Jacksonville FL Court Records Search: Duval CORE, Clerk Copies, Traffic, Appeals & Federal Routes
Use this guide to find Jacksonville court records through the correct official route: the Duval County Clerk’s CORE portal, the correct Clerk department, the Fourth Judicial Circuit, Florida ACIS for appeals, and PACER for federal cases.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not the Duval County Clerk of Courts, the Fourth Judicial Circuit, a Florida court, CORE, PACER, a government agency, a law firm, a background-check company, or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This page provides general public-record guidance only and is not legal advice.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A complaint, charge, citation, arrest, petition, lawsuit, indictment, docket entry, or warrant does not prove guilt or liability. Do not use this guide for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing, or other FCRA-regulated screening decisions.
Jacksonville court records usually mean Duval County Clerk records
Jacksonville is in Duval County. For most local court-record searches, the official starting point is the Duval County Clerk of Courts and the Clerk’s online records portal, CORE. CORE is used to view court records and order eCertified documents when available.
Jacksonville-related records can involve Circuit Court, County Court, Family Law, Probate, Guardianship, Criminal, Traffic, Juvenile, Domestic Violence, Official Records, state appeals, federal district court, or bankruptcy. Each route has different access rules, copy procedures, and confidentiality limits.
Duval County online court-record viewing is available through the Clerk’s CORE portal.
The Clerk lists certification of a copy of a court record at $2 per document.
The Clerk fee schedule lists plain court-record copies at $1 per page.
The Clerk traffic page says civil traffic citations generally must be handled within 30 calendar days.
Jacksonville court record route finder
Select the record type. This helper runs only in your browser and does not ask for names, case numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver license numbers, or payment information.
Felony, misdemeanor, criminal traffic, juvenile delinquency and appeals routes appear under the Duval Clerk’s Criminal Court Services structure. Use CORE for case lookup and contact the appropriate Clerk department for official copies or unavailable documents.
Choose the correct Jacksonville / Duval County court-record system
Search intent changes by case type. Use this table before searching by name so you do not confuse court records with recorded documents, jail records, state background checks, or federal dockets.
| Need | Correct source | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Felony criminal case | Duval Clerk CORE / Criminal Court Services / Circuit Criminal | Search CORE by case number or party details, then verify division, charges, docket, hearing dates and final disposition. |
| Misdemeanor case | Duval Clerk CORE / Criminal Court Services / Misdemeanor | Use CORE for the docket and contact the Clerk department if you need certified copies or documents not visible online. |
| Traffic citation or civil traffic ticket | Duval Clerk Traffic / CORE | Use the traffic page and CORE. Civil traffic citation payments generally must be handled within 30 calendar days of issue date. |
| Circuit civil lawsuit, foreclosure or large civil case | Duval Clerk CORE / Civil Court Services / Circuit Civil | Use case number or party name in CORE. Review claims, docket entries, orders, judgment and later satisfaction or appeal activity. |
| County civil, small claims, eviction or unlawful detainer | Duval Clerk Civil Court Services / County Civil / Small Claims | Use CORE and the correct civil department page. Do not use this guide for tenant-screening decisions. |
| Divorce, custody, support or family-law case | Duval Clerk Family Law / CORE with access limits | Use a registered CORE account when appropriate. Basic public access is limited for family-law case records. |
| Probate, guardianship, estate or mental-health petition | Duval Clerk Probate / Guardianship / Mental Health | Use CORE and the Probate Department route. Basic public CORE access is limited for probate records. |
| Juvenile case | Duval Clerk Criminal Court Services / Juvenile and court-specific access rules | Do not assume public access. Juvenile records are often confidential or restricted. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, recorded judgment, marriage license or official record | Duval Official Records and Research, not ordinary court-case docket search | Use Official Records and Research for recorded instruments. Online Official Records cover records recorded since 1988, and marriage licenses since February 1981. |
| State appeal | Florida ACIS / First District Court of Appeal or Florida Supreme Court | Search ACIS by appellate case number, party, case category or originating lower-court case number. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy case | PACER / U.S. District Court or Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida | Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown. Duval County federal district matters route to the Middle District of Florida Jacksonville Division. |
How to use Duval CORE without misreading access limits
CORE is the Duval County Clerk’s online records portal. It displays court information and documents based on Florida access rules, the user’s role, case type, document type and confidentiality status.
