Search Duval County Court Records in CORE Without Opening the Wrong Database
Duval County court cases are searched through the Clerk Online Resource ePortal, known as CORE. The portal covers both Circuit Court and County Court cases, but public document access depends on the case type, the user’s access level, and whether the Clerk has reviewed the document for confidential information.
This guide shows how to search a person, business or case number; how to identify felony, civil, family, probate, traffic and small-claims files; how to request additional public documents; and how to order plain, certified or exemplified court copies.
Start With the Information You Have
Choose the task that matches your goal. CORE search results, document access and certified-copy requests are different steps.
Start with the surname and first name. Add the year or case type only after results appear.
Follow the name-search sequenceEnter the complete Duval uniform case number, including county, year, case code and sequence.
Decode the case numberA docket entry can be public even when the document has not been reviewed and published online.
Understand document accessA screenshot or downloaded public image is not automatically a certified court document.
Compare copy types and feesChoose the Correct Duval County Court Record System
Duval County’s Clerk serves both Circuit Court and County Court. Appeals and federal cases use separate systems, while deeds, mortgages and other land-related instruments use the Official Records database—not CORE.
Felony, circuit civil, family, probate, guardianship, juvenile and other Circuit Court case records.
Misdemeanor, traffic, county civil, small claims, eviction and county ordinance case records.
Use Florida’s Appellate Case Information System for First District Court of Appeal and Florida Supreme Court cases.
Use PACER for U.S. District Court, federal bankruptcy and federal appellate records.
Choose the Correct CORE Access Level
Finding a case and opening its documents are separate tasks. CORE applies Florida court-access rules that protect confidential information before documents are displayed online.
Use this level to search non-confidential cases and view non-confidential documents that have already been reviewed and published to CORE.
Create an account and accept the user agreement when you need to request access to additional non-confidential documents that are not already published.
Higher access depends on the user’s verified role and applicable Florida court-access standards. It does not remove sealed or confidential restrictions.
What to do when a document is listed but not viewable
- Confirm that you opened the correct case. Compare the complete case number, parties, filing date and case type.
- Check whether a document image icon is available. Some docket entries describe filings without providing a public image.
- Create or sign in to a CORE account. Use registered access when the portal permits a request for review of an additional non-confidential document.
- Allow time for confidential-information review. The Clerk may need to review the requested document before making it remotely available.
- Contact the Clerk when remote access is unavailable. Ask whether the public document can be inspected or ordered in person, by mail or electronically.
How to Search Duval County Court Records by Name
Begin broadly. A misspelled middle name, incorrect filing year or wrong case-type filter can hide the correct case.
- Open CORE and choose Court Records Search. Use Public Access for a basic search or sign in when you need document-request features.
- Enter the last name first. Add the first name to reduce unrelated results. Avoid using a middle name during the first attempt.
- Repeat the search with name variations. Try no middle name, a middle initial, former surname, hyphen changes, apostrophe changes and common spelling variations.
- Search businesses in more than one format. Try the legal name with and without “LLC,” “Inc.,” “Corp.,” punctuation or trade-name wording.
- Add a filing-year range only when reliable. Use a wider range when you are unsure whether a case was opened before or after the underlying event.
- Add the case type after results appear. Filter by felony, civil, family, probate, traffic or another division only when you know the likely category.
- Open every plausible result. Compare the complete case number, party role, filing date, division and latest case status.
- Check appeals or federal court separately. CORE does not replace Florida ACIS or PACER.
How to Read a Duval County Case Number
Florida uses a uniform case-number structure. Duval County’s numerical county designator is 16. A complete number usually identifies the county, filing year, case type, sequence and additional party or branch information.
County: Florida’s county designator for Duval County.
Filing year: the four-digit year in which the case was created.
Case type: the court division or category, such as felony, civil, family, probate or traffic.
Sequence: the number assigned to the case within that filing year and division.
Additional identifier: later characters can identify a party, defendant, branch, division or local system detail.
Where to find the case number
- Traffic citation
- Criminal complaint or information
- Civil summons or complaint
- Eviction or small-claims notice
- Divorce petition or final judgment
- Probate notice
- Hearing notice
- Prior Clerk receipt
Recognize Common Duval County Case Codes
These are common Florida uniform case-number codes. The complete CORE case description should control when a code is unclear or a local suffix is also present.
| Common code | Likely case category | Examples of records |
|---|---|---|
| CF | Circuit criminal felony | Felony charges, judgments, sentencing entries and post-conviction filings. |
| MM | County criminal misdemeanor | Misdemeanor and county-level criminal matters. |
| CT or TR | Criminal or civil traffic | Traffic citations, infractions and criminal traffic cases. |
| CA | Circuit civil | Higher-value civil lawsuits, foreclosures and other circuit civil matters. |
| CC | County civil | County civil disputes and some landlord-tenant matters. |
| SC | Small claims | Lower-value civil disputes handled under Florida Small Claims Rules. |
| DR | Domestic relations or family | Divorce, paternity, support, parenting-plan and related family cases. |
| CP | Probate | Estate administration, wills and other probate matters. |
| AP | Local appellate matter | Appeals handled within the Circuit Court’s appellate jurisdiction. |
How to Read a Duval County CORE Result
A CORE case page is a docket summary. It can identify filings and hearings even when an individual document image is unavailable remotely.
