St. Lucie County, Florida Court Records

St. Lucie County court records are documents generated during regular court proceedings and maintained by the court for future reference. These records serve as evidence of the facts and filings in a court case, ranging from initial pleadings to final judgment or sentencing.

Most civil and criminal cases in St. Lucie County are heard by the St. Lucie County Circuit Court, the County’s court of general jurisdiction. The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office compiles and preserves these records in compliance with the Florida Statutes and the Standard for Access to Electronic Court Records.

Because courts typically operate in coordination with other government agencies, court records sometimes intersect with records held by those agencies. For example, an arrest warrant issued by the Circuit Court may serve as the basis for an arrest by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in documentation in both agencies’ records.

Are St. Lucie County Court Records Public?

St. Lucie County court records are presumed public under Chapter 119.0714, Florida Statutes. Record custodians have a duty to provide access to anyone upon request. Commonly accessible St. Lucie County court records include:

• Case dockets and registers of action
• Complaints, answers, and motions
• Cost orders and final judgments
• Contract, property, and tort case filings

However, there are exemptions, and records are released subject to the applicable exemptions. These include:

• Confidential personal information, such as social security numbers and bank account details
• Sealed and expunged records
• Juvenile court records
• Certain family and domestic relations records
• Mental health and competency proceedings
• Adoption records
• Certain victim-related records
• Active criminal investigation materials

Exemptions exist to protect the privacy and safety of others, where private interest outweighs the public’s right to know.

What Information is Available in St. Lucie County Court Records?

The content of court records mostly varies by case type and on a case-by-case basis. However, most case records contain the following information:

• Pleadings
• Evidence of an attempt to settle the dispute amicably
• Motions and applications
• Exhibits and Witness Statement on Oath
• Petition (common in probate and family law cases)
• Filed charges
• Affidavit
• Court Orders and Rulings
• Judgments
• Dockets
• Party and Attorney Information
• Bonds and Affidavit (common in criminal cases)
• Probation/Sentencing Reports

St. Lucie County Court Records Search

An individual seeking court records (including civil, criminal, and domestic relations case documents) in St. Lucie County, Florida, has several options.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of Lucie County provides online access to the digital version of these records through the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of Lucie County website. To view court records:

• Access the website
• Once accessed, click Court Case Search
• Click Search Cases to proceed
• Enter a Name, Case Number, or Citation Number in the sorority search field
• Click Search to initiate a query
• Search results will provide data matching the search criteria

Records provided through these mediums are ordinary copies. To order certified copies, access Clerk E-Certify. This can be done by:

• Clicking the red View new fees and learn more button at the top of the Court Case Search page
• Proceed to click E-Certify Court and Official Records
• Follow the prompts to place an order
• After submitting the order, the requester will receive an email with a link to download the certified document
• The encrypted PDFs require Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed

Some documents may not be available online. E-Certified copies of those documents can be obtained by requesting the record as a Public Record. This can be done by mailing a completed Public Records Request Form or visiting the Clerk of Court Office at:

Clerk’s Main Office

201 South Indian River Drive

Fort Pierce, FL 34950

Research: 4th Floor

Phone: 772-462-6900

Fax: 772-462-6908

Those who elect to mail their request should mail the Public Records Request Form along with a business/cashier’s check or money order payable to:

St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller

ATTN: Research Department, 4th floor

P.O. Box 700

Fort Pierce, FL 34954

Fees for Court Records in St. Lucie County

Fees are subject to change, but according to the current fee schedule, the following services attract the following fees:

Record search (for each year)	$2.00
Copies of documents in public records by photographic process (size 14" x 8.5" or less) per page	$1.00
Copies of documents in public records by photographic process (if larger than size 14" x 8.5") per page	$5.00
Flash Drive-provided by the Clerk’s Office	$5.00
CD-provided by the Clerk’s Office	$25.00
If the customer elects to photograph the record	Cost varies, based on the Clerk’s supervision
Copying documents in public records other than by photographing	$6.00
Certifying copies of documents in public records per document	$2.00
Verifying documents presented for certification, but which were not prepared by the Clerk, per page	$3.50

Find Fees and Costs below for more information.

St. Lucie County Courthouse Locations

Circuit Courts in St. Lucie County

St. Lucie County Circuit Court

Fort Pierce Courthouse

218 South 2nd Street, Ft. Pierce, FL 34950

Phone: 772-462-6900

St. Lucie County Circuit Court

Clerk of Court Office

201 South Indian River Drive, PO Box 700, Ft. Pierce, FL 34954

Phone: 772-462-6900

Criminal Records Access in St. Lucie County

Individuals may wish to know everything there is to know about a potential employee, tenant, or prospective business partner. This includes their criminal history or any factor signaling a lack of honesty. While St. Lucie County criminal court records are useful in these circumstances, they are limited in scope and may not reflect offenses committed by individuals outside the county. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts state-level criminal history background checks. Through the FDLE Criminal History Information on the Internet (CCHInet) search tool, the Department allows Instant Florida Criminal History Searches.

For local criminal court case searches, computerized case files are available online through the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of St. Lucie County website and in person at the Clerk’s Office.

St. Lucie County Family Court Records

St. Lucie County family court records are a subset of the general court records, meaning they are public records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Case files commonly found in a court record include divorce, adoption, child support, alimony, name changes, domestic violence and protective injunctions, and paternity sharing.

It’s important to note that disclosure of St. Lucie County family records is subject to the applicable exemptions under the Florida Statutes, which allow sensitive details to be lawfully suppressed to protect certain private rights. Commonly exempted records include:

• Sealed records
• Domestic violence cases
• Records involving minors
• Domestic violence cases
• Sensitive personal information

St. Lucie County family court records are available over the internet via the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of St. Lucie County website, which allows anyone to search specific case files by name, case number, and citation number. Certified documents can also be accessed by selecting the Clerk E-Certify option on the web page or by visiting the Clerk’s Main Office at:

County	Court Name	Address	Phone Number	Office Hours
St. Lucie County	St. Lucie County Circuit Court (Family Court Division)	201 South Indian River Drive Fort Pierce, FL 34950 Research: 4th Floor	Phone: 772-462-6900 Fax: 772-462-6908	Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Federal Court Records in St. Lucie County

Certain subject matters are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal courts, making the maintenance of these case files the prerogative of federal government agencies, rather than county or state officials.

In St. Lucie County, Florida, federal cases such as bankruptcy and immigration are heard by the U.S. District Court (Southern District of Florida). Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), these records are public records, subject to applicable exemptions.

Federal cases are searchable online via PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), the primary source for federal information. Individuals typically need to register as a precondition for accessing court documents.

Alternative search options include visiting the Clerk of the District Court’s Office to access case dockets on public terminals or at the counter. Fees apply: 50 cents per page and 10 cents if the document was self-printed using one of the public terminals.