VICTOR D. CRIST

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CLERK OF COURT & COMPTROLLER

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA

Official Records

The Clerk of Court Recording Department records, indexes, and archives all documents that create the Official Records of Hillsborough County. Approximately 25 million documents have been recorded in the Official Records since 1846 and 2,000 new documents are recorded each day. In addition to recording documents, the Recording Department collects money for documentary stamp taxes, intangible taxes, recording fees, and other miscellaneous fees.

New Witness Address Requirements Began January 1, 2024.

The Clerk of Court Recording Department records, indexes, and archives all documents that create the Official Records of Hillsborough County. Approximately 25 million documents have been recorded in the Official Records since 1846 and 2,000 new documents are recorded each day. In addition to recording documents, the Recording Department collects money for documentary stamp taxes, intangible taxes, recording fees, and other miscellaneous fees.

Florida Statutes are amended to reflect the changing needs and concerns of Florida citizens. In an effort to curb the rise of property fraud, a recent amendment to Florida Statute Section 695.26, regarding the recording of documents affecting real property, went into effect at the first of the year. 

As of January 1, 2024, certain documents presented for recording in Hillsborough County Official Records require two witnesses, along with the name of each witness. These documents must also include the post office address of each witness in addition to the witness’s name. The post office address of each witness must be legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped on these documents. The post office address of each witness must be a physical address or post office box, an email address will not suffice. Section 695.26 authorizes the Clerk’s office to not accept documents submitted for recording without the required witness address information. Documents that do not meet the statutory requirements of section 695.26 are non-recordable documents and presenters of those documents for recording will be given notice of rejection and removal.

What documents are affected?

The new requirement applies to any “instrument by which the title to real property or any interest therein is conveyed, assigned, encumbered, or otherwise disposed of…”

Section 695.26 will apply to, including but not limited to, the following document types:

- Affidavits “by which the title to real property or any interest therein is conveyed, assigned, encumbered, or otherwise disposed of…”

- Agreements, Affidavits, Notices or Memorandums for Deed

- Deeds

- Easements

- Agreements, Affidavits, Notices or Memorandums of Interest in Land

Agent link for balances starting January 11, 2020.

NEW 24/7 SERVICE! Electronically certified official records are now available 24/7. Find out more about eCertify and place your order online.

E-Recording Services

ERecording, or electronic recording, is the process of recording documents with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court's Recording Office via the internet. This process would otherwise require documents be submitted by express mail, courier service or personal visit.

If you are an eRecording vendor that would like to begin eRecording with Hillsborough County Clerk, please contact our office.

If you wish to begin sending your recordable documents electronically to Hillsborough County, please contact one of the following eRecord Vendors:

CSC Corporation Service Company

e-Doc Solutions

eRecordings Partners Network

Indecomm Global Services

RecordNation, Low Volume Vendor

Simplifile

File and Go (NOCs)

eRecordingUSA

Hopdox

Official Records Library

The Official Records Library provides access to recorded documents that are microfilmed and/or electronically imaged. The earliest records available date back to 1836. Official Records Library staff will provide instructions regarding the research of these older documents. Copies of all documents are available upon payment of the statutory fee. Records Library staff also search records and prepare Clerk's Certificates on a fee basis.

Official Records Web Subscription Service

Why offer an Official Records Web Subscription Service?

The following documents cannot be displayed on publicly available Internet websites, pursuant to Florida Statute 28.2221:

Military Discharge
Death Certificate
Court file, record, or paper relating to matters or cases governed by the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, and Florida Probate Rules.

To serve those entities that require access to the information limited by law, the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court is offering a new web subscription service. For an annual usage fee, you will be given access to a secure, password-protected website with all Official Records document images recorded since January 4, 1965. Through this service, you will be provided the same information that is available on the public workstations in Official Records.

Cost to Join

There is annual fee of $100.00 for the web subscription service. The fee must be paid in full prior to initiation of service. Fees are subject to change annually. Fees are not refundable, except as provided in Article 14. No fee credit will accrue during periods the subscription site is out of service.

System Availability

The Clerk will attempt to provide continuous operation of the subscription website, except during periods of routine maintenance or under unusual circumstances such as "brownouts," emergency production requirements mandated by law, computer intrusions, adverse operational impacts, or other unforeseen events. Most routine maintenance will be scheduled between 5PM and 8AM or during weekends or holidays.

Recommended Software

Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.0 or higher is recommended to view the subscription website. To view images in PDF format, you must use Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 5.0 or higher. This program can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Services

Access to the subscription service will be provided through the Clerk of Court Internet website www.hillsclerk.com. Customers are responsible for maintaining and repairing their own equipment and for connectivity to the subscription website through their Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Clerk may modify the categories, classifications, format, or appearance of the data on the subscription site without prior notification; however, updates will generally be made to conform to changes in Florida law or to improve service to the subscriber.

