Find the Correct Miami-Dade Court Case Before You Contact the Clerk
Miami-Dade does not use one search screen for every court record. Civil, family and probate cases use one Online Case Search system; felony and misdemeanor cases use the Criminal Justice Online Case Search; traffic citations use a separate traffic system; and appellate cases use Florida’s statewide appellate portal.
This guide helps you select the correct database, search a person or business name, understand Miami-Dade case-number formats, verify the match, recover a missing record, locate the correct courthouse and request a certified copy without paying for the wrong document.
Choose the Record You Need
Start with the case category—not the person’s name. Searching the wrong Miami-Dade system is the most common reason a valid case appears to be missing.
Use for circuit civil, county civil, small claims, family, divorce, probate, guardianship and related public case information.
Follow the OCS workflowUse for criminal case details, defendant searches, local or state case numbers and citation or police numbers.
Follow the criminal workflowUse for civil traffic citations, criminal traffic violations, hearing dates, payment status and related traffic records.
Choose the traffic routeUse the County Recorder system for deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions and recorded instruments—not the court-case portals.
Avoid the wrong databaseSearch Civil, Family and Probate Cases
Miami-Dade’s Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System—often shortened to OCS—covers several different court divisions. It offers standard and advanced searching, public case details and online certified-copy ordering for supported records.
Contract disputes, foreclosures, negligence cases, declaratory actions and other circuit civil matters.
Landlord-tenant, smaller civil claims and other matters within county-court jurisdiction.
Dissolution, paternity, support and other family matters, subject to privacy restrictions.
Probate estates, guardianships, wills on deposit, caveats and related proceedings.
Use the case information to confirm whether the matter is small claims or another county civil category.
Supported civil, family and probate copies can be requested online, by mail or in person.
Step-by-step OCS name search
- Open the Civil, Family and Probate Online System. Use the official Miami-Dade Clerk portal rather than a third-party people-search website.
- Start with Standard Search. Enter the party or business name using the most likely legal spelling.
- Keep the first search broad. Avoid adding an uncertain filing year, case type or court location until you know the name returns results.
- Open every plausible case card. Compare the local case number, filing date, case type, parties, court location, section and status.
- Use Advanced Search only when needed. Advanced filters are helpful after a common name returns too many cases.
- Save both case numbers. The system may show a local Miami-Dade case number and a longer Florida state case number.
- Review the docket and available documents. A docket entry may be public even when its document image is not available remotely.
- Register when repeated searches trigger limits. The portal states that registering or logging in can help users avoid CAPTCHA and search limits.
Search Miami-Dade Criminal Court Records
The Criminal Justice Online Case Search—also identified by the Clerk as the enhanced criminal case search or COIN—covers public felony and misdemeanor case information. It is separate from the civil, family and probate portal.
Information you can use to search
Use the full legal name, then repeat with middle-name, suffix and alternate-name variations.
Use the local case number shown on the charging document, court notice or prior search result.
Use the longer Florida state case number when the search screen specifically requests it.
This may locate a matter when a defendant-name search is broad or the court case number is unknown.
Use only when the portal requests it and the information is accurate.
Read the final court outcome instead of relying only on the original accusation.
Practical criminal-case workflow
- Search the defendant’s last and first name. Begin without assuming the middle name is stored exactly as expected.
- Compare the birth date and case year. Use identifying details carefully; do not rely on the name alone.
- Check whether the matter is felony or misdemeanor. Felony cases are generally handled in the Circuit Criminal Division, while misdemeanors may appear in County Criminal.
- Open the case details. Review charges, docket events, judge, court location, hearing information and disposition.
- Read amended charges and later orders. The original charge may remain visible even when it was amended, dismissed or resolved differently.
- Confirm important dates with the Clerk. Call 305-275-1155 when a hearing, deadline, warrant or payment question requires current confirmation.
Search Traffic Citations and Court Dates
Traffic records use a separate route from ordinary civil and criminal cases. First determine whether the citation is a civil traffic infraction, criminal traffic violation or parking citation.