| CORE field | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform case number | The statewide-formatted identifier beginning with Duval’s county code. | Use the complete number for future searches, calls and copy requests. |
| Case type | The court division, such as felony, county civil, family, probate or traffic. | Do not confuse the type of case with the final outcome. |
| Party and role | Shows whether a person or entity is plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent or another participant. | A matching name with the wrong role may be a different person or case. |
| Docket entry | A filing, notice, order, hearing or other event entered by the Clerk. | A docket description does not guarantee that a public image is attached. |
| Case status | May indicate open, closed, disposed, reopened or another system status. | Read the latest events and final orders before interpreting the status. |
| Judge or division | The assigned judicial officer or court division. | Use the Fourth Judicial Circuit directory for current procedures and contact routes. |
| Document image | A remotely viewable copy of a public filing that has been approved for online access. | An unavailable image can mean unreviewed, restricted, confidential or not electronically attached. |
Use the site’s plain-English court records glossary when a term such as docket, disposition, judgment, motion, sealed or expunged is unclear.
What to Do When CORE Finds No Duval County Case
The name is indexed differently
Repeat the search without the middle name, with a middle initial, with a former surname and with punctuation changes.
The business uses another legal name
Try the registered entity name, trade name and versions with or without “LLC,” “Inc.” or “Corp.”
The filing is very recent
A new citation or filing may not be visible immediately. Recheck the official portal and contact the Clerk when a deadline is involved.
The case is appellate or federal
Search Florida ACIS for appellate records and PACER for federal district, bankruptcy or appellate cases.
The record is sealed or confidential
Sealed, expunged, juvenile and other protected records may not appear in public search results.
You searched Official Records instead
Return to CORE. The Official Records database is primarily for recorded instruments, not ordinary court-case dockets.
Use this no-result recovery sequence
- Remove every optional filter.
- Search the surname and first name only.
- Repeat without a middle name.
- Try former surnames and spelling variations.
- Search the business or organization name.
- Enter the complete case or citation number.
- Widen the filing-year range.
- Check ACIS for a Florida appeal.
- Check PACER for a federal matter.
- Call the Duval Clerk when the case affects a deadline, hearing or payment.
Do Not Confuse Court Records With Duval Official Records
| You need | Correct system | Typical records |
|---|---|---|
| Court case docket or filing | CORE | Criminal cases, civil lawsuits, divorce, probate, traffic, eviction and small claims. |
| Recorded land or public instrument | Official Records Search | Deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions, notices and recorded judgments. |
| Police report | Investigating agency | Incident and offense reports maintained by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or another law-enforcement agency. |
| Current jail custody | Custody or inmate system | Current detention status rather than a court docket. |
| Marriage license or recorded document | Clerk county-services records | Marriage and other non-case records handled through separate Clerk services. |
Request Plain, Certified or Exemplified Duval Court Copies
Duval’s Clerk permits electronic certified court-copy orders through CORE. In-person and written requests may also be available. Confirm the exact document and certification level before paying.
| Published Clerk service | Current published amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard photocopy | $1.00 per page | Public-record pages not larger than 14 by 8.5 inches. |
| Oversized photocopy | $5.00 per page | Copies larger than the standard page size listed by the Clerk. |
| Certified copy | $2.00 per instrument | Certification added to the document or instrument. |
| Exemplified certificate | $7.00 | Additional authentication including signing and sealing. |
| Record search | $2.00 for each year searched | Clerk research when a specific case or document cannot be identified directly. |
Prepare this information before ordering
Include the Duval code, filing year, case code, sequence and suffix.
Identify the judgment, order, complaint, sentence, decree or docket entry.
Provide the filing date when several documents have similar names.
Confirm whether the receiving organization wants plain, certified or exemplified copies.
Electronic certification may be more practical when multiple printed copies are needed.
Provide an accurate email address or mailing address for the chosen delivery method.
Choose the most practical request route
- Download an available public image. Use this for reading and research when certification is not required.
- Order an electronic certified copy through CORE. Use the purchase option shown for an eligible court document.
- Request assistance from the Clerk. Call when the document is public but unavailable online or when the exact filing is uncertain.
- Visit or send a written request. Use the main courthouse when an in-person inspection, archived file or special certification is needed.
