Miami Dade County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Miami-Dade County was established on January 18, 1836, under the Territorial Act of the United States. It is the most populous county in Florida, with a total population of 2,701,767 according to the 2020 census. Its county seat, the City of Miami, is also the largest city in the county. The Miami-Dade County court system is part of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. It consists of Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Mental Health, and Juvenile Courts.

The Criminal Court operates at the circuit level and county level. The circuit criminal court hears felony cases in which the penalty is a death sentence or more than one year of incarceration, while the county criminal court handles minor criminal misdemeanors, civil traffic infractions, and county ordinance violations. Similarly, cases filed in the Civil Court are heard either in the circuit court or county court. The circuit civil court hears cases in which the amount in dispute exceeds $50,001, replevin, eminent domain, mortgage foreclosure, and product liability. On the other hand, the county civil court holds hearings for small claims in which the amount in dispute does not exceed $8,000, indebtedness cases up to $50,000, and landlord/tenant eviction cases. In Miami-Dade County, civil cases are filed in the Miami-Dade County Courthouse or at District Court locations. Furthermore, the Family Court hears probate, domestic violence, and domestic relations cases, while the Juvenile Court handles Marchman Act petitions, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile dependency cases. Cases involving wills, guardianships, mental health, and trust are heard in the Probate Court.

The Miami-Dade County and Circuit Courts handle more than 900,000 cases annually. In the fiscal year 2022-2023, both courts processed the following numbers of cases:

The Clerk of Court and Comptroller is the custodian of all records filed with the court. The public can pay for certified copies of court records on the clerk's website or view them remotely for free. Juvenile records are deemed confidential but are accessible to the party involved, their attorney, parent, or legal guardian.

The Miami-Dade County court system comprises criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile courts that are operated under circuit and county levels. Felonies and major civil lawsuits are heard at the circuit level while misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic violations are heard at the county level. Court records are obtainable and accessible through the clerk's website.