Clerk of Courts
The Orange County FL Clerk of Courts manages court filings, court records, case information, payments, marriage-related services, probate matters, family cases, traffic cases, criminal cases, civil cases, and several other court-related functions for Orange County residents. This article explains how to identify the correct Clerk service, search court records and hearing information, request copies, file documents, make court-related payments, prepare information before contacting the office, and choose between downtown and branch locations.
Clerk Services and Responsibilities
The Orange County Clerk of Courts is the administrative office residents interact with for many functions connected to the county and circuit courts. The Clerk receives and maintains court filings, provides public access to eligible court records, processes payments, maintains official case information, and supports different court divisions.
The Orange County Clerk of Courts website is the main starting point for these services. Its online service areas include court record searches, e-filing, foreclosure sales, marriage licenses and ceremonies, divorce, passports, appeals, restraining orders, civil cases, small claims, evictions, family matters, child support, adoption, paternity, name changes, criminal payments, compliance matters, sealing and expungement, and bond information.
The Clerk's Office should not be confused with the judge or the court itself. Clerk employees process records and filings and provide administrative services, but they do not decide cases. Certain Clerk pages also specifically state that staff cannot provide legal advice. This distinction is especially relevant for probate, adoption, civil litigation, family cases, and other matters in which choosing the correct procedure may affect a person's legal rights.
Online Court Record Searches
Many users looking for the Orange County Clerk of Courts are trying to locate an existing court case. The official Orange County court records search provides access to records through the Clerk's my eClerk system.
The system separates searches into several major case categories:
Traffic case records
Civil case records
Criminal case records
Family case records
Probate case records
Search All for users who are unsure of the case type
Selecting the correct case category can narrow the results and reduce confusion between people or cases with similar names. If the case type is unknown, the Search All option provides a broader starting point.
Public electronic access does not mean every document in every case is available to every user. The Clerk provides remote public access to many court records and non-confidential documents. Agencies and individuals who require special access to confidential or non-public information may need registered credentials. The Clerk identifies examples such as law enforcement agencies, the State Attorney's Office, attorneys of record, and case parties.
Attorneys may search anonymously or use registered access. Registered attorneys can use features such as My Cases, which displays cases in which the attorney is identified as the attorney of record.
Court Hearing Information
The Clerk's electronic system also includes a court hearing calendar. A hearing search is different from a general court-record search. The calendar is intended to help users locate a court hearing date and location rather than retrieve the complete history of a case.
Several limitations are particularly useful to understand before relying on the hearing calendar. It does not provide access to past hearings, does not provide payment information or results for other active cases, and does not display juvenile cases because of confidentiality restrictions. Court dates and locations can also change, and cancelled hearings are identified by status.
At least one search field must be completed to obtain hearing results. When searching by a person's name, both the first and last name are required. Users who already have a case number generally have a more specific identifier than a name alone and should keep that number available when checking case information or communicating with the Clerk.
Requesting Court Record Copies
Searching for a case online is not the same as requesting copies of court records. When a user needs court documents rather than basic case information, the Clerk provides a separate court records request process.
Court records may be requested online, by mail, or in person. For an online request involving the purchase of copies, the Clerk states that the requester will be contacted with the cost and an estimated delivery time.
For mailed requests, the Clerk asks for information that helps employees identify the correct case and documents:
Case number
Case party name
Date of birth of the party
Court document requested
Year or years to search
The Clerk states that mailed court-record requesters will be contacted within approximately 10 business days regarding the request. That period refers to contact concerning the request and should not be treated as a guaranteed delivery date for copies.
Protecting Personal Information
The Clerk specifically warns users not to send Social Security numbers, bank information, or credit card information through its online request and contact portals. The office also explains that it cannot guarantee the security of information or records transmitted through those portals.
Users should also remember that correspondence, records, or documents sent to the Clerk may be subject to disclosure under Florida's Public Records Law. A court-record request should therefore contain the information necessary to identify the case without adding unnecessary sensitive financial or identity information.
Electronic Court Filing
Electronic filing is handled through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. The portal is governed by the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority and serves as a statewide access point for filing court documents.
The portal is available to registered users 24 hours a day and allows documents to be filed without visiting a courthouse. It supports attorneys as well as self-represented litigants. Court fees may be paid through the portal when required, along with applicable payment-processing fees.
