Why We Built This Site
Florida gives the public broad access to court records. The hard part is figuring out which office holds the file you want. In Hillsborough County the picture is a bit simpler than in some states because the county has a unified clerk. Victor D. Crist serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, and that single office keeps both circuit and county court case files, plus official records, marriage licenses, and probate filings. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit hears the cases, and Hillsborough County is the entire circuit, so the court footprint and the county footprint line up. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Chad Chronister, runs the jails and posts the booking roster. Add the State Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, the Public Defender, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at the state level, and there are still half a dozen sites to hop between. Our goal is to pull together the contact details, search portals, fee schedules, and request steps for each of these offices into one place.
Where the Records Live
Tampa is the county seat, and most court business runs through downtown Tampa. The main civil and family courthouse is the George Edgecomb Courthouse at 800 E Twiggs St, Tampa FL 33602. Felony courts and first-appearance hearings sit a block away at the Criminal Courthouse Annex on N Jefferson Street. Civil traffic matters are handled at the Civil Traffic Court on N Pierce Street. East-county court services are based at the Plant City Courthouse. The Clerk's Records and Reports gateway sends most online searchers to HOVER, the court-record portal, and to the Official Records index for deeds and recorded documents. The Sheriff's Operations Center is at 2008 E 8th Ave in Tampa, and the two main jails sit on the east side of the county.
What You Will Find Here
- Records pages by type: court records, criminal records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, probate, and more
- Office contacts: direct contact info for the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, the Hillsborough County Court, and major facilities
- Search walkthroughs: step-by-step guides for HOVER, the Official Records index, the HCSO Arrest Inquiry, and statewide databases
- Public records help: how to file an open records request under Florida's public-records law and what to expect for response time
What We Cannot Do
This is a privately run reference site. We have no connection to any Florida court, clerk's office, sheriff's office, or state agency. There are real limits to what we can help with:
- We cannot file paperwork or send records requests on your behalf
- We cannot issue certified copies of any court document or vital record
- We cannot give legal advice or explain how a specific case applies to you
- We cannot guarantee that every phone number, fee, or address listed on this site is current right now
Only the issuing court or government office can provide a certified copy with an official seal. We can point you to the right office, but the document has to come from them. In Hillsborough County, that usually means the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for court files and the recording agency for vital records.
Search Partners
Some pages on this site include search boxes powered by third-party providers. Those companies set their own pricing and run their own services. When you use one of those tools and it leads to a paid signup, we may earn a referral fee. That revenue helps keep this site free for visitors. We do not control what those tools charge or what shows up in their results.
Keeping Information Current
Clerk offices move. Hours change. Phone numbers get reassigned. We update pages as we hear about changes, but gaps happen. Before you drive to the Edgecomb Courthouse or any other office in Hillsborough County, call ahead first.
See something wrong? Visit our Contact page and let us know.
Get in Touch
Questions, fixes, or feedback? Drop a note via our Contact page.