Miami Dade is a Floridian county located in the SouthEast of the state. It’s the most populous county in Florida and the third-largest county in the state.
It’s also one of the most populous counties in the United States. Miami is the county seat which is also the principal city in South Florida.
In this article, we are going to tell you everything about Miami Dade Public Records.
Miami Dade county is part of the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale – West Palm Beach metropolitan area and it’s also the largest majority-minority county in the country with almost 70% of its population being Hispanic and Latino descendent.
Miami Dade County has operated as a two-tier federation since 1957. The city and the county governments here are separated.
Cities are the lower tier of the local government and they provide police and fire protection and other typical city services within their jurisdiction.
The County is the upper tier and provides services such as emergency management, airport and seaport operations, health care services, solid waste disposal.
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Public Records in Miami Dade County
As an administrative division of Florida State, Miami Dade county stores records and official documents regarding the actions of the departments under its jurisdiction.
According to Florida Law, these records are public and therefore accessible to any citizen who makes a proper request.
Public records in Miami Dade County can include vital records, criminal records, court records, sex offender information, property records, and others…
Public records are available both online, to the web platform made available by the different agencies, or in person. Some offices can require fees.
These costs are usually related to the printing processes so that the more documents and pages you need the higher the fee.
What are Miami Dade County Criminal Records?
Miami Dade County records are official documents regarding the criminal activities of local individuals and the crimes citizens commit within the county jurisdiction.
Other than being arrest records, these official documents also include arrest warrants and criminal history of individuals and more detailed data such as the subject’s personal information (full name, aliases, nationality, date of birth…), full fingerprints, physical description, the list of his or her pending warrants, convictions, and dispositions.
The entities responsible for the creating, gathering, and storing of these types of documents are the Miami Dade Police Departments and the county courts.
How to get access to Criminal Records?
As we’ve mentioned the entity responsible for the maintenance of criminal records in the county at a local level is the Miami Dade Police Department.
There is also a web portal available – the Public Records Request Portal – which remains the quickest and cheapest way of requesting public and criminal records.
You may also want to search for criminal records by contacting Miami Dade’s Clerk of the Courts. In this case, you can make your request in person or by mail.
If you want to make your request in person you need to make your search online.
When you request by mail, instead you can provide information about an individual or a case (such as name, date of birth, case year…) and send a written request at the Miami Dade County Criminal Division.
The Court of Clerks charges $7 for certified copies plus $2 for every search when the case year or number is not specified.
What are Court Records?
Miami Dade County’s Court Records are official documents that refer to files and transcripts of judicial proceedings. The proceedings happen in any court of the county.
Court records in Miami Dade county are also public and are therefore accessible both online and in-person to all citizens. All court records in Miami Dade County are available at the CLerk of the Court.
You can access them through the Miami Dade Courts Online System. You’ll need to register first to the platform so that you can perform your searches.
Once you’ve found the records you were looking for you’re free to view, print, and copy all the files.
However, in some cases, files or information can be sealed or made confidential and this can happen only by law. This is usually made to protect the identity of victims of abuse or minors.
Read: New Jersey Public Records – Everything you need to know
Other records available in Miami Dade County
Some other public records available in Miami Dade County include:
- Vital records such as birth and death certificates;
- Property records
- Sex offenders list
- Marriage and divorce certificates
All of them are public unless it’s otherwise specified by law. They are all available at the specific agency that is responsible for the storing of that specific category of records.
Understanding which agency or department is responsible for each category is quite easy. There are lists available on the county’s official websites and also elsewhere online.
For these records too you can either perform an online search, mail, phone, or go to the office to obtain information.
Different offices charge different fees, but they are always related to the number of pages and documents you request.
If you like Miami Dade Public Records , we recommend you to have a look at Mississippi Public Records and American Samoa Public Records as well !
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to record a deed in Miami?
The ownership transfer is typically processed between 4 and 8 weeks, but may take up to 12 weeks.
If more than 12 weeks have passed since the deed was recorded at the Clerk of Courts Recorder’s Office, please provide the Office of the Property Appraiser with the following information: Official Recording Book and Page.
How do i find divorce records in Miami?
To request Family Court records in person, visit the Office of the Circuit Court Clerk for the county where the case was held.
This address is available online on the court’s website. Other available contact information includes the Clerk’s phone number, fax number, and email address.
Amit Gupta is the founder of PublicRecordsSearch.org. Amit has spent half a decade learning about and working in the background screening industry. After completing his high school certification, Amit decided to focus on helping others make informed decisions by creating PublicRecordsSearch.org.