Duval County Public Records: Court, Property, Deeds, Jail & Vital Records
Duval County public records are split across several Jacksonville-area agencies. Court cases and recorded deeds are handled by the Duval County Clerk, parcel data by the Property Appraiser, taxes by the Tax Collector, jail and Sheriff records by JSO, and birth or death certificates by Florida Health.
The most useful approach is simple: identify the record, open the correct official system, and save the strongest identifier you find—such as a case number, parcel number, instrument number or report number.
Which Duval County Office Has the Record?
Jacksonville and Duval County operate under a consolidated city-county government, but that does not mean every record is stored in one database. Courts, law enforcement, property assessment, taxes and general city records still have different custodians.
| Record needed | Official source | Best starting detail |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, criminal, family, probate or traffic case | Duval County Clerk CORE | Case number, party name or citation |
| Deed, mortgage, lien or judgment | Clerk Official Records | Instrument number, book/page or indexed name |
| Property owner, parcel or assessed value | Duval County Property Appraiser | RE number, owner or address |
| Property-tax balance or payment | Duval County Tax Collector | Account/property information and tax year |
| Jail custody or JSO public record | Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office | Legal name, booking/report details or incident information |
| Birth or death certificate | Florida Department of Health in Duval County | Name, event date, valid ID and eligibility |
| General Jacksonville government document | City of Jacksonville Public Records Request Center | Department, subject and narrow date range |
How to Search Duval County Court Records
The Duval County Clerk provides online court access through CORE. General public users can view non-confidential records that are available for public internet access, but access varies by case type, document and user role.
- Open the CORE public records portal.
- Search by case number when you already have it.
- Otherwise use the available party or citation information.
- Confirm the case type, parties and filing information.
- Open the docket and available documents.
- Use the Clerk’s certified-copy option if official proof is required.
CORE is usually better than guessing through statewide portals
The Clerk specifically directs Duval court-record users to CORE for county case access. Some documents cannot be viewed remotely because of confidentiality rules or Florida court-access restrictions.
Electronic certified court copies
The Clerk allows electronic certified court records to be ordered through CORE. The certified file includes an electronic seal and verification information and can be downloaded through the secure delivery link provided after purchase.
Duval County Arrest, Inmate and JSO Public Records
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office handles Duval County jail operations and its own law-enforcement public records. A current inmate search is useful for custody questions, while a court search through CORE is better for the formal criminal case and later disposition.
- Choose the online public-record request option if the record is maintained by JSO.
- Describe the incident or record type clearly.
- Include the report number when known.
- Add a useful date, location and involved name.
- Keep the request tracking information for follow-up.
Arrest does not equal conviction
A booking or law-enforcement record reflects an arrest or investigation stage. Search the Duval Clerk court record separately to determine whether charges were filed and how the case was resolved.
Search Duval County Property Records
The Duval County Property Appraiser provides real-estate property search, tangible-property search, exemptions, assessment information and GIS-related tools.
- Search by property address, owner or parcel/RE number.
- Open the matching property record.
- Verify the owner, legal description and parcel identifier.
- Review assessment, exemption and sales information.
- Save the parcel number before checking taxes or recorded deeds.
For ownership, exemption or assessment questions, the Property Appraiser currently directs users to 904-255-5900.
Useful Duval property warning
The Property Appraiser cautions that aerial imagery should not be treated as a survey or relied on to establish legal property boundaries. For a transaction or boundary question, use the proper survey and title resources.
Property Fraud Alert
Duval County also promotes a free Property Fraud Alert service that can notify participants when a document is recorded under a monitored personal or business name. This can help property owners notice a potentially suspicious recording quickly.
Search Duval County Deeds, Mortgages and Liens
The Clerk’s Official Records and Research Department maintains recorded instruments including deeds, mortgages, judgments, claims of lien, satisfactions and marriage licenses.
- Open the Official Records search.
- Use instrument number or book/page when available.
- Otherwise search by indexed party name.
- Narrow broad results by document type or record date.
- Open the document image when available.
- Order certification only if your purpose requires it.
How far back are records online?
The Clerk states that Official Records recorded since 1988 can be searched and viewed through the online portal. Marriage licenses recorded since February 1981 are also available.
For documents recorded before 1988, contact the Official Records and Research staff rather than assuming the record does not exist.
Certified-copy costs
The Clerk currently lists a $2 statutory certification fee for an eCertified Official Record. Online eCertification also includes a $6 vendor processing fee, and credit-card payments carry the Clerk’s published service fee.
For in-person or mailed paper copies, the Clerk lists $1 per page in addition to the $2 certification fee when a certified paper copy is requested.
Duval County Property Tax Records and 2026 Dates
The Duval County Tax Collector bills and collects property taxes. The Property Appraiser determines assessed value and exemptions; these are separate responsibilities.
