How to Search Duval County Court Records
Duval County court cases are searched through CORE, the Clerk Online Resource ePortal run by the Duval Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts. CORE is the official online window into circuit and county case files. The Clerk explains access rules on the Online Viewing of Court Records page. Public users see non-confidential records in non-confidential case types. A free registered account is needed to ask the Clerk to review and publish documents that have not yet been posted.
Florida's Supreme Court sets the rules for what can be viewed online. Rule 2.420 and the Standards for Access to Electronic Court Records limit family-rule and probate-rule records to certain user roles. CORE applies that matrix. The Clerk's Official Records and Research Department handles older paper files at 501 West Adams Street, Room 1253, Jacksonville. The phone line is (904) 255-2025. Before you start, gather a case number, party name, or date range.
- Open CORE at core.duvalclerk.com and accept the captcha when shown.
- Choose a search window. Use case number for known cases, or party name when you do not.
- Narrow by case type, division, or filing year if the result list is long.
- Open the case to read docket entries, hearings, and party data.
- If a document is not viewable, register for free and submit a CORE document request.
- For a certified copy, order an eCertified document through CORE; the email link is valid for 30 days.
- For older files or sealed cases, call the relevant Clerk department or visit Room 1253.
A look at the CORE shell shows the fields used at the login and request layer. The dynamic search windows load inside CORE after sign-in.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Address | Text | Login only | Used for sign-in and document requests. |
| Password | Password | Login only | Set during free account registration. |
| Captcha | Challenge | When shown | Required by Florida Court Technology Commission directive. |
| Case Number | Text | Optional | Use for known cases; format includes year and division code. |
| Party Name | Text | Optional | Last and first name; narrow by case type. |
| Document Request | Modal | Conditional | OK submits a review request; Cancel aborts. |
The Clerk explains CORE access levels on the court records page. A screenshot of the access portal is below for reference.
Note: Documents over 50 pages may need extra review time, and files over 500 pages can take longer to publish.
The Duval County Judicial System
Duval is in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida along with Clay and Nassau counties. The Florida court structure has four levels: the Florida Supreme Court at the top, five District Courts of Appeal, the Circuit Courts as trial courts of general jurisdiction, and the County Courts with limited jurisdiction. Duval state-court appeals go to the First District Court of Appeal. Federal cases from Duval are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division.
Chief Judge Lance M. Day leads the circuit's day-to-day operations. The judge roster on the Fourth Judicial Circuit website lists civil, family, probate, criminal, and county judges by division code with phone and courtroom numbers. CV is circuit civil, PR is probate, FM is family, and the letter divisions F through Q are criminal.
Case flow: County Court › Circuit Court › First District Court of Appeal › Florida Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Supreme Court | Highest state court | Discretionary and mandatory review of constitutional and life-sentence issues. |
| First District Court of Appeal | Intermediate appellate | Most appeals from Duval circuit and county trial courts. |
| Circuit Court | General trial | Felonies, family law, probate, guardianship, juvenile, major civil. |
| County Court | Limited trial | Misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, county civil under jurisdictional cap. |
A view of the Florida court structure published by the Florida Supreme Court is shown below for context.
The full courthouse layout sits in downtown Jacksonville on West Adams Street between Pearl and Broad. Most Duval criminal, civil, family, and probate divisions hear cases inside that building.
Duval County Courthouses and Offices
The Duval County Courthouse is the main civic court building. The Clerk also runs a Beaches Branch in Neptune Beach for some county-service work. Treatment Courts, Family Court Services, and the Traffic Violations Bureau sit inside or near the main courthouse. The Fourth Judicial Circuit locations page lists each address and phone.
Traffic Violations Bureau
501 West Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 255-2300
Clerk hours run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Downtown Courthouse and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Beaches Branch. The Fourth Judicial Circuit publishes weekday court hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed on holidays. Plan extra time for security screening, especially on heavy traffic and criminal calendar days.
Types of Court Records Available in Duval County
The Duval Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts holds every court file made in the county. Criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic, and juvenile cases each have their own division. Most case dockets are public, but the document layer can be limited by case type, user role, and Florida's § 119.0714 court-records exemptions.
- Criminal records : felonies in circuit court and misdemeanors in county court, including charges, bond, plea, and sentence.
- Civil records : lawsuits, foreclosures, contract disputes, evictions, and small claims under the county cap.
- Family records : divorce, paternity, child support, custody, name change, and domestic violence injunctions.
- Probate records : estates, guardianships, trust petitions, and disposition of personal property.
- Traffic records : civil and criminal traffic citations, school elections, and dismissal-eligible items.
- Juvenile records : delinquency and dependency, restricted under § 985.04.
- Mental health records : Baker Act and Marchman Act filings, with clinical records held confidential.
Official records like deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions, marriage licenses, and military discharges are separate from court files. They live in the Official Records Search portal, which covers documents recorded since 1988. Marriage licenses are available going back to February 1981.