Clerk's Responsibilities

Upon execution of the agreement, the Clerk will provide limited customer service through e-mail. Requests for assistance on specific problems or questions about the subscription website should be e-mailed to recording@hillsclerk.com. Email assistance will be available Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM, excluding holidays. The Clerk does not guarantee results or imply that all errors or problems will be corrected.

Customer's Responsibilities

The customer will ensure that unauthorized users do not access the subscription website and that the information gathered from the site is not made available for commercial resale or represented as the official government record. Failure to do so can result in immediate termination of the agreement and/or legal action.

Termination of Services

The subscription may be terminated without cause by either party with fifteen (15) days written notice to the other party. The Clerk may immediately terminate this agreement with no prior notice to the subscriber if the subscriber fails to comply with the terms of this agreement.

The subscription agreement may be terminated immediately if the Clerk fails to receive appropriate and continued funding from the customer for the subscription service. The Clerk will notify the customer by fax or telephone and follow up with written confirmation. The Clerk may immediately terminate the agreement without notice in order to protect the contents the Official Records from unauthorized remote access, alteration, or if the security of the website has been breached.

The Clerk may issue full or partial refunds of subscription fees if the termination is not the result of an act of noncompliance by the subscriber.

How to Subscribe

To subscribe to the Official Records web-subscription service, download the Subscription Agreement for Electronic Access to Official Records. Mail the completed, notarized agreement with your check (made payable to Clerk of the Circuit Court) to the following address:

Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller
ATTN: Official Records Director
PO Box 3249
Tampa FL 33601-3249

Privacy Notices and Redaction (Blocking) of Confidential Information

Privacy Notices

Redaction of Confidential Information from Images in the Official Records Under Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes.
Section 119.071(4) of the Florida Statutes states that individuals in certain professions, as well as their spouses and/or children, may request the Clerk of Court to remove personal information such as a home address and telephone number that may be included on documents in the Official Records such as mortgages and deeds.

The Confidentiality Request Form is available online or in the Official Records department

Notice of the Right of Any Affected Party to Request the Removal of Certain Chapter 119 Information or Records

Any person has a right to request a county recorder remove, from a publicly available internet website, information made exempt from inspection or copying under s. 119.071, F.S., or an image or copy of a public record, including an official record, if that image or copy is of a military discharge, death certificate, or a court file, record or paper relating to matters or cases governed by the Florida Rules of Family Law, the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, or the Florida Probate Rules.

Information removed as exempt under s. 119.071 will not be removed from the Official Records as described in s. 28.222(2). Such request must be made in writing and delivered in person, by mail, or by electronic transmission to the county recorder. The request must identify the Official Records book and page number, instrument number, or clerk’s file number for any information or document to be removed. For requests for removal from a person claiming a public records exemption pursuant to s. 119.071, the request must be written; be notarized; state under oath the statutory basis for removal of the information, image, or copy that is restricted from general public display on the county recorder’s publicly available Internet website; and confirm the individual’s eligibility for exempt status. A party making a false attestation is subject to the penalty of perjury under s. 837.012.

Grantor, grantee or party names may not be removed from the Official Records Index unless the grantor, grantee or party name includes the street address, such as in a trust or LLC. Requests must be notarized, state the statutory basis for removal, and confirm the individual’s eligibility for the exemption. To make a request contact the Clerk’s office by mail or in person at any of the Clerk’s three locations or by email at recording@hillsclerk.com.

The Internet Image Removal Request Form is available online or in any of our three locations.

Removal of Private Numbers from the Publicly Available Internet Website

On or after October 1, 2002, any person preparing or filing a record for recordation in the official records may not include a social security number or a bank account, debit, charge, or credit card number in such document unless required by law.

Any person has a right to request a county recorder to remove from an image or copy of an official record placed on a county recorder’s publicly available Internet website or on a publicly available Internet website used by a county recorder to display public records, or otherwise made electronically available to the general public, any social security number contained in an official record. Such request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or delivered in person, to the county recorder. The request must specify the identification page number that contains the social security number to be redacted. A fee may not be charged for the redaction of a social security number pursuant to such a request.

The Private Numbers Internet Redaction Form is available online or in our office.

Remote Notarial Acts

Find out more about remote notarial acts on the Electronic Legal Documents page.

Archive Records

View archived records, which contain Marriage Licenses from 1846 to 1972, Deed Indexes from 1948 to 1957, and Official Records Indexes from 1958 to 1966. To purchase a certified copy of an archived record, email recordslibrary@hillsclerk.com.