Start from duvalclerk.gov and choose the Court Records page or CORE link. This helps avoid commercial sites that resemble official search pages.
General public viewing allows non-confidential court records in non-confidential case types, but it cannot request documents that have not already been reviewed and published to CORE.
A free registered account can request that certain documents be reviewed and published. Registered users can also view some non-confidential family and probate records when permitted by the access rules.
Use a case number if available. If using a name, compare court, filing date, party role, docket entries and document titles before relying on the match.
An unavailable icon can mean the document is confidential, restricted, or not released through online access for that user level.
Use eCertified ordering through CORE when available, or contact the specific Clerk department by mail or in person when the document is not online.
Certified copies, eCertified documents and fee details to verify
The Duval Clerk offers eCertified documents through CORE when available. For documents not available online, the Clerk instructs users to contact the appropriate department and include as much identifying information as possible, such as case number, party names and dates.
| Need | Published local guidance | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Online eCertified court document | The Clerk says online eCertified documents cost the $2 certification fee required by Florida law plus a $6 vendor processing fee. | Order through CORE only when the exact document is available and confirm the receiving agency accepts eCertified documents. |
| In-person or mail eCertified document | The Clerk lists the cost as the $2 certification fee if emailed to the requester. | Send the request to the appropriate Clerk department and provide email address for the eCertified document. |
| Paper certified court copy | If a paper copy is also requested, the Clerk lists $1 per page plus the $2 certification fee. | Ask the department for the page count before paying, especially for large case files. |
| Plain court-record copy | The fee schedule lists plain copy of a court record at $1 per page. | Use certified copies only when an agency, court or institution specifically requires certification. |
| Record search by Clerk staff | The fee schedule lists searching records at $2 for each year searched. | Narrow the year range before requesting a staff search. |
| Court document not available online | The Clerk says documents predating online records or otherwise unavailable online require staff assistance through the respective Clerk department. | Include case number, party names, approximate dates and exact document title in the request. |
| Federal PACER document | PACER pricing verified September 20, 2026: $0.10 per page, $3 cap for many case-specific documents and a $30 quarterly waiver threshold; PACER has announced a temporary increase to $0.12 per page and a $40 quarterly waiver threshold on January 1, 2027. | Search by case number when possible and review fee warnings before opening reports or documents. |
Official Jacksonville / Duval court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Use these official links as task routes. Each micro-guide explains what to click, check or request after opening the source.
Use this as the official explanation of CORE viewing levels, registered access and eCertified court records.
- Read the General Public Viewing and Registered Users sections.
- Use CORE for online court-record access.
- Use the registration agreement if you need registered access.
- Review eCertified copy rules before purchasing a certified document.
Use this to search Duval court records and access documents based on your permitted user level.
- Confirm the domain is core.duvalclerk.com.
- Choose Court Records or login / public access as available.
- Use a case number when possible.
- Compare docket details before relying on a name match.
Use this if you need a free CORE account for enhanced permitted access.
- Create the account.
- Confirm your email address.
- Set an account password.
- Log in and use CORE under the allowed public access level.
Use this to select the correct Clerk department for criminal, civil, probate, family, traffic or official-record needs.
- Choose Criminal Court Services for felony, misdemeanor, traffic, appeals or juvenile.
- Choose Civil Court Services for circuit civil, county civil, family, probate or small claims.
- Choose Official Records and Research for recorded instruments.
- Contact the department that holds the record before ordering copies.
Use this for Duval civil traffic citation options, payment rules, proof-of-compliance notes and traffic records.