Self-represented litigants should distinguish between locating a form, preparing a document, and filing that document. These are separate steps. The Clerk makes a limited selection of forms available, while electronic filing occurs through the statewide portal.
One procedural detail applies specifically to certain civil filings. The Clerk states that a self-represented litigant who electronically files a letter, correspondence, or motion in a civil case must also mail a copy to the judge assigned to the case.
Court Forms and Filing Materials
The Clerk maintains an official court forms search page covering areas including traffic, family, criminal, civil, appeals, juvenile matters, marriages, mental health, passports, probate, guardianship, and the Self Help Center.
Free forms are available for certain actions that require only a single form to be filed in an existing case. The Clerk gives a Not Guilty Plea in an existing traffic case as one example. The website also contains forms for matters such as claims, probate proceedings, injunctions, address changes, traffic affidavits, guardianship filings, family filings, and civil indigent status.
The Clerk cautions that only a limited number of forms are available for download through its website. Some form packets are also available for purchase through Clerk divisions and branch locations. A person preparing a filing should therefore confirm that the selected document matches the particular case type rather than assuming that a similarly named form applies.
Civil Cases and Small Claims
The Civil Division processes several categories of non-criminal matters, including county civil cases, circuit civil cases, small claims, evictions, and foreclosure-related matters.
County Civil Court handles claims up to and including $50,000. Circuit Civil cases include non-criminal cases in which individuals or businesses seek damages exceeding $50,000. Small claims fall within the county civil system but have their own filing-fee structure and procedures.
Because the monetary amount can determine the applicable court category, users should pay particular attention to the amount of the claim before selecting forms or filing documents. The Clerk publishes separate civil filing fees for county and circuit matters, along with additional fees for services such as summonses, certifications, subpoenas, appeals, garnishments, and reopening certain cases.
The Civil Division also handles applications for Home Solicitation Sale Permits. That service has its own application, identification, fingerprinting, fee, and approval requirements and should not be confused with filing a civil lawsuit.
Criminal Cases and Payments
The Criminal Division processes felony cases along with misdemeanors and other listed criminal or ordinance-related matters. Felony cases are processed at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando, while misdemeanor cases may be processed at Clerk locations. The Clerk advises defendants to refer to their court paperwork for the arraignment location.
Criminal case fines may be paid online through my eClerk, by mail, or in person. The Clerk accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier's checks by applicable methods and accepts major credit cards subject to the stated surcharge. Cash is accepted in person. Restitution payments have a narrower rule: only cash, cashier's checks, or money orders are accepted.
People dealing with a criminal balance or traffic balance can review the Clerk's official payment information for links covering traffic tickets, criminal fees, child support, family-related payments, and payment-plan inquiries.
Payment Plans and Deadlines
A payment plan is not automatically created simply because a person cannot pay the full amount. For criminal cases, the Clerk states that a person who has been granted a payment-plan option must establish a monthly account by requesting a Payment Plan contract through Court Compliance or by going to the downtown Clerk's Office.
If a payment is not received on or before its due date, the Clerk states that a $10 late fee is assessed to each delinquent case. A person who cannot make payments on schedule may request an extension through Court Compliance or submit a letter to the Criminal Division.
Keeping the case number available is particularly important when making criminal payments. The number connects the payment or inquiry to the correct court case and helps avoid confusion where a person has multiple cases.
Traffic Tickets and Elections
Traffic cases require attention to the type of citation, the available election, and the deadline printed on the ticket. The Clerk states that a traffic election generally must be made within 30 calendar days of receiving the ticket to avoid additional late fees and possible driver's license suspension.
Available actions may include paying the civil penalty, paying and electing traffic school when eligible, requesting a hearing, entering an applicable plea, requesting an extension, or submitting documentation for certain violations.
Paying the civil penalty is treated as a conviction, and points may be assessed when applicable. A person who elects simply to pay the civil penalty cannot later change that election to the traffic-school option.
Traffic School Requirements
Drivers eligible for the traffic-school option must elect it at the time of payment. The Clerk states that Florida law allows this election once during a 12-month period and no more than eight times during a person's lifetime. Commercial driver's license holders are not eligible for this option.
After payment and election, the case is extended for 90 calendar days. During that period, the driver must contact a Florida-certified school, complete the four-hour basic driving class, and submit the completion certificate to the Clerk. Failure to submit the certificate may result in additional fees, a guilty disposition, points, or license suspension.
