Miami Dade County FL Clerk of Court: Records & Services
The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller is the starting point for many local record tasks: civil, family and probate case lookup, criminal case search, traffic and parking citations, official recorded documents, certified copies, marriage licenses, jury service, public-record requests, and Clerk of the Board records. The key is choosing the correct system before you search.
Independent guide reviewed September 2026. Confirm live fees, deadlines, hearing dates, payment status, access limits and certified-copy requirements on the official Clerk or Eleventh Judicial Circuit website before relying on a record.
What Does the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court Handle?
Miami-Dade’s Clerk is not just one records counter. The office supports the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and County Courts, maintains many court and official records, processes citations and payments, supports jury and marriage services, handles Clerk of the Board records, and acts as Comptroller for important county financial functions. The right starting page depends on your task.
Use the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System for filings, dockets and documents in those case types.
Use the Criminal Justice Online Case Search for felony, misdemeanor and related criminal case information.
Use the County Recorder’s Official Record Search. This is different from a court docket.
Traffic and parking use different systems, deadlines and payment routes. Read the citation type before paying.
Request certified copies online, by mail or in person, depending on the record type and whether the image is available.
Marriage licenses, jury portal tasks, Clerk of the Board records, VAB matters and public records have separate routes.
How to Search Miami-Dade Clerk Records Online
Miami-Dade’s record systems are separated by record category. A civil case, criminal case, property record, traffic citation, parking ticket and marriage license are not all found the same way.
Civil, Family and Probate search micro-steps
- Open the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System.
- Use case number first if you have it. It is more reliable than a name-only search.
- If searching by name, try exact name first, then reasonable variations.
- Open the likely case and compare party names, case type, filing date and docket entries.
- If a document image is not visible, consider registered-user access or a certified-copy request.
- Do not assume that a docket line is the final result; read later entries and orders.
Criminal Justice search micro-steps
- Open the Criminal Justice Online Case Search.
- Search by case number where possible; otherwise use defendant-name details carefully.
- Compare felony/misdemeanor category, filing date, charges, calendar activity and disposition.
- Remember that charges, warrants, payments and calendar events can change after the first filing.
- Use the Clerk’s criminal certified-copy route when you need a certified criminal case document.
- For official accuracy, consult the Clerk’s office when the record will be used for employment, immigration, licensing or legal filings.
Civil, Family, Probate, Criminal and Traffic Services
Miami-Dade’s Clerk site groups services by court type. Use this table before you search, file, pay or request copies.
| Task | Official route | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Civil case search | Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System | Use for civil dockets, filings and civil certified-copy ordering when documents are available. |
| Family case search | Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System | Family matters may have privacy limits. Some document images may require registered access or direct request. |
| Probate case search | Civil, Family and Probate / Probate routes | Probate records can include protected information. Use certified-copy ordering when official proof is needed. |
| Criminal felony or misdemeanor search | Criminal Justice Online Case Search | Search modernized criminal case and calendar information, then verify official records with the Clerk when accuracy matters. |
| Traffic citation | Traffic Online Payment System | Use the citation number and check deadlines before paying, requesting court or choosing traffic school. |
| Parking citation | Parking Violations Online System / Parking Service Assistant | Parking citations generally require action within 30 days from the citation date. |
| Jury service | Clearview Juror Portal | Use the juror portal to register, request excuse/disqualification, postpone or obtain proof of service. |
| eFiling | Florida Courts e-Filing Portal and Clerk eFiling guidance | Court filings are different from Official Records recording. Use the correct filing system for the case type. |
How to Request Certified Copies from the Miami-Dade Clerk
Certified copies are official, primary documents from Clerk records. Miami-Dade allows many certified-copy requests online, by mail or in person, but some records have special handling. Juvenile cases, for example, can only be ordered by mail or in person.
Civil, family, probate and criminal
Search the case first, view available document images, then order certified copies if the document is eligible.
Recorded documents
Order certified official records online, by mail or in person. Records older than 1974 may require mail or in-person handling.
