Highlands County
Highlands County, Florida, was established in 1921. It is surrounded by three interstate commercial airports and deep-water ports. Its county seat, Sebring, is known as the “City on the Circle,†in reference to the famous Circle Park in its downtown area. Highlands County spans a total land area of 1,017 square miles and, according to data recorded in 2020, is home to 101,235 residents.
The county's judicial system comprises Circuit and County Courts. The Circuit Court hears cases that exceed the jurisdiction of the County Court. Examples of such cases include felonies, property disputes, and civil claims with disputed values over $15,000. The Circuit Court also addresses juvenile matters, such as delinquencies, truancies, dependencies, juvenile traffic offenses, and family law issues. Probate matters, like the probate of wills, trusts, estate administration, guardianships, and conservatorships, also fall within its jurisdiction. On the other hand, the County Court oversees misdemeanors, municipal and county ordinance violations, and homeowners' disputes. It also hears civil claims valued below $15,000, traffic violation cases, and landlord-tenant disputes.
Public court records refer to documents that are produced or filed during judicial proceedings and are generally accessible to the public. These records contain essential information related to various cases and can be used for conducting background research on individuals. Following the provision of the Florida Public Records Law, anyone can access public court records in the county. The Office of the Highlands County Clerk of Courts is responsible for processing, updating, and managing these court records. The office provides access to the following records:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Family records
There are several ways to search for court records in Highlands County, as the records are available both online and offline. Interested individuals may obtain these records online through the following steps:
- Visit the records search portal of the Highland County Clerk of Courts
- Click “Search Records†to access the court records search page
- Select any of the access options to gain access to the search portal
- Select the case type from the resulting options, search for the records, and use the filters available to narrow the search results
Alternatively, requests for court records can be made by email or in person at the clerk's office.
Obtaining court records in Highlands County involves various fees depending on the type of record and the services required. Making photocopies of uncertified records costs $1.00 per page. Where the record is certified, it costs $2.00 per page.