- Check the citation issue date immediately.
- Review payment, school, proof-of-compliance and court-request options.
- Remember online payment is unavailable after 30 calendar days.
- Review CORE to confirm traffic-school completion is docketed when applicable.
Use this for estate, guardianship and probate-department contact information.
- Confirm the record is a probate or guardianship matter.
- Use CORE with registered access when appropriate.
- Contact the Probate Department at 904-255-1990 for copy or access questions.
- Use the Room 1260 mailing address when sending written requests.
Use this to verify copy, certification, search, filing and court-service fees.
- Find the correct service category.
- Check whether the fee is per page, per document or per search year.
- Confirm service charges for credit card payments.
- Call the Clerk before mailing payment for an uncertain request.
Use this for the Downtown Courthouse and Beaches Branch addresses and hours.
- Choose Downtown for courthouse departments at 501 W. Adams Street.
- Choose Beaches Branch only if the service is available there.
- Call 904-255-2000 before visiting for records or certified copies.
- Check city holiday closures before travel.
Use this for complex Clerk public-record requests and privacy/redaction information.
- Use department-level requests for simple case-copy requests first.
- Use Public Records Department for complex records or media requests.
- Use privacy request forms when protected personal information is involved.
- Do not include unnecessary sensitive information in public emails.
Use this for recorded documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, marriage licenses and official records.
- Do not use this for ordinary court-case docket searching.
- Search official records recorded since 1988 online.
- Use the department for pre-1988 recorded documents.
- Call 904-255-2025 for Official Records and Research questions.
Use this for Florida appellate dockets and available appellate documents.
- Choose Search for Records.
- Search by case number, party, case category or originating lower-court case number.
- Choose the correct appellate court.
- Use CORE for trial-court documents not in the appellate docket.
Use this for federal district, bankruptcy and federal appellate records.
- Use Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
- Use the Middle District of Florida court when the federal case belongs there.
- Review PACER fees before opening reports or documents.
- Do not search CORE for federal court dockets.
Jacksonville / Duval court-record addresses and contact routes
Many records can be searched online, but certified copies, unavailable documents, older records and department-specific questions may require contacting the Clerk. Call before visiting to confirm the correct department, room, copy fee, payment method and whether the record is available.
501 W. Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: 904-255-2000
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
1543 Atlantic Boulevard
Neptune Beach, FL 32266
Phone: 904-255-2000
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Appointments may apply for some services.
Duval County Clerk of Courts
Attn: Public Records Department
501 West Adams Street, Room 2338
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: 904-255-1828
Use for complex public-record requests and privacy/redaction issues.
Probate Department: 501 W. Adams Street, Room 1260
Phone: 904-255-1990
Official Records and Research: 501 W. Adams Street, Room 1253
Phone: 904-255-2025
Jacksonville appeals, federal district cases and bankruptcy records
Appeals and federal cases do not use the same record system as ordinary Duval trial-court cases. A trial docket may show that a notice of appeal was filed, but the appellate docket belongs in ACIS. Federal cases belong in PACER and the specific federal court system.
Use Florida ACIS for appellate dockets and available case documents. ACIS includes the Florida Supreme Court and all six Florida District Courts of Appeal.
Duval County is served by the Jacksonville Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Use PACER or the specific federal court for federal civil and criminal dockets.
Bankruptcy is federal. Jacksonville bankruptcy records route through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division, and PACER.
Court records vs official records, jail records and city records
- Case number and court division.
- Party names and party roles.
- Charges, claims, petitions or complaints.
- Hearings, docket events and filings.
- Orders, judgments, sentences, dismissals or dispositions.
- Document availability or copy-request options.
- Recorded deeds, liens, mortgages and marriage records through Official Records.
- Current custody or booking data through jail or sheriff routes.
- City of Jacksonville administrative public records.
- State criminal-history checks through FDLE.
- Federal court dockets through PACER.