Juvenile and confidential records
Juvenile certified copies are not ordered online. Some records require direct Clerk handling or authorized access.
| Certified-copy item | Published Miami-Dade detail | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, family or probate certified copy | $1 per page and $2 per document for certification by mail/in person; search fee may apply if year/case number is unknown | Case number or book/page, year of case, party names, self-addressed stamped envelope for mail. |
| Official Records certified copy | $1 per page and $2 per document for certification; $2 per name/year search fee if needed | Book/page, CFN if known, recording year, names of parties, document type and mailing envelope. |
| Marriage license certified copy | Certified copy listed at $7, with search fees where applicable | Names, year/date of marriage and whether the license was issued in Miami-Dade County. |
| Unknown year or case number | Additional $2 per year, per name search fee may be added | Narrow the date range before ordering to reduce unnecessary search years. |
| Juvenile certified copies | Can only be ordered by mail or in person | Authorized requester information and direct Clerk instructions. |
| Payment methods | Online card payments; mail by cashier check or money order; in person by cash/card/cashier check/money order; personal checks not accepted for certified-copy requests | Correct payee and amount before mailing. |
- Search for the case or recorded document first so you know the case number, CFN, book/page, document title or recording year.
- Open the correct certified-copy page for Civil, Family, Probate, Criminal, Marriage, Traffic or Official Records.
- Check whether the document image is visible online. If not, follow the mail or in-person route.
- Include the exact document you need, not only the case name, when ordering by mail.
- Use a certified copy when a bank, agency, court, title company, employer or legal process asks for official proof.
Official Records: Deeds, Mortgages, Liens, Judgments and Recorder Services
Miami-Dade’s Official Records are maintained by the County Recorder’s Office within the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. These records include deeds, mortgages, liens, certain affidavits, subdivision plats, judgments, declarations of domicile, satisfactions, releases, powers of attorney and financial statements.
Search Official Records
- Open the Clerk’s Official Records page.
- Select the official record search route.
- Search by party name, CFN, book/page, legal description, recording date or document type when available.
- For deeds and mortgages, compare names, legal description, recording date and document type.
- Request a certified copy if the document must be filed, presented, recorded or used as official proof.
Request recorded-document copies
- Use the online search for most recorded documents from 1974 to present.
- For older recorded documents, use mail or in-person options if the online image is not available.
- Mail requests should include names, document type, recording year, book/page or CFN when available.
- For deed or mortgage requests, include legal description or property address if known.
- Include the correct fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope when mailing.
Miami-Dade Traffic and Parking Citations
Miami-Dade separates traffic citations from parking citations. A traffic citation may involve driver-license consequences, school election or a court hearing. A parking citation has its own payment, hearing and affidavit rules.
Use the Traffic Online Payment System for citation search, payment, traffic school election or court options where available.
Miami-Dade parking citations generally must be paid or responded to within 30 days from the citation date.
Late payments can trigger added fees, collection referral or driver-license issues depending on the citation type.
The Clerk publishes phone-payment routes for traffic, parking and criminal cases; confirm the current number on the official page.
- Read the citation type first: traffic citation and parking citation are different systems.
- Open the Clerk’s official traffic or parking page, not an ad result.
- Search by citation number, driver/license information or other requested fields.
- Check whether you are paying, electing traffic school, requesting court, submitting proof, or contesting the citation.
- Save the payment confirmation, receipt and any hearing or school deadline.
- If the case affects a driver license, court date, collection agency or payment plan, verify directly with the Clerk.
Miami-Dade Clerk Locations and Which Office to Check First
Miami-Dade has a large courthouse network and several Clerk locations. Many services are downtown, but the Clerk also operates full-service district court locations and the Central Marriage License Bureau. Always check the specific location page before visiting because the counter, division, suite, and hours matter.
| Location | Address listed by the Clerk | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center | 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33128 | Civil, probate, official records and certified-copy related routes; verify the correct suite before visiting. |
| Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center | 175 NW First Avenue, Miami, FL 33128 | Family Court, domestic violence and related court functions. |
| Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building | 1351 NW 12th Street, Miami, FL 33125 | Criminal and traffic/misdemeanor services. |
| Overtown Village South Building | 601 NW 1 Court, Miami, FL 33136 | Parking Operations and Central Marriage License Bureau related services. |
| Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse | 155 NW 3 Street, Suite 3318, Miami, FL 33128 | Juvenile Court Office and youth-related court records/services. |
| Stephen P. Clark Center | 111 NW First Street, Miami, FL 33128 | Clerk of the Board, Value Adjustment Board and county-government related functions. |
Before visiting, confirm three things
Marriage Licenses, Jury Portal, Public Records and Clerk of the Board
Marriage license and ceremony basics
- The Clerk lists a Miami-Dade marriage license fee of $86.
- The fee is reduced to $61 with completion of an eligible premarital preparation course.
- The Clerk lists a $30 ceremony fee.
- Certified copies are listed at $7, with search fees where applicable.
- After the ceremony, the marriage license must be returned to the Marriage License Bureau within 10 days.
