Search Official Records

Search Prior to 1987

By accessing these services, you agree to any terms and instructions defined below.

The Official Records Search allows you to search the entire Bay County Official Records database for final judgments, land records, and other public documents recorded after January 1st, 1987.

The search will return a list of Parties, the date the document was recorded, the type of document that was recorded, the Book type, the Book/Page and Clerk Instrument Number of the document.

The copies viewed on this website are not legal official documents. Official legal document copies are available only from the Clerk’s Official Records Department.

With information obtained online, you may easily retrieve and identify documents available at the Official Records Division of the Clerk’s Office. These documents can be obtained in the following manner:

By visiting the Bay County Official Records search page for free uncertified copies.
By contacting the Official Records Division of the Clerk’s Office (by phone (850)763-9061 opt 3 or by email recording@baycoclerk.com) and requesting that certified copies be mailed to you at a cost of $1.00 per page for copies and $2.00 for certifications.
Electronic Certifications are also available from our website by choosing the purchase certified documents option on the homepage or by following this link.
How do I obtain a certified copy of a Marriage License?
If you are local, all you need to do is come to our office (in room 110 at the Bay County Courthouse). Make sure and know both parties names and the time of the marriage and the year of the marriage. You may pay by cash or a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit or debit card. Note: if you choose to use a credit or debit card you will be charged a convenience fee.

If you are from out of town, you’ll need to send a letter requesting those copies. Be sure to include both names at the time of the marriage and the year of the marriage. Payment must be sent by money order (we do not accept checks) made payable to Bill Kinsaul, Clerk. The day we receive your request we will process it and send your certified copies back out to you. Send your request to the following address:

Bay County Clerk’s Office
ATTN: Marriage License Department
P.O. Box 2269
Panama City, FL 32402

Requests can also be sent via email by completing and attaching saved copies of the Marriage License Request Form and the Recording/Marriage License Department Credit Card Payment Form (both linked below). Forward the attachments to recording@baycoclerk.com for processing.

Request for Marriage Record
Recording/Marriage License Department Credit Card Payment Form

Or you may contact the Office of Vital Statistics:

Department of Health
Office of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231
904-359-6900

INSTRUCTIONS on using our Search Page – Click HERE.

Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with Florida Statute 695.26 and the requirements for recording instruments affecting real property, the Clerk will not record an instrument by which title to real property or interest is conveyed, assigned, encumbered, or disposed of unless:
• The name of each witness is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped immediately beneath the signature of the witness.
• The post office address of each witness is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped on each instrument.

Property Fraud Alert

Bay County Clerk of Court offers property owners a free service to alert themselves of potential property fraud.

According to the FBI property and mortgage fraud is one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes. Scammers file fraudulent deeds making it appear as if they own the property. This type of fraud can go undetected if the property owner does not periodically check the Official Records. Although checking does not prevent the actual fraudulent activity from occurring it does provide an early warning of what may have otherwise gone undetected.

Properly Fraud Alert emails notifications to subscribers when a deed, mortgage, or other land record with their registered name on it has been recorded into the Clerk’s Official Records.

Property Fraud Alert is a free service that alerts subscribers when a mortgage, deed or other land document is recorded in their name in Bay County’s official records. Notifications are emailed within 24 hours of the document being recorded. Sign up and start protecting your most valuable investments.

If You Receive an Alert

If a document is recorded that matches your monitoring criteria, you will receive an email and/or text alert within 24 hours. The alert will include a link to the document being recorded in the Clerk’s Official Records.

If the name and property are not yours or if you recognize the filed document, no further action must be taken.

If the property is yours, but you do not recognize the document filed, you may be a victim of property fraud.

If you believe you have been the victim of property fraud, correcting your title can be a complicated process. The Bay County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller has created this list of steps you should take immediately to correct your title and affirm your ownership.

Steps to Take for Victims of Property Fraud

Report the Crime to the Appropriate Law Enforcement Agency

Deed forgery and property fraud is a criminal act under Florida Statute 817.535. Bay County’s local law enforcement agencies take this crime seriously and have detectives on staff to investigate these crimes with the hope of bringing the fraudsters to justice. The police report that is created will be helpful to you in correcting or restoring the title on your property.