What Duval County Court Records Show
A typical Duval case page opens with the case number, parties, division, and judge. From there the docket lists every filing in date order. Documents are linked when published. Hearing and disposition data sit near the top of the page when set. The fields below show what most CORE case views return.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, court level, division code, and sequence. |
| Filing Date | Date the case opened with the Duval Clerk. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, or state and defendant. |
| Attorneys | Counsel of record and Florida Bar number when listed. |
| Charges or Cause | Statute citation, degree, or civil cause of action. |
| Docket Entries | Chronological log of motions, orders, notices, and hearings. |
| Hearings | Date, time, courtroom, and judge for set events. |
| Disposition | Final outcome: judgment, dismissal, plea, or verdict. |
| Sentence or Judgment | Sentence, probation, fine, or money judgment terms. |
| Financial | Filing fees, court costs, restitution, and payment plan status. |
Confidential fields are redacted. Social Security numbers, bank and card numbers, certain home addresses, minor names, and adoption material do not appear in public CORE views.
Public Access Laws for Duval County Court Records
Florida has one of the broadest public-records traditions in the country. Chapter 119 sets the open-records rule for executive and local agency records, and Rule 2.420 governs judicial branch records. The Duval Clerk's Public Records Department handles complex requests, redaction questions, and confidentiality notices. The default is public access; exemptions are written into statute.
Key Florida Statutes:
Fla. Stat. § 119.01 : Sets the state policy that public records are open for inspection and copying by any person.
Fla. Stat. § 119.07 : Allows inspection, sets fee rules, and lets agencies impose reasonable conditions.
Fla. Stat. § 119.071 : Lists exemptions, including home-address protection for certain officers.
Fla. Stat. § 119.0714 : Governs court files, court records, and official records; supports SSN and bank-number redaction.
Fla. Stat. § 28.222 : Names the Clerk as the official county recorder for Duval and other counties.
The Florida Supreme Court added a security matrix to CORE access. Roles like attorney of record, party, and registered user see more than the general public. Family-rule and probate-rule cases stay off public CORE views by default.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Several record classes are not open to the general public. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are restricted under § 985.04 and § 943.0515. Adoption files are confidential under § 63.162. Mental-health clinical records are protected by § 394.4615. Grand jury material stays sealed during investigation. Sealed and expunged criminal cases are restricted under § 943.059 and § 943.0585.
The Clerk charges $59 to seal a court file or process an expungement order. The path runs through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for an eligibility certificate, then through the criminal court that held the case. The Clerk's seal or expunge forms category lists the petition packet. Eligibility depends on offense, prior history, and disposition; many offenses are not eligible. A judge signs the order before the Clerk and law-enforcement agencies act.
Specialty Courts in Duval County
The Fourth Judicial Circuit runs several treatment-court tracks for Duval defendants. These are not separate constitutional courts; they are special calendars inside the circuit using treatment plans, weekly status hearings, drug testing, and team staffing. The Treatment Courts landing page covers all four.
Adult Drug Court. Started in 1994, this program runs five phases over at least 12 months. Status hearings are Fridays at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 212. Judges Mark Borello and Dawn Hudson preside. Non-violent felony defendants are eligible. Proceedings are confidential.
Mental Health Court. Created in 2008 for defendants with active misdemeanor or third-degree felony charges and a chronic mental-health diagnosis. Judge Kelly Eckley-Moulder presides. The program meets every other week in Courtroom 212. Co-occurring substance-abuse disorders are accepted.
Veterans Treatment Court. Serves current and former service members whose offense or diagnosis is tied to service. Judge Mose L. Floyd presides on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 212. Mentors, VA benefits, and counseling are part of the plan. Family Treatment Court runs by Zoom on alternating Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. under Magistrate Donna Vincent; partners include Family Support Services and Gateway Community Services.
Duval County Sheriff and Jail
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office serves as the county law-enforcement and corrections agency under Duval's consolidated city-county government. Sheriff T.K. Waters leads JSO. The agency runs three corrections sites: the Pre-Trial Detention Facility at 500 East Adams Street, the Community Transition Center at 451 Catherine Street, and Montgomery Correctional Center at 4727 Lannie Road on the north side of town. JSO general information is (904) 630-7600; jail and inmate information is (904) 630-5760.
Bookings and releases run through the JSO Inmate Information Search at any hour. For roster details, charges, bond, mugshot, and next court date, see the Duval County inmate records page. For active capias or warrant cases, see warrant records. For data on capacity and population trends, see jail population. For people recently released, see released inmates.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The Duval Clerk issues marriage licenses, files divorce cases, and runs the Probate Department for circuit-court probate. Marriage and divorce records live in two systems: the Official Records portal for license images and CORE for divorce case dockets. Probate records cover estate, guardianship, and trust filings. A few key terms are below.
- Testator
- The person who made the will.
