Common Questions About Alachua County Court Records
How do I search Alachua County court records?
Use the Clerk's online Court Records search. The entry page is gated by a CAPTCHA, which you clear first. You do not need to fill every field. You can search by name, company, filing date range, case number, case type, party, or status. Party and status searches are limited and work best with a case number or full name. For a case number, drop the "01" county prefix. See the court records page for the full field list.
What dates are available online?
The oldest indexed Alachua County case was filed July 23, 1928. Online document images start in September 2001 for civil and civil traffic, and December 2005 for criminal. Many closed civil cases before 1999, criminal cases before 1990, and civil traffic before March 2006 are not online. Those older files are pulled in person at the Records Department. The court records page lists the coverage dates and case-type codes.
Where is the Alachua County Clerk's office?
The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller is at the Family and Civil Justice Center, 201 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601. The main phone is 352-374-3636, and hours run Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. The Clerk is J.K. "Jess" Irby. The Clerk of the Court & Comptroller page lists the division phone numbers and services.
Where are criminal court hearings held?
Criminal matters are heard at the Judge Stephan P. Mickle, Sr. Criminal Courthouse, 220 South Main Street, Gainesville. That building handles felony, misdemeanor, and criminal traffic work, plus payment of civil traffic citations. Felony cases run through the circuit court, and misdemeanors run through the county court. The Circuit Court page covers the court structure and the judges.
Where are probate and family cases handled?
Probate, family, civil, juvenile, and mental health cases are handled at the Family and Civil Justice Center, 201 East University Avenue. The same building issues marriage licenses and handles small claims and landlord-tenant matters. Probate runs through the Probate Division of the Circuit Court. The probate records page covers estates and guardianship, and the marriage and divorce records page covers family filings.
How do I request copies of a record?
If a record is not online, request it from the Clerk by email to osr@alachuaclerk.org or by mail to the Public Records Custodian at 201 E. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601. Court and official record copies cost $1 per page, and administrative records cost $0.15 per page. Some requests may carry a research or programming charge under Florida law. Many records are searchable online first, so check the index before you ask for copies. The public records page explains the request process and the right custodian.
How much are certified copies?
A certified copy costs $2 per document, in addition to the $1 per page copy fee. Authentication or exemplification costs $7. A certified copy is the version courts and agencies usually accept, unlike a plain printout. The Clerk of the Court & Comptroller page lists the fee schedule and the steps to request a certified copy.
Can I redact my Social Security number from a court file?
Yes. If a Social Security number or a complete bank, debit, charge, or credit-card number appears in a court file, the holder, the holder's attorney, or a legal guardian can ask the Clerk to redact it. The request identifies the case, the document, the page, and the type of number. The public records page explains the redaction request and the related forms.
Are juvenile records available online?
Juvenile dependency and delinquency records are restricted. The Clerk says the case type and docket may show, but document images are blocked from online viewing. Florida law protects juvenile records, so a public search will not show the documents. The court records page covers which records are confidential and why some images are not online.
How do I find an inmate in the Alachua County Jail?
Use the Sheriff's inmate lookup. Search by last name, first name, or booking number, and partial entries are allowed and not case sensitive. You can also view the full current roster. The jail's main phone is 352-491-4444. The inmate records page explains the roster fields and the detail page, including the court case number you can carry to the Clerk's search.
What does the inmate roster show?
The all-inmate roster shows last name, first name, full name, booking date and time, race, sex, age, housing pod, and arresting agency. An individual detail page adds the MNI number, the case number, the court case number, the bond amount, the custody status, and the charge description. It shows an age rather than a date of birth, which is a privacy limit. The roster does not flag medical or protective-custody status either. The inmate records page breaks down each field.
How do I visit an inmate?
All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours ahead through the jail's video visit provider. On-site visits are non-contact, and eligible inmates get up to two hours per week. A remote internet visit runs 30 minutes for $7.95, offered 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the schedule. Visitors need a valid photo ID and must clear screening. The inmate records page covers visitation, mail, and money rules.
Does the Sheriff publish an active warrant search?
No. There is no official public website that lists active Alachua County warrants by name. The Sheriff's Warrants Bureau, reached at 352-367-4138, gives phone and in-person steps instead. People with an active warrant or civil arrest order are encouraged to turn themselves in at the Department of the Jail. The warrant records page explains the surrender and criminal summons process.
What is a criminal summons?
A criminal summons is an order to appear in court, not an order to arrest. Adult criminal summonses must be picked up at the Warrants Bureau lobby, 2621 SE Hawthorne Road, Monday through Friday except holidays, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If a summons is not picked up, it returns to the Clerk, and a capias may issue. The warrant records page covers how this works.
How do I apply for a marriage license?
Read the Florida Family Law Handbook, complete the online application, then both applicants appear at the Family and Civil Justice Center with photo ID. Bring a premarital course certificate if you want the discount. Pay the fee, take the oath, and sign. Then hold the ceremony in Florida within 60 days. The marriage and divorce records page lists the fees, ID rules, and steps.
Is there a waiting period for marriage?
Florida residents face a three-day waiting period unless an approved premarital course waives it. Non-residents have no waiting period. The license must be used in Florida within 60 days or it expires. A license without the course costs $86, and one with the course costs $61. The marriage and divorce records page covers the fees and the waiting period in detail.
Where do I file for probate?
File in the county where the person who died lived. If that person was not a Florida resident, file where their Florida real property sits. In Alachua County, probate runs through the Probate Division of the Circuit Court at the Family and Civil Justice Center. There is no fee to file a will, but a $7 fee applies to issue a receipt. The probate records page covers venue and fees.
How do I pay or contest a traffic ticket?
You have 30 days from the citation. You can pay, elect traffic school, plead with no hearing, or plead not guilty and request a hearing. Paying online or by phone waives the right to contest and may add points. A citation over 30 days old cannot use the automated payment system. A late fee of $23 applies after the deadline. Electing traffic school can withhold adjudication and avoid points if you finish on time. The traffic court records page explains each option.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see the Clerk of the Court & Comptroller. For broader access rules, see public records. For records by topic, browse court records, arrest records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or probate records.