Contact local law enforcement immediately if you suspect you have been victimized

– Bay County Sheriff’s Office: (850) 747-4700
File a Complaint with the Circuit Court to Quiet Title Based on Fraudulent Conveyance (Fla. Stat. Sec. 65.091 and 817.535(8)(a))

Through this new legislation there are forms to help you remove the fraudulent document. A Complaint to Quiet Title based upon a Fraudulent Conveyance is a civil lawsuit that will request the Court to declare the offending document as fraudulent. All applicable filing fees will apply. A final judgment “quieting title” will direct the Clerk to remove the fraudulent document from the Official Record. On our website you will find instructions and a simplified form to assist you in filing a complaint to quiet title. For easy access please click here to view the form.
Record a Lis Pendens in the Official Records of Bay County

A lis pendens puts the public on notice that there is a lawsuit involving the property and helps prevent any subsequent sales or transfers of the property until the court resolves the dispute. The court case (step #2) must be filed prior to recording the lis pendens.
Contact the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector

– Property Appraiser’s Office: (850) 248-8401
– Tax Collector’s Office: (850) 248-8501

In a fraudulent recording, a recorded document may change the property owner in the Property Appraiser’s and Tax Collector’s systems. As a result, TRIM notices and property tax bills may be sent to a different address. Unpaid taxes can eventually result in the property being sold at Tax Deed Auction.
Sign Up for Property Fraud Alert

If you have not already done so, sign up for Property Fraud Alert, a free service offered by your Bay County Clerk. Property Fraud Alert notifies you within 24 hours of any documents filed that affect your property. While it cannot prevent a fraudulent document from being filed, it can allow you to respond quickly to address any problems.

Sign Up

Visit the Recording Activity Notification page to register.
Enter your personal or business name and email address.
To register a Trust, enter the Trust as a business name

Notice

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

Any person has the right to request the Clerk/County Recorder to redact /remove social security, bank account, credit, debit or charge card numbers from any image or copy of an Official Record that has been placed on the Clerk’s publicly available website.

The request must be legibly written, signed and delivered in person, by mail or by fax to the Clerk’s Official Records Department. The request must specify the identification book and page number that contains the information to be redacted. No fee is charged for this service.

You may access the link to our Forms Page to print a request form or write your own request and hand deliver to the Bay County Courthouse, Room 110. Or mail to:

Bay County Clerk’s Office
Attention Official Records
P.O. Box 2269
Panama City, FL 32402

Bay County Clerk’s Office
Attention Official Records
300 East 4th Street
Panama City, FL 32401

**Because of the risk of computer viruses attached to electronic signatures, this office will not accept electronic requests.

Free Property Fraud Alert

If the name and property are not yours or if you recognize the filed document, no further action must be taken.

If the property is yours, but you do not recognize the document filed, you may be a victim of property fraud.

Steps to Take for Victims of Property Fraud

Report the Crime to the Appropriate Law Enforcement Agency

Deed forgery and property fraud is a criminal act under Florida Statute 817.535. Bay County’s local law enforcement agencies take this crime seriously and have detectives on staff to investigate these crimes with the hope of bringing the fraudsters to justice. The police report that is created will be helpful to you in correcting or restoring the title on your property.

Contact local law enforcement immediately if you suspect you have been victimized

– Bay County Sheriff’s Office: (850) 747-4700
File a Complaint with the Circuit Court to Quiet Title Based on Fraudulent Conveyance (Fla. Stat. Sec. 65.091 and 817.535(8)(a))

Through this new legislation there are forms to help you remove the fraudulent document. A Complaint to Quiet Title based upon a Fraudulent Conveyance is a civil lawsuit that will request the Court to declare the offending document as fraudulent. All applicable filing fees will apply. A final judgment “quieting title” will direct the Clerk to remove the fraudulent document from the Official Record. On our website you will find instructions and a simplified form to assist you in filing a complaint to quiet title. For easy access please click here to view the form.
Record a Lis Pendens in the Official Records of Bay County