- Personal Representative
- Florida's term for the person who handles the estate; called an executor in many states.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will; Florida statute decides who inherits.
- Guardian
- Court-appointed adult who manages affairs for a ward.
- Caveat
- Filing under § 731.110 asking for notice if probate is opened.
- Letters of Administration
- Court document giving the personal representative the power to act.
Duval County Court Records Fees
The Duval Clerk publishes a fee schedule tied to Florida Statute § 28.24. Most copies and searches carry a small per-page or per-year fee. Credit-card payments add a 3.5% service fee in person and a 2.75% online fee through the Public Information portal.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page (up to 14 x 8.5) | $1.00 |
| Plain copy per page (larger format) | $5.00 |
| Certified copy per instrument | $2.00 |
| Records search per year | $2.00 |
| Online eCertified record (Triedata fee) | $6.00 |
| Seal a court file or expungement | $59.00 |
| Exemplified certificate | $7.00 |
| CD duplication | $2.00 |
For a full breakdown, see the Clerk's fee schedule. A current screenshot of the page is below.
How to Interpret Duval County Court Records
Court files use Florida-specific shorthand. CV is circuit civil. PR is probate. FM is family. MM is misdemeanor. The letter divisions F through Q are criminal divisions inside the circuit. TR or CT means traffic. DV is domestic violence. A capias is a court order to arrest a defendant who failed to appear or after charging. A disposition is the final outcome; common entries include adjudication, withhold of adjudication, dismissal, or nolle prosequi.
Florida's "withhold of adjudication" is unique. A defendant may plead guilty or no contest, but the court withholds formal conviction subject to conditions like probation. That is not the same as a conviction. A sealed or expunged case has been removed from public view but may still appear to law enforcement, licensing, and certain employers. A separate driver record kept by the Florida DHSMV tracks license status and points; it is a different file from the Clerk's traffic case record.
Note: Charges shown on a docket are accusations until disposition; a charge is not proof of guilt.
History of Duval County Courts
Duval County was created in 1822 with Jacksonville as the county seat. The current courthouse at 501 West Adams Street opened in 2012 after years of downtown civic redevelopment. It replaced older courthouse buildings that had served the county through the 20th century. The State Attorney's Office sits in the Ed Austin Building at 311 West Monroe Street, named for a former state attorney and mayor of Jacksonville.
Duval has a long record in problem-solving courts. Adult Drug Court began in 1994. Family Treatment Court followed in 2003, Mental Health Court in 2008, and Veterans Treatment Court several years later. The Clerk moved court records online through CORE, official records online since 1988, eCertify for electronic certified copies, and eRecording for documents filed by title and lending professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Duval County court records online?
Use CORE at core.duvalclerk.com. The public level shows non-confidential records in non-confidential case types. Register for a free account to ask the Clerk to publish documents that have not yet been reviewed. Family-rule and probate-rule records have extra access rules under the Florida Supreme Court's matrix. Older paper files are kept at Room 1253 in the Duval County Courthouse and can be searched by calling (904) 255-2025.
Who is the Duval County Clerk?
Jody Phillips serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court for Duval County. The office holds court records, runs the Official Records portal, issues marriage licenses, processes traffic payments, runs jury services, manages public-records requests, and provides certified copies. The Downtown Courthouse counter is at 501 West Adams Street; the Beaches Branch is at 1543 Atlantic Boulevard in Neptune Beach.
How do I find someone in the Duval jail?
Use the JSO Inmate Information Search at inmatesearch.jaxsheriff.org. The tool covers current and historical incarcerated and released inmates with name, booking number, charges, bond, and next court date. You can also call Jail and Inmate Information at (904) 630-5760. The downtown jail at 500 East Adams Street is the main pretrial site; sentenced inmates may be at the Community Transition Center or Montgomery Correctional Center.
Are marriage records public in Duval County?
Yes. Marriage licenses recorded in Duval are searchable through the Official Records Search at oncore.duvalclerk.com. Coverage runs back to 1988, with some marriage licenses available since February 1981. Uncertified copies can be downloaded for free. Certified copies cost $2 through Official Records and Research, Room 1253. The marriage license fee is $86, or $61 with a registered premarital course discount.
What is CORE and is it free?
CORE is the Clerk's online court records portal. Public viewing is free. Free registration unlocks the request feature so a registered user can ask the Clerk to review and publish documents not already online. Certified electronic copies are not free; they cost the $2 statutory certification fee, plus a $6 Triedata processing fee and a 3.5% card-service fee. The eCertified email link is valid for 30 days.
How do I pay a Duval traffic citation?
Use the Clerk's online payment system within 30 calendar days of the citation date. After 30 days the online option closes. In-person payments are taken at any Clerk office. Mail payments go to the Traffic Violations Bureau at 501 West Adams Street; mail must arrive by day 30. For school election, see the traffic court records page. More answers are on the Duval County Court Records FAQ page.