Use the traffic system for citation status, payment options, hearings and traffic-school information.
The Clerk advises that criminal traffic violations require a court appearance and that failure to appear can lead to a bench warrant.
Parking cases are not searched through the civil, family, probate or criminal portals.
Use a Three-Pass Name Search
Miami-Dade case systems contain many common names, businesses and former surnames. A disciplined search reduces missed cases and false matches.
Search the first and last name without an uncertain middle name, year or case-type filter.
Try the middle initial, full middle name, former surname, maiden name, suffix and common spelling variation.
Add the filing year, case type, court location or status one field at a time.
For a person
- Search the legal first and last name first.
- Repeat without punctuation or accents if the portal returns nothing.
- Try a former surname or hyphenated-name variation.
- Search with and without “Jr.,” “Sr.,” “II” or another suffix.
- Use date of birth only when it is accurate and lawfully available.
For a business
- Search the registered company name.
- Repeat without “LLC,” “Inc.,” “Corp.” or punctuation.
- Try a trade name or prior business name.
- Check the participant role to see whether the business is plaintiff, defendant or another party.
Decode a Miami-Dade Civil or Family Case Number
Miami-Dade commonly uses a local case-number structure containing the filing year, sequence, case code and court-location suffix. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit gives examples such as 2019-12345-CA-01 for circuit civil and 2024-12345-FC-04 for family.
Filing year: the first segment identifies the year the local case was opened.
Sequence: the middle number identifies the individual case within that filing year.
Case code: CA is used for circuit civil. FC is used for family cases. Other case categories use different codes.
Location suffix: the final segment identifies the court-location code used by the Miami-Dade system.
2024-024248-CA-01. The state case number is longer. Copy the number exactly and use the field requested by the portal.
Confirm the Case Before Relying on It
A same-name result is only a possible match. Miami-Dade’s population, multilingual names, former surnames and large case volume make careful comparison essential.
Compare the complete number with the citation, order, notice or document already in your possession.
Confirm whether the person is plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, decedent, guardian or another participant.
Does the filing year match the incident, marriage, dispute, arrest or estate being researched?
Check whether the record is civil, family, probate, felony, misdemeanor or traffic.
Compare the courthouse or location suffix with the hearing notice or known filing location.
Read the final outcome. A filed charge, complaint or petition is not proof that it was granted or proved.
How to Read the Case Page and Docket
The online case page is a case summary. It may list a docket event without providing the complete filing, attachment, exhibit, transcript or certified order.
| Case-page section | What it may show | How to use it safely |
|---|---|---|
| Case Summary | Local and state case numbers, filing date, status, type, court and section. | Confirm that you opened the correct division and filing year. |
| Parties | Plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, attorneys and other participants. | Check the role; a name can appear for several reasons. |
| Docket | Filings, orders, hearings, services, judgments and other chronological events. | A docket description is not always the complete document text. |
| Documents | Selected public document images or downloadable filings. | If no image is available, request the document from the Clerk. |
| Charges | Original or amended criminal charges. | Read the disposition and sentence; a charge is not a conviction. |
| Hearings | Court date, division, judge or courtroom information. | Confirm appearance details with the Clerk or current hearing notice. |
| Disposition | Dismissal, judgment, conviction, decree, closure or another outcome. | Read later orders because a case can be reopened, amended or appealed. |
Use the site’s court records glossary when a docket term such as disposition, judgment, motion, order, sealed or expunged is unclear.
What to Do When the Case Does Not Appear
A blank result can mean the name is stored differently, the wrong portal was searched, the file is older, the record is confidential or the matter belongs to another county or court system.
Wrong Miami-Dade portal
Civil, family and probate cases do not use the criminal search. Traffic and Official Records also use separate systems.
Name variation
Try no middle name, a middle initial, former surname, maiden name, suffix, accent-free spelling and business-name variation.