Jury, public records and board records
- Use the Clearview Juror Portal for jury registration, excuse/disqualification, postponement and proof of service.
- Use the Clerk’s Public Records Requests page when a record is not directly available online.
- Use Clerk of the Board routes for County Commission records, board minutes and related county-government records.
- Under Florida law, email addresses sent to public agencies may be public records; use phone or written mail if you do not want an email address released.
No Record Found? Use This Miami-Dade Recovery Path
A no-result screen does not always mean the record does not exist. Miami-Dade uses multiple record systems, and some images or documents are limited by access rules, registration, record type or privacy law.
| Problem | Likely reason | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Civil/family/probate case not found | Wrong case type, name variation, case-number format issue or restricted access. | Use the Civil, Family and Probate Online System and search by case number if possible. |
| Criminal case not found | Wrong spelling, wrong court system, older case or restricted/confidential data. | Use Criminal Justice Online Case Search and compare defendant name, dates and case number carefully. |
| Official record not found | You may be in court records instead of Official Records, or the document predates online coverage. | Search Official Records by CFN, book/page, party name, recording date or document type. |
| Document image not visible | The image may be restricted, unavailable online or require registered-user access. | Use the appropriate certified-copy or public-record request route. |
| Parking or traffic citation confusion | Parking and traffic use separate systems and deadlines. | Read the citation type, then open the correct Traffic or Parking page. |
| Need older recorded documents | Many online official-record searches focus on 1974 to present. | Use the Records Library, mail request or in-person route for older documents. |
| Need official proof | A webpage, docket line or uncertified PDF may not satisfy the receiving agency. | Order a certified copy through the correct court or official-record category. |
Common Miami-Dade Clerk Record Terms
Official Miami-Dade Clerk Links Used in This Guide
These links are included because they complete real Clerk tasks. Use official pages rather than lookalike record websites or ad-heavy directories.
Miami-Dade Clerk of Court FAQs
1. What is the official Miami-Dade Clerk of Court website?
The official website is the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller website at miamidadeclerk.gov. Use it for court records, official records, certified copies, citations, marriage licenses, jury services, locations, public-record requests and Clerk of the Board information.
2. How do I search Miami-Dade civil, family or probate court records?
Use the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System. Search by case number when available, or use party-name details carefully. If you cannot see a document image, registered-user access or a certified-copy request may be required under Florida electronic court-record access rules.
3. How do I search Miami-Dade criminal court records?
Use the Criminal Justice Online Case Search for felony and misdemeanor cases. Search by case number where possible, then compare defendant name, case category, charges, dates, calendar activity and disposition before relying on the result.
4. Are Miami-Dade Official Records the same as court records?
No. Official Records are recorded documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, declarations of domicile, satisfactions, releases, plats and powers of attorney. Court records are case files, dockets and filings connected to civil, family, probate, criminal or traffic cases.
5. How much does a Miami-Dade certified copy cost?
For many certified-copy requests, Miami-Dade lists $1 per page and $2 per document for certification. If the year or case number is unknown, an additional $2 per year, per name search fee may be added. Marriage certified copies are listed separately at $7.
6. Can I request Miami-Dade certified copies online?
Yes, many civil, family, probate, criminal, marriage, traffic and official-record certified copies can be requested online. Some records require mail or in-person handling. Juvenile cases can only be ordered by mail or in person.
7. Where do I go for Miami-Dade Official Records copies?
Use the Clerk’s Official Records or Records Library pages first. Official Records certified-copy mail requests may use the Clerk’s listed mailing route, and in-person requests may be handled through the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center or the appropriate Clerk location listed on the official website.
8. How do I pay a Miami-Dade traffic or parking citation?
Use the Clerk’s official Traffic & Parking pages. Traffic citations and parking citations use different systems. Parking citations generally require payment or response within 30 days from the citation date, while traffic cases may involve hearing, school-election or driver-license consequences.
9. Why can’t I see some family, juvenile, probate, military discharge or death-certificate images online?
Florida law and court access rules limit public online display of some images and case records. Miami-Dade’s official-record guidance notes restrictions involving military discharges, death certificates, and court files or papers relating to Family Law, Juvenile Procedure or Probate Rules.
10. Can the Miami-Dade Clerk give legal advice?
No. The Clerk can provide records, procedural information, forms, filing routes and payment services, but Clerk staff cannot tell you what to file, what legal strategy to use, or how a judge will rule. For legal advice, consult a qualified attorney or approved legal-help resource.