Polk County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Polk County lies in central Florida and has 1,798.1 square miles of land area. In 2022, the county had a population of 736,229, with a majority racial group of non-Hispanic Whites. The largest city by population is Lakeland, while Bartow holds the county seat. Polk County falls within the jurisdiction of the 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which comprises a Circuit Court and a County Court.

To ensure convenient access to justice, Polk County Circuit Court and County Court operate at multiple locations within the county. Each court has a courthouse in Bartow, Lakeland, and North East. As the court of general jurisdiction, the Circuit Court hears a wide array of legal actions through its dedicated divisions. It has the authority to hear felonies, criminal misdemeanors, and traffic infractions in its Criminal Court Division. The Civil Division focuses on non-criminal litigation, especially disputes over an amount of up to $30,000. The Circuit Court also hears juvenile dependency cases, domestic, and probate matters. Furthermore, the role of the County Court is to handle minor civil matters and less serious criminal offenses due to its limited jurisdiction. Examples of legal actions heard in this court include landlord-tenant disputes, disorderly conduct, debt collection, small claims, and contract disputes.

The Polk County Circuit and County courts handle a total estimate of 80,000 cases each fiscal year. The County Court handles the bulk of the county's civil cases, processing approximately 30,000 cases, compared to the 4,500 civil cases administered by the Circuit Court. Similarly, the County Court manages a significant number of criminal cases, averaging around 20,000, while the Circuit Court handles approximately 8,000 criminal cases. Additionally, the Circuit Court sees about 6,000 probate and 11,000 family-related cases each fiscal year.

Furthermore, to access the court record of a case filed in Polk County, the interested party may visit the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller at regular business hours. Alternatively, the Polk Records Online website offers remote access either by logging in or creating an account for users who can provide a uniform case number, party name, and case filing date.

Polk County's court system comprises Circuit and County courts, handling both civil and criminal cases. However, the Circuit Court tackles more complex matters. It also has jurisdiction over probate, family, traffic, and juvenile cases. Collectively, these courts manage a significant caseload of roughly 80,000 legal actions each fiscal year. Promoting transparency, Polk County allows public access to most court records. Residents can view them at the Clerk of Circuit Court's office or online.