases and recorded documents are maintained by the Clerk, parcel information by the Property Appraiser, taxes by the Tax Collector, law-enforcement reports by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, and local vital certificates by Florida Health.
Start with the record type you need, then use a case number, folio number, Clerk’s File Number or report number whenever possible.
Which Miami-Dade Office Has the Record?
Miami-Dade County operates several separate record systems. A property search, deed search, criminal case search and Sheriff report request are different tasks.
| Record | Official source | Best starting detail |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, criminal, family or probate court case | Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court & Comptroller | Case/citation number or party name |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, judgment or satisfaction | County Recorder / Clerk Official Records | Clerk’s File Number, book/page or indexed name |
| Property owner, folio, value or exemption | Miami-Dade Property Appraiser | 13-digit folio, address or owner |
| Real-estate tax account or payment | Miami-Dade County Tax Collector | Folio/property information and tax year |
| Sheriff report, body-camera or 911 recording | Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office | Report number, date, location and narrow request scope |
| Current jail custody | Miami-Dade Corrections In-Custody Search | Last name plus first name or initial |
| Birth or death certificate | Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County | Name, event date, ID and eligibility information |
Search Miami-Dade Court Records
The Miami-Dade Clerk maintains separate online systems for criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic and other court records. The Clerk’s Records page is the safest starting point because it routes users to the correct case system.
- Choose the record system that matches your case type.
- Use the case or citation number when you have it.
- For a name search, verify the correct party and case category.
- Review the case events and available documents.
- Contact the Clerk if you need an official certified record.
Why the case number matters in Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade processes a very large volume of court records. A case or citation number helps avoid incorrect matches when several people share similar names.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Public Records and Inmate Search
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office provides an online Public Records Center for Sheriff-maintained reports and recordings. The Corrections and Rehabilitation Department maintains the separate in-custody inmate search.
Request Sheriff reports and recordings
- Open the Sheriff Public Records Center.
- Choose the type of record you need.
- Give the report number when available.
- For video or audio, narrow the date, time and location.
- Review any cost estimate before processing begins.
Body-camera footage
The Sheriff’s Office may provide an estimated processing cost for body-worn-camera footage. Narrowing the time and event can reduce unnecessary review time and cost. Confidential or exempt material may be redacted before release.
911 recordings have a retention concern
The Sheriff’s Office states that 911 audio recordings are available for 60 days after the call was received. If you need 911 audio, do not wait unnecessarily before submitting the request.
Check current jail custody separately
- Enter the last name.
- Add the first name or first initial.
- Compare date of birth and booking details.
- Review jail location, charges and bond information.
- Use the Clerk separately to verify the court case and later disposition.
Search Miami-Dade Property Records by Address, Owner or Folio
The Miami-Dade Property Appraiser search supports address, owner name and folio searches. Property results can show ownership information, sales history, assessed and taxable values, exemptions, building details and map information.
- Search by folio when you already have the 13-digit property identifier.
- Otherwise search by address or owner name.
- Open the correct property result.
- Verify ownership, sales and assessment information.
- Save the folio before checking tax or recorded-document records.
Miami-Dade folio numbers are especially useful
The Property Appraiser describes the folio as the county’s unique parcel identifier. It uses a 13-digit format such as 99-9999-999-9999.
If the address search fails
The Property Appraiser’s search help recommends trying fewer address details. You can search without the house number, use an intersection, search a street name, or locate a nearby property and move through the map.
For owner-name searches, try a distinctive first or last name alone when a complete name produces no result.
Search Miami-Dade Deeds, Mortgages, Liens and Recorded Documents
The Miami-Dade County Recorder is responsible for recorded instruments including deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, satisfactions, releases, plats, powers of attorney and other Official Records.
- Open Search Official Records.
- Use the Clerk’s File Number or book/page when available.
- Otherwise search the indexed party name.
- Use document type or property details to narrow results.
- Open the recorded image and confirm the parties and legal description.
Online coverage
The Records Library states that most recorded documents from 1974 to the present can be searched online. Older records may require research through the Records Library, mail or in-person service.
Official copy fees
| Service | Current Clerk-listed fee |
|---|---|
| Recorded-document copy | $1 per page |
| Certification | $2 per document |
| Records Library staff search | $2 per name per year |
Search and Pay Miami-Dade Property Taxes
The Property Appraiser determines value and exemptions. The Miami-Dade Tax Collector handles real-estate tax billing and payment.
- Choose Real Estate Tax Payments or Property Tax.
- Locate the correct property account.
- Confirm the property and tax year.
- Review the balance before paying.
- Save the official confirmation after payment.
Annual payment timing
| Payment month | Discount |
|---|---|
| November | 4% |
| December | 3% |
| January | 2% |
| February | 1% |
| March | No early-payment discount |
Real-estate taxes become delinquent April 1 of the following year.
