Official Records

Ordering Certified Copies of Official Records

Below are available options for obtaining certified copies of documents recorded in the Official Records of Lake County.

1. Order online via eCertify.
   
   
2. In person. Visit one of our two locations:
   
• Lake County Courthouse, 550 W. Main Street, Tavares, FL (North Wing, 3rd floor) – Free parking is located in the garage at 200 N. Sinclair Ave.
• Lake County Records Storage Facility, 313 Bloxham Ave., Tavares, FL


3. By mail. Complete the Official Records Order Form. Mail the form, along with your check or money order, payable to Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of Court & Comptroller, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address below. PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept cashier's checks more than two (2) months from the issue date.

For regular mail:
Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
ATTN: RECORDING
P.O. Box 7800
Tavares, FL 32778

For delivery/courier services (FedEx/UPS):
Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
ATTN: RECORDING
313 S. Bloxham Ave.
Tavares, FL 32778

Official Records Search & Notices

Official Record (OR) Image in PDF Format

When viewing a document in Official Records, you may choose to create a PDF file of the document through Adobe Acrobat Reader. Creating a PDF file will allow you to designate the quantity and specific pages you wish to print. To use this feature, simply click the “View PDF” button above the document image.

Online database includes the following:

PUBLIC RECORD LAWS

On or after October 1, 2002, any person preparing or filing a document for recording in the Official Records may not include a social security number in such document unless required by law.

Any person has the right to request the Clerk/County Recorder to redact/remove his or her social security number, from an image or copy of an Official Record that has been placed on such Clerk's/County Recorder's publicly available Internet website.

The request must be legibly written, signed, and delivered in person or by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission to the Clerk/County Recorder. The request must specify the identification page number that contains the social security number. Request forms are available in our office, or you may download the Social Security or Account Number Removal Request form. No fee is charged for this service.

Florida Law required that images of county Official Records be published on the Internet by 2006. The Clerk was instrumental in assisting the Legislature in developing measures to protect the most sensitive types of information belonging to the public.

Florida Statute 28.2221(5)(a) provides that on or after June 5, 2002 images of the following types of documents may not be placed on a "publicly available Internet website":

• Military Discharges
• Death Certificates
• Court files, records, or papers relating to matters or cases governed by
  
  • The Florida Rules of Family Law
  • The Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure
  • The Florida Rules of Probate

For documents recorded prior to June 5, 2002, any "affected person" may request that the Clerk of Court/Comptroller or County Recorder remove an image of one of the above-listed documents from a "publicly available Internet website." This request must be in writing and may be delivered in person, by mail, electronically, or by facsimile. The request must specify the "identification" page number of the document to be removed. Forms are available in our office upon request, or you may download the OR Image Removal Request form here. No fee is charged for this service. Contact information for form submissions is as follows:

• In Person: Lake County Courthouse, North Wing, 3rd Floor, 550 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778
• By Mail: Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Attn: Recording Division, P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778
• Electronically: [email protected]
• Via Facsimile: (352) 253-2616

Florida law requires that images and copies of the above-listed documents remain on file and available to the public upon request in the Office of the Clerk/County Recorder.