- Vital records through health or vital-record agencies.
What to do if your Jacksonville court-record search returns no result
- Wrong system: CORE vs Official Records vs jail vs PACER.
- Wrong spelling, middle initial, suffix, maiden name or business name.
- Searching by name when case number is needed.
- Searching a federal or appellate case in CORE.
- Searching before a new filing is docketed or reviewed for online release.
- Basic public CORE access may not show family or probate records.
- Document may be confidential, sealed or restricted.
- Registered CORE account may be needed to request review.
- Juvenile or sensitive records may not be publicly available.
- Older or unavailable documents may require staff assistance.
Use Jacksonville court records carefully
- Do not identify a person from a common name alone.
- Compare case number, court, filing date, party role and docket activity.
- Do not assume a charge, lawsuit or citation proves the allegation.
- Do not assume a civil judgment shows current payment, satisfaction or appeal status.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not republish children’s names, home addresses, financial numbers or unnecessary sensitive details.
- Do not bypass sealed, juvenile, family, probate or confidentiality restrictions.
- Contact the official clerk or court for corrections, confidentiality, sealing, expungement or certified copies.
Frequently asked questions about Jacksonville court records
What is the official Jacksonville court records search?
Use the Duval County Clerk of Courts court-records page and the Clerk Online Resource ePortal, known as CORE. Jacksonville court records are generally Duval County circuit or county court records, not a separate city court database.
Can I search Jacksonville court records by name?
Yes, CORE can be used to locate Duval County court records, and some case pages can be searched by party information. A name match alone is not enough, so compare the case number, court division, filing date, party role, docket entries, hearing details, and disposition.
What is CORE for Duval County court records?
CORE is the Duval County Clerk of Courts online records portal. It provides online access to non-confidential Duval County court records based on the user’s access level, the case type, the document type, and Florida court-access rules.
Why can I see a Duval case but not the document image?
General public viewing in CORE is limited. Some documents are confidential, restricted, not yet reviewed for redaction, or unavailable to a basic public user. Registered CORE users can request review and publication of certain documents, but confidential records remain restricted.
Are Jacksonville family and probate records available to the public in CORE?
The Duval Clerk explains that basic public access does not allow viewing of records in cases governed by the Florida Rules of Family Law or Florida Probate Rules. Registered CORE users may view non-confidential records in those case types when permitted by Florida access rules.
How do I get certified copies of Duval County court records?
Electronic certified copies can be ordered through CORE when available. Online eCertified records include the $2 certification fee plus a $6 vendor processing fee. In person or mail requests can also be made through the responsible Clerk department.
How much are paper copies and certified copies from the Duval Clerk?
The Duval Clerk fee schedule lists plain copies of court records at $1 per page and certification of a copy at $2 per document. For mailed or in-person eCertified requests, paper copies add $1 per page to the $2 certification fee.
Where do I search Jacksonville traffic citation records?
Use the Duval Clerk Traffic page and CORE. Civil traffic citations generally must be handled within 30 calendar days of the issue date, and online payment is no longer available after that period according to the Clerk’s traffic page.
Where do Jacksonville appeals go?
For Florida state appellate matters, use the Florida Appellate Case Information System, also called ACIS. The First District Court of Appeal is the relevant district court of appeal for many Duval County trial-court appeals.
Where do I search federal cases from Jacksonville or Duval County?
Federal cases use PACER. Duval County is in the Jacksonville Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and bankruptcy records route through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida Jacksonville Division.
Official-source review checklist
This guide was reviewed against official Duval Clerk Court Records, CORE, CORE public registration, Duval Clerk departments, Criminal Court Services, Civil Court Services, Traffic, Probate, Fee Schedules, Office Locations, Public Information, Official Records and Research, Fourth Judicial Circuit public-record instructions, Florida ACIS, First District Court of Appeal, Middle District of Florida, Middle District Bankruptcy Court and PACER resources. Review date: September 20, 2026.