Too many filters
Remove filing year, case type, status and court-location filters. Add them back individually.
Older or archived case
The record may predate the current online system or require retrieval from Clerk records storage.
Another Florida county
The event may have occurred in Miami, but the case could have been filed in Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach or another county.
Restricted case
Juvenile, adoption, sealed, expunged and sensitive family information may not be publicly searchable.
Run this recovery sequence
- Confirm whether the matter is civil, family, probate, criminal or traffic.
- Open the correct Miami-Dade search portal.
- Remove every optional filter.
- Search the legal first and last name only.
- Repeat with former names, suffixes and spelling variations.
- Use the local case number when available.
- Try the state case number only in the field designed for it.
- Search Florida appellate records if the matter was appealed.
- Check PACER if the matter is federal or bankruptcy-related.
- Call the Clerk at 305-275-1155 for a record-specific routing question.
Request Plain or Certified Miami-Dade Court Copies
The Miami-Dade Clerk is the official custodian of county court records. Certified copies can be requested online, by mail or in person for supported civil, family, probate and criminal cases. Juvenile copies are restricted and can be ordered only by mail or in person when the requester is authorized.
Prepare the request before ordering
- Complete local case number
- State case number, if shown
- Full names of the parties
- Case year and case category
- Exact document title
- Docket date or docket index number
- Number of copies
- Whether certification is required
- Your mailing address and telephone number
| Request issue | Current Clerk guidance | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown case year or number | An additional search fee of $2 per year, per name may apply for every year searched. | Locate the case online first to reduce search charges. |
| Criminal mail request | $1 per page and $2 per document for certification are listed on the criminal-copy page. | The final total depends on page count, certification and service charges. |
| Family or probate mail request | $1 per page and $2 per document for certification are listed on division-specific pages. | Confirm the total before mailing payment. |
| Online payment | Visa, Discover, Mastercard and American Express are accepted online. | Online service or card-processing charges may be added. |
| Mail payment | Cashier’s check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. | Personal checks are not accepted. |
| Juvenile case | Confidential juvenile copies can only be ordered by mail or in person. | Authorization and identity verification may be required. |
Use the site’s court record types guide to decide whether you need a docket, final order, judgment, decree or certified copy.
Know Which Miami-Dade Courthouse to Contact
Miami-Dade has several court facilities. Do not travel based only on the case category. Check the current case page, hearing notice or Clerk instructions because divisions and services can be assigned to different locations.
175 NW 1st Avenue
Miami, FL 33128
Government Center transit access is generally easier than parking. Court hours are listed as 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Open courthouse details1351 NW 12th Street
Miami, FL 33125
The Circuit Criminal Division handles major felony cases here. Court hours are listed as 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Open courthouse details20 NW 1st Avenue
Miami, FL 33128
The Clerk’s main published address is at this location. Confirm the correct floor and department before visiting.
View all courthouse locationsDo Not Confuse Court Cases With Other Miami-Dade Records
| What you need | Correct route | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit or divorce case | Civil, Family and Probate OCS | Searching Official Records instead of court cases. |
| Felony or misdemeanor case | Criminal Justice Online Case Search | Searching the civil OCS portal. |
| Traffic ticket | Traffic and Parking system | Searching the defendant only in criminal records. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien or satisfaction | County Recorder Official Records | Treating a recorded lien as a court case. |
| Current jail custody | Miami-Dade inmate information | Assuming a court docket proves present detention. |
| Florida appellate case | Florida Appellate Case Information System | Expecting appellate filings in the trial-court search. |
| Federal or bankruptcy case | PACER | Searching only Miami-Dade state-court portals. |
Understand Public-Access Limits
Florida’s electronic-access rules do not make every case or filing available to every online user. A public docket can appear while sensitive information or entire documents remain restricted.