Download Tax Rolls

ADA Notice: If you require an accommodation to access any of these reports, please contact the official records staff by emailing recording@hillsclerk.com.

2000-2005	2006-2010	2011-2015	2016-2020	2021-Current
2002 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2006 Closing Roll (Full Legal)	2011 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2016 Tax Roll	2021 Tax Roll
2003 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2006 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2012 Closing Roll	2017 Tax Roll	2022 Tax Roll 1/2, 2/2
2004 Closing Roll (Full Legal)	2007 Closing Roll	2013 Closing Roll	2018 Tax Roll	2023 Tax Roll
2004 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2008 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2014 Tax Roll	2019 Tax Roll	2024 Tax Roll
2005 Closing Roll (Full Legal)	2009 Closing Roll	2014 Tax Roll 1/7, 2/7, 3/7, 4/7, 5/7, 6/7, 7/7
2005 Closing Roll 1/2, 2/2	2010 Closing Roll	2015 Tax Roll

Recording FAQs

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Deeds, Quit Claim Deeds, Mortgages and Releases/Satisfactions

Clerk forms and requirements for filing these forms are not available for download on the Clerk's website. Legal advice cannot be provided by the Clerk's staff, nor can they help prepare legal forms. The public is encouraged to consult with an attorney or legal advisor to ensure that the correct form is used for their situation and that the recording criteria as outlined in Florida Statutes, Section 695.26 is followed. You can find a Florida real property attorney by contacting the Florida Bar Association (Lawyer Referral Service – The Florida Bar).

You can locate a Quit Claim Deed form in section, 689.025, Florida Statutes (effective July 1, 2023) -see Chapter 2023-238, Laws of Florida. The statute provides a quit claim deed form for use when conveying property. Disclaimer - Use This Form at Your Own Risk. The Clerk’s Office cannot render legal advice and is not rendering legal advice by referencing this statutorily created form. Every property transaction is different and whether a quitclaim deed is the document needed for your property transaction is something you need to determine for yourself or with the help of an attorney. There is no guarantee that a quitclaim deed is the right instrument for what you are trying to accomplish. Please note that the Clerk’s Office is not liable for any negative consequences resulting from the use of the quit claim deed in section 689.025, Florida Statutes. You are urged to seek legal counsel for any assistance necessary in conveying real property. Deputy clerks are not authorized to provide any legal advice and the Hillsborough County Clerk’s Office makes no representation that this form is adequate for your specific needs.

To correct, add or remove a name from a deed, it is recommended that a real property attorney or a legal advisor be consulted.

To find out about recording fees for deeds, use our online Deed Calculator tool.

How do I obtain a deed to my property once I have received the lien satisfaction from my mortgage company? If you have lost or misplaced your deed, you can purchase a certified copy from our office using our eCertify service.

What are my options for recording a document?

Mail. P.O. Box 3249 Tampa, FL 33601-3249

Email: Contact Us

Phone: (813) 276-8100

In person: Downtown Tampa, Brandon, Plant City. See wait times.

What are the specific form requirements of documents submitted for recording with Official Records?

A paragraph is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Paragraphs are usually an expected part of formal writing, used to organize longer prose.

Recording Checklist

The public is encouraged to consult with an attorney or legal advisor to ensure that the correct form is used for their situation and that the recording criteria as outlined in Florida Statutes, Section 695.26 [third party website] is followed. You can find a Florida real property attorney by contacting the Florida Bar Association [third party website].

Please be sure to submit the Recording Transmittal form or a cover letter with instructions with all transactions and a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size for the return of the recorded documents.

To calculate fees:

Filing a last will and testament

Please go to our Probate Court page and read the FAQ on how to file a last will and testament with the Probate court for more information.

What are the fees associated with this service?

See Recording Services Fees for more information.

How do I record a foreign judgment?

Foreign judgment requirements can be found in Florida statutes 55.501-509 [third party website]. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of the recorded document with the check payable to "Clerk of Circuit Court" for the following fees:

Recording Judgment: $10.00 for the first page, and $8.50 for each additional page
Indexing Additional Names for the judgment: $1.00 per name after the fourth name
Recording Affidavit: $10.00 for the first page, and $8.50 for each additional page
Indexing Additional Names for the affidavit: $1.00 per name after the fourth name
Foreign Judgment Fee: $42.00
Foreign Judgment Document Preparation Fee: $7.00
Registered Mail Postage: $19.88 without return receipt (or current postage rate, if greater) times the number of judgment debtors, or $15.70 with return receipt (or current postage rate, if greater) times the number of judgment debtors
Copies of Judgment and Affidavit: $1.00 per page times the number of judgment debtors

Correct, Add or Remove Names on Deeds

The public is encouraged to consult with an attorney or legal advisor to ensure that the correct form is used for their situation and that the statutory requirements for recording are followed. You can find a Florida real property attorney by contacting the Florida Bar Association [third party link].