A lis pendens puts the public on notice that there is a lawsuit involving the property and helps prevent any subsequent sales or transfers of the property until the court resolves the dispute. The court case (step #2) must be filed prior to recording the lis pendens.
Contact the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector

– Property Appraiser’s Office 850-248-8401
– Tax Collector’s Office 850-248-8501

In a fraudulent recording, a recorded document may change the property owner in the Property Appraiser’s and Tax Collector’s systems. As a result, TRIM notices and property tax bills may be sent to a different address. Unpaid taxes can eventually result in the property being sold at Tax Deed Auction.
Sign Up for Property Fraud Alert

If you have not already done so, sign up for Property Fraud Alert, a free service offered by your Bay County Clerk. Property Fraud Alert notifies you within 24 hours of any documents filed that affect your property. While it cannot prevent a fraudulent document from being filed, it can allow you to respond quickly to address any problems.

Types of Documents

AFFIDAVIT	AFF	Affidavit, Declaration of Domicile
AGREEMENT	AGR	Agreement, Assumption Agreement, Bill of Sale, Consent, Future and Advanced Agreement, Lease, Merger, Promissory Note, Trust, Subordination
AGREEMENT AND/OR CONTRACT FOR DEED	AGD	Agreements for Deed, Contracts for Deed
ASSIGNMENT	ASG	Assignment of Anything (Mortgages, Liens, Court Papers)
BOND	BND	All Bonds (Ie. Performance), Appearance Bond, Bail Bonds
CERTIFICATE	CTF	Articles of Incorporation, Certificate
CERTIFIED COPY OF A COURT JUDGMENT	CCJ	Certified copy of a Previously Recorded judgment
CONDOMINIUM, DECLARATION OF	CND	Declaration of Condominium
COURT PAPER	CP	Circuit and County Court Papers (Except Probate): Administrative Orders, Appeal, Decree, Dismissal, Execution, Injunction, Letter, Mandate, Motion, Notice of Court Paper, Verdict, Vacation
DEATH CERTIFICATE	DC	Death Certificate
DEED	D	Certificate of Title, CO-OP Lease, Deed, Personal Representative Deed, Quit Claim Deed, Property Lease, Timeshare Deed, Tax Deed, Trustee Deed, Warranty Deed, 99-Year Lease
EASEMENT	EAS	Easement, Right-of-Way, Conservation Easement (Per 704.06)
FINANCING STATEMENT/UCC	FIN	Financing Statement, UCC-1, UCC-3, Continuations of UCC, Terminations of UCCs-Anything/Everything Related to Financing Statements
GOVERNMENT-RELATED	GOV	Ordinance, Resolutions, Supervisor of Elections Precincts, Notice of encumbrance Annexation, Vacation of Road
JUDGMENT	JUD	Court judgment: Bankruptcy, Default judgment, Final judgment on Foreclosure, Quiet Title judgment, Stipulation of Final judgment, Summary judgment, Vacation of judgment
LIEN	LN	Assessments, Certificate of Indebtedness, Claim of Lien, Code Enforcement, Board Lien, Federal Tax Lien, Lien, Hospital Lien, Tax Lien, Tax Certificate, Tax Warrant
LIS PENDENS	LP	Lis Pendens
MARRIAGE RECORD	MAR	The One Page Form of Marriage Application, LIcense, and Certificate
MODIFICATION	MOD	Modification of Anything (Mortgage, Liens, Court Papers), Extensions of Anything, Continuations of Anything
MORTGAGE	MTG	Mortgage, Chattel Mortgage
NOTICE	NOT	Appointment, Approval, By Laws, Commission, Designation of Homestead, Document of Unknown Purpose, “Garbafe” Document, Memorandum, Miscellaneous Document, Notice (Not of Court), Notice of Bond, Oaths, Waiver (Not of Court)
NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT	NOC	Section 713 Notices of Commencement (Including Bonds when Attached to the Notice of Commencement)
NOTICE OF CONTEST OF LIEN	NCL	Notice of Contest of Lien
ORDER	ORD	Orders from the Circuit and County Courts: Final Order, Final Order/Action, Order, Order of Taking
PARTIAL RELEASE	PR	Partial Release of Anything (Mortgages, Liens, Court Papers)
PLAT	PL	Plat
PLAT RELATED	PLR	Surveyor’s Certificate/Affidavit, Affidavits/Certificates of Correction to Plat, Surveys, Lot Split Surveys, Vacations of Plat
POWER OF ATTORNEY	POA	Power of Attorney
PROBATE DOCUMENTS	PRO	Probate Anything: Non-Taxable Certificate, Estate Tax Closing Letter, Guardianship Letter, Letter of Administration, Will
RELEASE	REL	Release of Anything (Mortgages, Liens, Court Papers), Cancellations of Anything (Mortgages, Liens, Court Papers)
RESTRICTIONS	RES	Subdivision Restrictions, Condo restrictions, Covenants, Homeowners’ Association Bylaws
SATISFACTION	SAT	Satisfaction of Anything (Mortgage, Liens, Court Papers)
TERMINATION	TER	Termination of Power of Attorney and Notice of Commencement
TRANSFER	TRA	Transfer of Lien to Cash, Transfer of Lien to Bond, Transfer of Lien to Security