| Record situation | Likely online access | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary public civil case | Case details available | Review the docket and download public images when offered. |
| Public docket without document image | Summary only | Request the listed filing from the Clerk. |
| Family or probate matter | May be limited | Use the public portal, then contact the division for unavailable documents. |
| Juvenile or adoption case | Confidential | Authorized requests must follow the Clerk’s restricted-copy process. |
| Sealed or expunged criminal record | Not publicly available | Do not attempt to bypass access restrictions. |
| Victim-protected information | Redacted or withheld | Respect Marsy’s Law and other privacy protections. |
| Older archived case | May be incomplete | Ask the Clerk whether archive retrieval or records research is needed. |
Use Miami-Dade Court Information Carefully
A public case search can display allegations, duplicate names, amended charges, dismissed cases and incomplete document access. It is not a complete or fingerprint-confirmed background check.
- Do not assume a filed charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a civil complaint proves liability.
- Do not assume a same-name case belongs to the intended person.
- Do not treat an online PDF as a certified copy.
- Do not use this website for employment, housing, credit, insurance, licensing or eligibility screening.
Read the site’s FCRA and consumer-reporting notice before using public-record information in any decision-making context.
Frequently Asked Questions About Miami-Dade Court Records
Which Miami-Dade portal should I use for a civil lawsuit?
Use the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System. It includes circuit civil, county civil, family and probate case information. Do not use the criminal or Official Records search for an ordinary civil lawsuit.
Where do I search Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor cases?
Use the Criminal Justice Online Case Search. It supports searches using defendant information, Miami-Dade case number, state case number and citation or police number.
Why does the civil portal keep showing CAPTCHA or search limits?
The Online Case Search states that registering or logging in can help users avoid CAPTCHA and search limits. Use the official registration option if you need to run repeated legitimate searches.
What is the difference between a local and state case number?
The local number is the shorter Miami-Dade format used by the Clerk, such as 2024-024248-CA-01. The state case number is longer. Enter each number only in the search field designed for it.
How do I find a Miami-Dade divorce case?
Search the Civil, Family and Probate portal using either spouse’s name. Confirm the case code, party roles and filing year. Request the final judgment of dissolution from the Family Court records service when official proof is needed.
How do I get a certified Miami-Dade criminal record?
Locate the case in the Criminal Justice Online Case Search, identify the exact document, and use the Clerk’s criminal certified-copy service. The division-specific mail page lists $1 per page and $2 per document for certification, with other service charges potentially applying.
Why is a docket event visible but the document is missing?
Not every public docket entry has an online image. The filing may need to be requested from the Clerk, may predate online imaging, or may contain information restricted from remote access.
Can I search a Miami-Dade traffic citation by name?
Traffic systems work best with the citation number. If the number is unavailable, use the Clerk’s Traffic and Parking services or call the Traffic Division’s 24-hour information line at 305-275-1111.
Are Miami-Dade juvenile records online?
Juvenile cases are confidential. The Clerk states that certified juvenile copies can only be ordered by mail or in person, and only an authorized requester can receive protected records.
Does the court search show whether someone is currently in jail?
No. A court docket shows case activity, not real-time custody. Use Miami-Dade inmate information for current detention status and the court portal for hearings, charges and dispositions.
How This Miami-Dade Guide Was Verified
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Records Services
- Miami-Dade Civil, Family and Probate Online Case Search
- Miami-Dade Criminal Justice Online Case Search
- Miami-Dade Traffic and Parking Services
- Miami-Dade Clerk — Certified Copies
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit — Contacting the Clerk
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit — Courthouse Locations
- Florida Appellate Case Information System
Read the site’s source verification and manual checking policy. Report outdated links, changed fees, incorrect contact details or accessibility issues through the corrections and updates process.
Miami-Dade civil, family, probate, criminal, traffic, appellate and certified-copy routes were reviewed against current Clerk, Eleventh Judicial Circuit and Florida Courts sources.
Portals, document availability, fees, court assignments and access rules can change. The current Miami-Dade Clerk, Eleventh Judicial Circuit or other official record custodian controls when it differs from this guide.