Hearings and Notarized Pleas
A person contesting an eligible traffic charge may request a hearing in person or submit a notarized Plea of Not Guilty and Request for Hearing form by mail or online. The Clerk does not accept unnotarized forms for this procedure, and hearing requests cannot be made by telephone.
A single plea form may include more than one case or citation number. The Clerk sends the hearing date, time, and location by mail.
Some traffic charges require a court appearance and cannot be resolved simply by selecting an ordinary payment option. The Clerk identifies examples that include DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving, certain driver's-license offenses, certain serious speeding charges, and other specified violations. The person should follow the court location and appearance information shown on the citation or bond paperwork.
Camera Notices Versus Tickets
One common mistake is treating every mailed camera notice as a Clerk of Courts case. A red-light-camera Notice of Violation must initially be resolved with the city or county that issued it, not through the Clerk. If the notice is not resolved and a traffic ticket is later issued, that ticket is handled through the Clerk's Office.
The same distinction applies to school-zone speeding-camera violations. The initial Notice of Violation is resolved with the issuing government. If the notice remains unresolved and a traffic ticket is issued, the resulting ticket is then handled by the Clerk.
Toll violations have a similar transition. The initial toll matter identified under Option A is not resolved through the Clerk. If it remains unresolved by the specified due date and is filed with the Clerk, the later stage is handled through the Clerk's Office.
Family Court Services
The Family Division processes case types that include adoption, divorce, name changes, and paternity. These proceedings may have substantially different eligibility and filing requirements, so users should identify the exact family case type before obtaining forms or paying a filing fee.
For divorce, the Clerk identifies several procedures, including simplified dissolution of marriage, dissolution with no children and no property, dissolution with no children, and dissolution involving children. Each procedure has its own requirements.
For example, simplified dissolution requires several conditions to be satisfied by both spouses, including agreement to use the simplified procedure, agreement that the marriage is irretrievably broken, arrangements concerning property and obligations, and attendance by both parties at the hearing. The procedure also has restrictions involving children and pregnancy.
Name-change filings may require electronic fingerprints and criminal-history checks before a hearing can be scheduled. The Clerk states that this background-check requirement does not apply to petitions to restore a former name or name changes occurring in divorce or adoption proceedings involving children. For a minor's name change, the fingerprints submitted are those of the adult petitioner rather than the minor.
Paternity cases may be filed by a birth mother or a suspected father to establish biological parentage. Once paternity has been established, the court may address matters such as child support, custody, and visitation.
Probate Filing and Records
The Probate Division processes filings involving the administration of a deceased person's estate, maintains the resulting court records, collects filing fees, and issues certified copies.
A probate case begins with the filing of an appropriate petition. According to the Clerk, the petition is generally filed in the county where the decedent lived at the time of death. If the decedent was not a Florida resident, venue is generally based on the county where the decedent's property is located.
Probate filing options include the statewide e-filing portal, filing in person at a Clerk location, or filing by mail. Depending on the proceeding, required materials may include an original will, a certified death certificate, an appropriate petition, other applicable probate documents, and the filing fee.
The Clerk identifies formal administration, summary administration, and disposition of personal property without administration as different probate procedures. Because the Clerk cannot determine for a customer which probate procedure applies or provide legal advice, users should not treat these categories as interchangeable filing options.
Self-Help Services for Litigants
People representing themselves in certain matters may use the Clerk's Lydia Gardner Self Help Center. Its services are limited to specified case types: family law matters other than restraining orders, child custody, divorce, paternity, small claims of $8,000 or less, and residential evictions.
Services include document review for accuracy and completeness, notary services, computer and printing access, and scheduled attorney consultations. The Clerk states that Self Help Center services are not based on income.
Attorney consultations may be scheduled in 15-minute sessions for up to one hour per person per day. The listed consultation cost is $1 per minute. Consultation fees must be paid when the appointment is scheduled, and refunds are not provided for cancelled or missed appointments. Appointment times cannot be changed after they are set, and attorney consultation appointments cannot be made or conducted by telephone.
The attorneys providing consultations through the center do not represent customers in court. The service is therefore different from hiring an attorney to handle the case.
Choosing a Clerk Location
Not every Clerk transaction requires a trip to downtown Orlando. The official Clerk locations page identifies branch offices in Apopka, Ocoee, and Winter Park.
The three branch offices provide several frequently requested services, including small claims, driver's-license reinstatement, eviction matters, passports, criminal payments, marriage licenses, traffic court, wedding ceremonies, and traffic-ticket payments. The Winter Park location also provides self-help services.