E-Certify

For your convenience, the Bay County Clerk of Court is now offering Electronic Certified Documents for purchase online. Each electronic certified document uses advanced encryption features to produce a tamper-proof electronic certified document that will include a unique Clerk of Court digital signature.

To purchase an Electronic Certified Document on our website, the document must be in a viewable electronic format.

E-Certify Court & Official Records

Benefits of E-Certify:

Online
Real-time
24-hour access
Convenient
Secure
Efficient
Environmentally friendly

Verify Certified Documents

Each document contains a Unique Reference Number for identification purposes and a tamper-evident seal to indicate if the document has been tampered with. To view the tamper-evident seal and verify the certifier’s digital signature, open this document with Adobe Reader software.

There are three ways to verify the authenticity of a document. The first, and easiest way, is to scan the QR code printed on your document. If you do not have a QR code scanner, you may enter the Unique Reference Number for your document or upload the document below. Please watch the video above for detailed instructions.

Verify by code

Enter the Unique Reference Code from the original record to see the authentication results.

Verify by File Upload

Upload an electronic certificate file and we will perform an automated authentication.

Guardianship Audits and Reporting

Guardianship Audits

The Inspector General supports the Bay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller staff in an attempt to augment the court’s oversight process applicable to the protection of wards’ assets pursuant to Chapter 744, Florida Statutes.

Guardianship Reporting

Accountings should include all supporting bank statements, receipts, invoices and/or cancelled checks (if receipts are unavailable), as well as any other necessary documents for validation.

Plans should include a current Physician’s Report (unless exempt) and any other necessary supporting documentation.

Guardianship Reporting Calculator

CLICK HERE to open the Guardianship Reporting Calculator in a new tab.

Additional Resources

Probate Court Department, Clerk of Court & Comptroller

14th Judicial Website Forms

Office of Public & Professional Guardians (OPPG)

Florida Statute Chapter 744 Guardianship

Registered Professional Guardians (OPPG)

Florida Public Guardian Programs (OPPG)

National Guardianship Association, Inc.