Find Older or Unavailable Duval County Court Records
Older records may have incomplete electronic indexing, scanned docket information without images, microfilm storage or paper-only documents. The best search depends on the case year and division.
| Situation | Best action | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| The case appears but the filing does not | Create a CORE account and request reviewed access when the portal permits it. | Case number, docket date and document description. |
| No electronic result appears | Contact the Clerk for a year-by-year records search. | Full names, approximate filing years and likely case type. |
| The case is old or archived | Ask whether the file is on microfilm, in off-site storage or available only in paper form. | Case number if known and enough time for retrieval. |
| The document may be sealed or confidential | Ask the Clerk about lawful access rather than requesting a general public copy. | Your role in the case and any court order authorizing access. |
| You only know a rough decade | Request a paid records search for specific years rather than an unlimited search. | Name variations and the narrowest reliable date range. |
Duval County Courthouse and Clerk Contact Information
501 W. Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Published hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Clerk phone: 904-255-2000
The Fourth Judicial Circuit serves Duval, Clay and Nassau counties. Court Administration handles judicial operations, judges, interpreters and courtroom services—not Clerk document certification.
Court Administration phone: 904-255-1000
Search Duval Appeals and Federal Court Cases
| Record needed | Correct system | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Duval Circuit or County Court case | CORE | The trial-court case remains in the Duval Clerk system. |
| First District Court of Appeal case | Florida ACIS | The appellate case has a separate appellate case number and docket. |
| Florida Supreme Court case | Florida ACIS | Search appellate case title, number, category or filing date. |
| Federal civil or criminal case | PACER | Use the Middle District of Florida or the relevant federal court. |
| Federal bankruptcy case | PACER | Bankruptcy records are not contained in Duval CORE. |
Prepare Before You Call the Duval Clerk
A short, specific request is easier for Clerk staff to answer than a broad request for “all records.”
Copy the complete number exactly as displayed in CORE or on court paperwork.
Include spelling variations, former surnames and business names.
State whether the matter is criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic or small claims.
Identify the exact order, judgment, sentence, complaint or docket entry.
Provide the filing year or docket-entry date when the exact title is unknown.
Say whether you need it for research, official proof, an appeal or another agency.
Use Duval County Court Information Carefully
A public court search can display allegations, dismissed matters, duplicate names, amended charges and incomplete online documents. It is not a complete or fingerprint-verified background report.
- Do not assume a criminal charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a civil complaint resulted in judgment.
- Do not assume a same-name result belongs to the intended person.
- Do not assume every public document is available remotely.
- Do not treat a downloaded image as certified unless the Clerk issued it as a certified copy.
- Do not use this website as a consumer-reporting or screening service.
Read the site’s FCRA and consumer-reporting notice before using public-record information for employment, housing, credit, insurance, licensing or eligibility decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Duval County Court Records
What is the official Duval County court-record search?
The official online court-record portal is CORE, the Clerk Online Resource ePortal operated by the Duval County Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts.
Can I search Duval County court cases by name for free?
Yes. CORE provides public case-search access. Document images depend on the case type, confidentiality rules and whether the Clerk has reviewed and published the document for remote viewing.
Do I need a CORE account?
You do not need an account for basic public viewing. A registered account is useful when CORE permits you to request review of an additional non-confidential document that is not already published online.
Why can I see the case but not its documents?
The docket can be public while the document image is unreviewed, restricted, confidential or not electronically attached. Sign in to CORE to check for a request-access option or contact the Clerk.
Why can’t anonymous users view all family or probate documents?
Florida remote-access standards place additional limits on documents governed by Family Law and Probate Rules. Public case information may appear while individual filings require registered review, in-person inspection or remain confidential.
What does 16 mean in a Duval case number?
The first two digits of Florida’s uniform trial-court case number identify the county. The number 16 is Duval County’s state case-number designator.
How much is a Duval certified court copy?
The Clerk’s published fee schedule lists a $2 certification fee per instrument and $1 per standard photocopied page. Electronic processing, mailing, search or special-service charges may also apply. Review the live total before paying.
Can I order an electronic certified court document?
Yes. The Duval Clerk states that electronic certified copies of eligible court records can be ordered through CORE. Availability depends on the document and case-access rules.
Where do I search a Duval County appeal?
Keep using CORE for the trial-court record. Use Florida’s Appellate Case Information System for the separate First District Court of Appeal or Florida Supreme Court docket.
Is the Duval Official Records search the same as CORE?
No. CORE is the court-case portal. Official Records is a separate database for recorded documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions and other public instruments.
How This Duval County Guide Was Verified
Read the site’s source verification and manual checking policy. Report changed links, outdated fees or access problems through the corrections and updates process.
CORE access levels, court routing, uniform case-number structure, copy fees, courthouse information, appellate access and document limitations were reviewed against current official Duval County and Florida court sources.
Court portals, fees, office hours and access rules can change. The current Duval County Clerk, Fourth Judicial Circuit or record-holding court source controls when its instructions differ from this guide.