Passport applications can be processed at the courthouse as well as the Apopka, Ocoee, and Winter Park locations. Because the exact service needed determines where a customer should go, checking the division or branch information before traveling can prevent a visit to an office that does not handle the transaction.
Contacting the Correct Division
The Clerk provides separate contact categories for branch offices, child support, civil matters, compliance, criminal cases, family matters, injunctions, juvenile matters, marriage services, mental health, passports, probate, guardianship, records requests, evidence, the Self Help Center, traffic, and several administrative functions.
When contacting the Clerk, the office recommends providing the case or citation number and the full name exactly as it appears in the relevant court records. Those identifiers help employees locate the correct matter and are more useful than a general description of the case.
The Clerk contact system allows users to select the relevant service area and submit an inquiry. The Clerk asks users to submit only one request rather than sending multiple requests about the same issue. A deputy clerk from the appropriate division can then respond.
Users submitting a contact form should follow the same privacy precautions that apply to online records requests. Social Security numbers, bank information, and credit card information should not be included in the portal. Correspondence or documents sent to the Clerk may also be subject to Florida public-records requirements.
Common Clerk Service Mistakes
Several avoidable problems can delay a court-related task. One is using a person's name when a case or citation number is already available. Names may produce multiple records, while a case number gives the Clerk or online system a more specific identifier.
Another mistake is confusing a court-record search with a records-copy request. The online search is designed to locate eligible case information and electronic records. A records request is the appropriate process when copies of particular court documents need to be obtained.
Users should also avoid assuming that an online form has been filed merely because it was downloaded or completed. Obtaining a form and submitting a filing are separate actions. Electronic filings are made through the statewide court e-filing system when that method applies.
Traffic cases present additional opportunities for confusion because payment, traffic-school elections, hearing requests, extensions, camera notices, and mandatory court appearances follow different procedures. The citation type and deadline should be identified before submitting a payment or election, because some choices cannot later be changed.
Finally, sending duplicate online inquiries does not improve response time. The Clerk specifically requests that customers submit a single inquiry so it can be routed to the appropriate division.
Clerk Offices and Contacts
Orange County Clerk of Courts
425 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2000
Civil Division
425 N. Orange Ave., Suite 350
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2000
Criminal Division
425 N. Orange Ave., Suite 210
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2000
Family Division
425 N. Orange Ave., Suite 320
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2000
Traffic Division
425 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 410
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2000
Probate Division
425 N. Orange Ave., Suite 335
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-2057
Self Help Center
425 North Orange Ave., Suite 340 (3rd floor)
Orlando, FL 32801
407-836-6300
Apopka Branch
1111 N. Rock Springs Rd.
Apopka, Florida 32712
407-836-2007
Ocoee Branch
475 Story Rd.
Ocoee, FL 34761
407-836-2007
Winter Park Branch
4037 Metric Drive
Winter Park, FL 32792
407-836-2007
Clerk of Courts FAQs
Can I get text or email reminders for my court dates?
Yes. The Orange County Clerk of Courts identifies E-Notify as a free service that can send reminders about upcoming court events by text message or email. Registration requires basic identifying and case information, including your name, phone number, email address, and the case involved. E-Notify can be useful when you want an additional reminder, but you should still follow the dates and instructions contained in official court notices because scheduled events can change.
Are Orange County adoption records open to the public?
No. Adoption records are confidential under Florida law and are not handled like ordinary publicly accessible court records. The Clerk states that a court order is required to obtain access to an adoption file, subject to the applicable statutory rules. Someone searching for an adoption case should therefore not expect the documents to appear through ordinary public-record access simply because other family cases may be searchable.
What happens after I clear a traffic-ticket suspension?
If a Florida driver's license was suspended because requirements connected to an Orange County traffic ticket were not satisfied, resolving the ticket allows the Clerk to submit clearance electronically to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. For an out-of-state license, the Clerk states that a clearance letter is mailed instead, and the driver must provide it to the licensing state. The current mailing address on file is therefore important for an out-of-state driver. Review the official Orange County traffic ticket options for the rules that apply to the citation.
Does the Clerk provide accommodations for people with disabilities?
Yes. The Clerk states that ADA assistance is available for people with disabilities who need accommodations when interacting with the office or modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures. The official Orange County court forms page includes information for requesting ADA assistance.