Recording fees are $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page of the document. The first four names are free; any additional names are $1.00 per name. If you are unsure if documentary stamp taxes are due, please contact the Florida Department of Revenue at (850) 488-6800 for assistance.

Once your document is prepared, you will bring the original signed and notarized deed to the Clerk’s Office; it can also be submitted by mail, but not by email.

What do I do with a Declaration of Domicile once I have completed it?

Download the Declaration of Domicile form, which must be submitted to the Clerk for recording, along with a check for the recording fee of $10 made payable to "Clerk of the Circuit Court" and either mailed to Clerk of Court & Comptroller, PO Box 3249, Tampa FL 33601-3249 or submitted in person at Room 140, 401 Pierce Street, Tampa, FL.

Notice of Commencement

You can find out more about Notice of Commencement requirements in chapter 713, Florida Statutes.

Please also include a Recording Transmittal form or a cover letter with instructions with all transactions, and two self-addressed stamped envelopes if sending in the document for recording by mail (one envelope to mail the certified copy if requested and one envelope to mail the original recorded Notice of Commencement).

Required fees, made payable to "Clerk of Circuit Court," are as follows:

Recording Notice of Commencement: $10.00 for the first page, and $8.50 for each additional page
Copies of Notice of Commencement: $1.00 per page
$2.00 for each certification

The above documents and payment can be electronically recorded using an e-Recording vendor (see e-Recording Services FAQ above), mailed to Hillsborough County Clerk of Court Official Records, PO Box 3249, Tampa FL 33602-3249, or recorded in person at our Official Records service locations.

Once the documents and payment have been received, please allow for up to 7 business days for the Notice of Commencement (NOC) recording to be validated and recorded into our Official Records Index. If you deliver it to Official Records in person, the NOC will be recorded and returned to you while you wait (no mailing envelopes are required for walk-in recordings).

Records Library FAQs

How can I obtain an electronically certified official record 24/7?

Electronically certified official records are now available. Using a service called Clerk eCertify, the Clerk is able to provide its customers with self-validating, tamper evident, electronically certified official records online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Customers can purchase electronically certified official records from the convenience of their home or smart phone from anywhere, and receive them as secured PDFs via email on holidays, in the middle of the night, from anywhere that they have internet access, without having to come to the courthouse to find parking, go thru security screening and wear protective masks, and without having to wait in line or wait for the mail to arrive. Customers will need email in order to use this service, because the documents are delivered via download links in an email.

Find out more about eCertify for Official Records and place an order.

What records are available in the Official Records Library?

Besides the Official Records Books which contain land records, here are examples of other recorded documents:

Subdivision plat maps
Tax rolls from 1883 to present
Marriage license records from 1831 to the present
Circuit Civil judgment from 1972 to the present
County Civil judgments from 1986 to the present
Probate judgments from 1986 to the present

How can I get copies of Official Records?

The Official Records Index from 1965 to the present is available online. If you do not require a certified copy, search the Official Records online for free. If you require a certified copy, you can obtain one 24/7 online using eCertify for Official Records.

You may request copies in person to order using a credit card. There is a charge of $2 for each year searched, $1 per page for copies of the document being requested, and $2 for certifying the document.

Website Security Changes
Beginning February 1, 2019, Hillsborough County Clerk websites will no longer support TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1. Only TLS version 1.2 will be supported. If you are using unsupported web browsers, old versions of the browsers or have not enabled your browser to use TLS 1.2 to connect to our records search websites after this date, you will begin receiving error messages.
Why are we disabling TLS 1.0 and 1.1?
We are disabling them to ensure that our websites are providing our customers and partners with safe and secure protocols for these connections. This change is enforced throughout the industry to maintain secure connections that encrypt and protect data from malicious data breaches.
Supported Browsers
Most of the latest versions of standard browsers will support TLS 1.2 by default. If you are unsure about whether your browser will support it, you can verify this by using the following website: https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/viewMyClient.html

How do I request records if I am exempt from fees and costs?

If you believe you are exempt from the fees and costs assessed by the Clerk's Office, do not order records using eCertify, which charges a fee upfront; instead, request official records from recording@hillsclerk.com

Where can I obtain a certified copy of a birth or death certificate?

Contact the State Health Department online or by calling (813) 307-8002.

The State Office of Vital Statistics also has marriage and divorce records for the entire state, and can be reached at (904) 359-6900.

Certified copies of birth certificates for Florida-born citizens are also available at the Tax Collector's Office.