Florida State Guardianship Association

FCCC 2021 Guardianship Audit Best Practice PDF

FCCC 2021 Guardianship Audit Best Practice – Checklist PDF

FCCC 2021 Guardianship Audit Best Practice – Appendix PDF

Recording Requirements

Preparations of Instruments for Recording

Proper preparations of documents lie with the customer. Re-recording and corrective deeds can be costly. THEREFORE, PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING:

Consideration of sale price must be noted.
Clearly printed or typed for best reproduction by microfilm or photography.
Date the body of the instrument.
Grantee’s mailing address, if transfer of interest is real estate. (Example: Deeds, Agreements and Contract for Deeds).
Affix the name and address of person to whom instrument is to be returned on the front of the instrument, first page.
On all instruments by which the title to real estate or any interest therein or lien thereon is conveyed, created, encumbered, assigned or otherwise disposed of, the name and address of the person who prepared the instrument in a legible manner.
Full legal description of property.
Signatures should agree with names in the body of the instrument and should be legible and correctly spelled.
Signatures to be attested by two witnesses (transfer of any property). Witnesses must sign, print their name and include their addresses.
Acknowledgment of person(s) executing the instrument.
Notary public seal expiration date and commission number.
Corporate seal, if applicable.
To ensure fast and efficient handling of all mail transactions envelopes should be addressed to the attention of the RECORDING DEPARTMENT.

Calculate Your Official Records Fees

Privacy Policy

General

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller’s Web site is for informational purposes only and is offered as a convenience for our customers. We make no warranty or guarantee regarding the accuracy or reliability of the content on this site. The Clerk & Comptroller’s office shall not be liable for errors or for any damages in connection with the use of the information appearing on this or other referenced websites.

This website does not provide legal advice. Please contact a qualified attorney for guidance about a particular legal issue.

By using the information, services and products available through this website, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of use as set forth herein.

The terms and conditions set forth in the PPTOU may be updated from time to time without notice to you. It is your responsibility to review it from time to time to be aware of any such change. Your continued use of this service will indicate your agreement to any such change.

Public Records

Florida has a very broad public records law. As a result, any written communication created or received by Bay County Clerk & Comptroller officials and employees will be made available to the public and media, upon request, unless otherwise exempt. Furthermore, under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact our office by phone or in writing.

Collection of Personal Information

When you engage in activities on this site, you may be asked to provide certain information about yourself by filling out and submitting an online form. It is completely optional for you to engage in these activities.

Depending upon the activity, some of the information that we ask you to provide is identified as mandatory and some as voluntary. If you do not provide the mandatory data with respect to a particular activity, you will not be able to engage in that activity online. Instead, you will need to use a non-Web option for transacting that business with the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller.

Protection of Your Personal Information

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller recognizes and appreciates the importance of responsible use of information collected on this site. Information may be saved for a designated period of time in order to comply with the State of Florida’s archiving policies. However, information will not be disclosed to third parties or other government agencies, unless required by state or federal law.

Use of Cookies

When you visit the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller’s Web site, you can surf the site anonymously and access information without revealing your identity. In order to improve our site, we may use “cookies” to assist your visit. A cookie is small amount of data that is transferred to your browser by a Web server and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. It can function as your identification card, recording your passwords, purchases, and preferences. However, it cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses.

Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether or not to accept it.

For some Web pages that require an authorization, cookies are not optional. Users choosing not to accept cookies will probably not be able to access those pages. While certain Web pages use cookies to assist your visit to the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller Web site, and while our Web servers automatically log the IP address of your computer, this information does not identify you personally, and you remain anonymous unless you have otherwise provided personal information to a specific Web page.

User Accounts

When registering to use a feature, it is solely your responsibility to keep your private account information, such as username and password, secure. You must not disclose your private account information to anyone except other authorized persons.

You are entirely liable for all activities conducted through your account. You agree to immediately notify the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller of any unauthorized use of your account or any breach of security.

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller will never ask you for your password in an unsolicited phone call or in an unsolicited e-mail. Also remember to sign out of your account and close your browser window whenever you have finished your work.

Security

Data transmission over the Internet is not guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information transmitted to us or received from our online products or services. Once we receive a transmission, we make our best effort to ensure it is secure on our systems.

Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for all charges associated with connecting to the Internet. You agree that any telephone or other communications fees and charges incurred are your sole responsibility.

Prohibited Uses

As a user of the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller’s website, you agree to use this service only for its lawful, intended purposes. Use of this service for transmission, distribution, retrieval, or storage of any information, data, or other material in violation of any applicable law or regulation is prohibited. You also agree not to use the service to:

Provide false information or to impersonate someone else;
Distribute computer viruses, worms, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system;
Violate any applicable local, state, national or international law.