- Open the official property-tax account search.
- Confirm the correct property and tax year.
- Review the balance, payments and delinquency status.
- Check the payment method and processing fee before paying.
- Save the official receipt or confirmation.
| 2026 tax timing | Current rule |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Collection of the 2026 real-estate and tangible-property tax roll begins. |
| November | 4% early-payment discount. |
| December | 3% discount. |
| January | 2% discount. |
| February | 1% discount. |
| March 31, 2027 | Gross current tax amount is due. |
| April 1, 2027 | Unpaid current real-estate taxes become delinquent. |
For online property-tax payments, the Tax Collector currently lists a 2.5% credit-card processing fee with a $2.50 minimum. E-check property-tax payments are available without an added processing fee.
Duval County Birth and Death Certificates
The Florida Department of Health in Duval County provides local birth- and death-certificate services. These are controlled certificate requests, not unrestricted public name searches.
- Choose the certificate type you need.
- Review eligibility and identification rules.
- Download the correct application when using mail or in-person service.
- Choose local service or the authorized online vendor.
- Verify the current fee before submitting payment.
Death certificates that include cause-of-death information have additional eligibility requirements when the death occurred within the restricted statutory period.
Submit a Jacksonville or Duval County Public Records Request
For general City of Jacksonville department records, use the city’s Public Records Request Center. The city says the online system is the preferred method because it allows a requester to submit and track the request.
- Open the Public Records Request Center.
- Identify the department when possible.
- Describe the exact record instead of asking for all information on a topic.
- Use a useful date range.
- Save the tracking number after submission.
General citizen requests may also be initiated through 630-CITY (904-630-2489).
What to Do When a Duval County Search Returns Nothing
| Problem | Try next |
|---|---|
| No CORE court result | Use case number if known, simplify the party name and verify Duval County. |
| Court document is listed but unavailable | The document may not be remotely viewable; contact the Clerk about access or copies. |
| Property address fails | Use fewer address terms, owner name or parcel/RE number. |
| Property found, deed missing | Move from Property Appraiser search to Clerk Official Records. |
| Older deed not online | Contact Official Records staff for documents recorded before 1988. |
| JSO report request is delayed | Use the GovQA request route and keep the tracking information; the Public Records Unit is relocating in September 2026. |
| Online copy is rejected | Order the required certified copy from the official custodian. |
Duval County Public Records Offices
Jacksonville, FL 32202
General Clerk phone: 904-255-2000
501 West Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: 904-255-2025
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except holidays.
Customer Service: 904-255-5900
Use for ownership display, assessments, exemptions, parcel records and real-estate property search.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: 904-255-5700
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Phone: 904-630-2209
Use JSO’s online public-record request system for the current submission route while the Public Records Unit relocation is underway.
Phone: 904-253-1620
Published certificate-service hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Duval County Courthouse map
Before You Rely on a Public Record
- Confirm you have the correct person, property or case.
- Do not treat an arrest or accusation as proof of conviction.
- Review the actual recorded document when an index does not answer the legal question.
- Respect confidential, sealed, exempt and redacted records.
- Request a certified copy when an official recipient requires one.
Duval County Public Records FAQs
1. Where do I search Duval County court records?
Use the Duval County Clerk’s CORE system. Search by case number when possible, then verify the case type, parties and filing information.
2. What is CORE in Duval County?
CORE is the Duval County Clerk’s online court-record system. Public viewing depends on the case type, document type and applicable confidentiality rules.
3. Where do I search Duval County deeds and liens?
Use the Duval Clerk Official Records search for deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, satisfactions and other recorded instruments.
4. How far back do Duval County Official Records go online?
The Clerk states that Official Records recorded since 1988 are available through the online portal. Marriage licenses recorded since February 1981 are also available.
5. Where do I find who owns a property in Duval County?
Use the Duval County Property Appraiser search. For legal ownership documents, follow the parcel research with a search of the Clerk’s recorded deeds.
6. Where do I pay Duval County property taxes?
Use the Duval County Tax Collector. The Property Appraiser handles assessed values and exemptions, while the Tax Collector handles tax bills and payments.
7. Are Duval County arrest records the same as court records?
No. JSO records can show law-enforcement or custody information. The Duval Clerk court record shows the formal court case and later disposition when public.
8. How much is a Duval County birth or death certificate?
The Duval County Health Department currently lists $15 for the first local birth or death certificate and $10 for each additional certificate of the same record ordered at the same time.
9. Where do I request general Jacksonville government records?
Use the City of Jacksonville Public Records Request Center for qualifying city-department records. Use the Clerk, JSO, Property Appraiser or Tax Collector when one of those offices is the actual custodian.
10. Why might a Duval County record not appear online?
The record may be maintained by another agency, too old for the online database, indexed differently, recently filed, confidential, sealed, exempt or unavailable for remote public viewing.