Saint Lucie County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

St. Lucie County was formed in 1905 by the Florida Legislature. Based on information from 2022, the county has a land area of 571.66 square miles and is home to over 334,682 residents. The county seat is Fort Pierce City. Residents of St. Lucie County are served by a Circuit Court and County Courts. These courts have broad jurisdiction over different civil and criminal matters arising within the county.

Located in Fort Pierce, the Circuit Court is the highest trial court in St. Lucie County. This court handles several cases through its various divisions. The Criminal Division handles serious criminal cases such as felony offenses, while the Civil Division deals with general civil claims involving $50,000 or more, as well as other kinds of civil matters such as tort, breach of contract, malpractice, and product liability cases. The Family Division of the Circuit Court hears proceedings involving divorce, adoption, paternity, child custody, and child support, as well as domestic violence cases. Criminal felonies and misdemeanor cases involving minors are overseen by the Juvenile Division, while the Probate Division handles all kinds of probate cases such as wills, guardianship, settlement of estates, involuntary hospitalization, and the determination of competency. In addition, St. Lucie County has County Courts located in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. These courts generally handle minor criminal cases, including misdemeanors, criminal and civil traffic infractions, and municipal ordinance violations. For civil actions, the County Courts deal with claims with a value of up to $50,000 and small claims of up to $8,000.

In 2022, 299 incidents of violent crimes per 100,000 people were reported in St. Lucie County. The Circuit Court handles approximately 30,000 cases each year, including an estimated 2,000 adult criminal and civil, 3,000 family, and 2,000 probate cases. On the other hand, County Courts hear over 6,000 adult criminal and 20,000 civil cases annually. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is in charge of processing all legal documents filed in that court. In addition, the Clerk maintains an electronic search system for accessing public court records in St. Lucie County. Anyone may request Circuit and County court records using the Request Form. They can also obtain them online using the Court Case Search for cases dating back to 2008 and the Official Records Search for older cases.

In summary, St. Lucie County's trial court system consists of a Circuit Court and County Courts. These courts, with their multiple divisions, are fully positioned to handle diverse cases in a fair and timely manner. St. Lucie County courts ensure that residents have access to public court records online. This online search system facilitates public scrutiny of court proceedings and promotes transparency and accountability in the justice system.