System and Network Security

Violations of system or network security of the service are prohibited, and may subject you to criminal and/or civil liability. The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller will investigate potential security violations, and may notify applicable law enforcement agencies if violations are suspected.

You may not attempt to circumvent the authentication procedures or security of any host, network, network component, or account to access data, accounts, or systems that you are not expressly permitted to access.

You may not interfere or attempt to interfere with service to any other user.

Violation of Terms of Use

In the event of any violation of the terms contained herein, the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller reserves the right to suspend or terminate, either temporarily or permanently, any or all services provided. Users who violate terms contained herein may additionally incur criminal and/or civil liability. The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller may refer violators to civil or criminal authorities for prosecution.

Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller and its subsidiaries, affiliates, telecommunications providers, service providers, officers, employees and agents harmless from any claim, liability, loss, expense or demand, including attorneys’ fees, related to a user’s violation of the terms and conditions or the use of the services and information provided at this Web site.

Limitation of Liability

In no event will the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller, its suppliers, its service providers, or other third party affiliates be liable for any damages whatsoever including but not limited to:

Direct, indirect, incidental punitive and consequential damages arising out of the use, inability to use, or the results of use of this service;
Any Web sites linked to the service, the materials or information contained at any or all such sites;
Content anywhere on the internet, whether based on warranty, contract, tort or any other legal theory;
Including without limitation those damages resulting from lost profits, lost data or business interruption;
Aggregate liability of the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller or any of its suppliers, service providers, or third party affiliates.

In no event shall the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special and exemplary damages, or any damages whatsoever, arising from the use or performance of this Web site or from any information, services or products provided through this Web site, even if the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

If you are dissatisfied with this Web site, or any portion thereof, your exclusive remedy shall be to stop using the website.

Termination

If a user’s conduct fails to conform to the letter or spirit of these terms and conditions or if the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller believes the user’s conduct may create liability for its affiliates, then that user’s service will be terminated.

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller reserves the right to restrict access of any user of this service and may at any time in its sole discretion with or without notice and with or without cause immediately deny access to the service and may remove all account information.

Disclaimer of Warranties

This service is provided by the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller on an “as is” basis. Neither the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller nor its partners, providers, or affiliates make any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the service, its contents, or any information made available by or through the service.

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or any infringement. Furthermore, the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller does not warrant that use of the service will not be interrupted, available at any time or from any location, secured and error-free. Corrected defects are not warrantable and the service is not guaranteed free of viruses or other harmful components.

Jurisdictional Issues

The PPTOU shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida as it is applied to contracts entered into by residents of the State of Florida including the public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes). You also consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Bay County, Florida, and you further consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction of the courts therein.

If any provision(s) of the PPTOU is found to be contrary to law, then such provision(s) shall be construed, as nearly as possible, to reflect the intentions of the parties with the other provisions remaining in full force and effect.

The Bay County Clerk & Comptroller’s failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the PPTOU shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to by the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller in writing. You and the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller agree that any cause of action arising out of or related to this PPTOU or the service must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action arose; otherwise, such cause of action is permanently barred.

The section titles in this PPTOU are solely used for the convenience of the parties and have no legal or contractual significance. These terms and conditions constitute the entire agreement between you and the Bay County Clerk & Comptroller with respect to the subject matter herein and supersede any and all prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreements. You may not assign this agreement to any other party.

Value Adjustment Board

2024 PETITION DEADLINE:
September 9, 2024

The Bay County Property Appraiser’s Office will send out trim notices on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The deadline for filing a petition to the Bay County Value Adjustment Board is Monday September 9, 2024. If you did not receive a trim notice or have questions concerning your assessment, you should contact the Bay County Property Appraiser’s Office at (850) 248-8401. If you have questions regarding the filing of a petition to the Bay County Value Adjustment Board please contact the Bay County Clerk’s Office at (850) 767-3314 or at vab@baycoclerk.com.