Miami-Dade Birth and Death Certificates
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County provides local Florida birth- and death-certificate services. These services require identification and, for some certificate types, proof of eligibility.
Birth certificates
Miami-Dade Vital Records issues Florida birth certificates from 1930 to the present. The local office currently lists $20 for the first birth certificate and $16 for additional copies ordered at the same time.
- Check whether the birth falls within the local office’s date range.
- Prepare valid photo identification.
- Complete the birth-certificate application.
- Choose online, mail or in-person ordering.
- Confirm the current fee before paying.
Death certificates
Cause-of-death information can have additional access restrictions. Florida Health’s application explains that eligibility and valid identification are required for certain death certificates when the death occurred less than 50 years ago.
Submit a Miami-Dade Public Records Request
Miami-Dade County uses a central public-records management tool for many county departments. The County also publishes a list of departmental custodians so you can route the request directly to the office that created the record.
- Check whether the record is already available online.
- Identify the department most likely to maintain it.
- Describe the record narrowly.
- Provide a useful date range, address, folio, file number or other identifier.
- Submit and track the request through the county tool.
You can remain anonymous
Miami-Dade’s public-record request policy states that you do not have to give your name or explain why you are requesting public records. A request also does not have to be submitted in writing.
County copy charges
| Copy type | County-listed charge |
|---|---|
| Single-sided page | 15¢ |
| Double-sided page | 20¢ |
| Certified copy | $1 per page |
Requests requiring more than 20 minutes of research or processing may also carry a labor-based service charge.
When a Dade County Public Records Search Returns Nothing
| Problem | Try next |
|---|---|
| Searching “Dade County” does not find the agency | Use the current name Miami-Dade County when searching official websites. |
| Court name search gives too many matches | Use the case/citation number or narrow by case type and date. |
| Property address does not match | Use fewer address terms, owner name or the 13-digit folio. |
| Property found but no deed | Use owner and folio clues to search Clerk Official Records. |
| Recorded document predates 1974 | Contact the Miami-Dade Records Library for older-record research. |
| Sheriff report is unavailable | Confirm MDSO created the record rather than a municipal police department. |
Miami-Dade Public Records Offices
20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
Phone: 305-275-1155
Use for court cases, Official Records, marriage records and certified Clerk documents.
111 NW 1st Street, Suite 710, Miami, FL 33128
Customer Service: 305-375-4712
200 NW 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33128
Phone: 305-375-5448
Fred Taylor Headquarters
9105 NW 25th Street, Doral, FL 33172
Public Records: 305-471-2085
3505 NW 107 Ave., Doral, FL 33178
Phone: 786-263-7000
1350 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33125
Vital Records: 305-575-5030
Downtown Miami records area
The Clerk, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and several county offices are concentrated around downtown Miami, but they are separate offices. Confirm the correct building and service before traveling.
Before You Rely on a Miami-Dade Public Record
- Confirm the correct person, property, case and jurisdiction.
- Do not treat arrest or custody information as proof of conviction.
- Use the underlying deed or recorded instrument when title or liens matter.
- Respect confidential, sealed, exempt and redacted records.
- Request certification when a court, agency or other recipient requires an official copy.
Dade County Public Records FAQs
1. Is Dade County the same as Miami-Dade County?
Yes. The modern official county name is Miami-Dade County. Searches using the older “Dade County” name should generally be routed to Miami-Dade government offices and databases.
2. Where do I search Miami-Dade court records?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court & Comptroller Records page and choose the system that matches the case type.
3. Where do I search Dade County deeds and liens?
Use the Miami-Dade Clerk Official Records search for deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, satisfactions and other recorded instruments.
4. How far back are Miami-Dade Official Records searchable online?
The Clerk’s Records Library states that most recorded documents from 1974 to the present can be searched online. Older documents may require Records Library research.
5. How do I find a Miami-Dade property owner?
Use the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Property Search. You can search by address, owner name or the property’s 13-digit folio number.
6. Is a Property Appraiser record the same as the legal deed?
No. Property Appraiser information is useful for parcel, value and owner research, but the recorded legal instrument is maintained by the County Recorder through Official Records.
7. Where do I request a Miami-Dade Sheriff report?
Use the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Request Reports & Records page and submit the request through the Sheriff Public Records Center.
8. How do I find someone currently in Miami-Dade jail?
Use Miami-Dade Corrections’ In-Custody Search. Search by last name and first name or initial, then verify the date of birth, booking information and jail location.
9. Where do I get a Miami-Dade birth or death certificate?
Use the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County. Birth and death certificate requirements vary by certificate type, date and requester eligibility.
10. Why might a Miami-Dade public record not appear online?
The record may be maintained by another department, indexed differently, older than the online system, confidential, sealed, exempt, recently filed or available only through a formal records request.