ALL PETITIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE BY THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY ON THE DEADLINE DATE. PETITIONS POSTMARKED ON AND RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE DATE WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE. REFER TO 12D-9.015(14) FOR LATE FILING PROCEDURE.

F.S. 194.015 Value Adjustment Board

“There is hereby created a value adjustment board for each county, which shall consist of two members of the governing body of the county as elected from the membership of the board of said governing body, one of whom shall be elected chairperson, and one member of the school board as elected from the membership of the school board, and two citizen members, one of whom shall be appointed by the governing body of the county and must own homestead property within the county and one of whom must be appointed by the school board and must own a business occupying commercial space located within the school district.”

Education and Resources

Section 194.011(5)(b), Florida Statutes, states:

“(b) The department shall develop a uniform policies and procedures manual that shall be used by value adjustment boards, special magistrates, and taxpayers in proceedings before value adjustment boards. The manual shall be made available, at a minimum, on the department’s website and on the existing websites of the clerk of circuit courts.”

DOR – The Florida Department of Revenue (Department) has developed this uniform policies and procedures manual as prescribed by statute and other resources the public may find helpful. Click on the links below for more information.

FLORIDA STATUTES – The Florida Statutes pertaining to the Value Adjustment Board and its processes are available at the Bay County Public Library and online. Suggested statute references are Chapters 193, 194, and 196.

Florida Statues Online

FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE (F.A.C) – In addition, Chapters 12D-9 and 12D-10 of The Florida Administrative Code can be found online.

Florida Rules Online

FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW – To access the Sunshine and Public Records Law click here for the Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual.

Fee to File a Petition

There is a $50.00 non-refundable filing fee to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board. Petitions sent without the appropriate filing fees are deemed incomplete and cannot be processed unless the Clerk to the Value Adjustment Board receives the fee.

Petitioners filing a single joint petition containing multiple parcels or TPP accounts must first submit, to the Bay County Property Appraiser’s Office, a Florida Department of Revenue form DR-486MU, listing the contiguous parcels or similar accounts. The Property Appraiser’s Office must first approve the parcels or accounts as contiguous or like and similar in nature before the petition can be filed. The cost to file this type of petition is $50.00 + $5.00 each additional parcel or account after the first.

FILING FEES PERTAINING TO THE DENIAL OF HX EXEMPTION OR HX TAX DEFERRAL

Persons filing a petition due to the denial, by the Property Appraiser or the Tax Collector, of a timely filed application for a homestead exemption or a timely filed application for homestead tax deferral, are not subject to a filing fee. However, if the application was filed after the March 1st deadline and was denied, the $50.00 petition filing fee would apply.

FILING YOUR PETITION IN PERSON OR THROUGH THE MAIL

You will file your petition with the Clerk of the Value Adjustment Board who is located at the Bay County Board Finance Office building located at 225 McKenzie Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401. Payment can be in the form of cash, check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to the Clerk of the Value Adjustment Board. ALL PETITIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE CLERK OF THE VALUE ADJUSTMENT BOARD BY THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY ON THE DEADLINE DATE PROVIDED ON YOUR TRIM NOTICE. PETITIONS POSTMARKED ON AND RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE. REFER TO 12D-9.015(11) FOR LATE FILING PROCEDURE.

FILING YOUR VALUE OR TPP PETITION ONLINE

To file a petition online and pay with a credit card, click on the link below. Credit cards are subject to a 3.5% non-refundable processing fee. Note: Single joint petitions containing multiple parcels must be filed in person or by mail and accompanied by a letter of approval from the Property Appraiser’s Office.

File a new petition or check the status of a petition

Value Adjustment Board Downloads

Notices

Information

Forms

Download links above open in a new tab

Contacting the Value Adjustment Board

Deputy Clerk to the VAB
Patrice Smart
Phone : (850) 767-3314
Fax : (850) 747-5212
225 McKenzie Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
Email Value Adjustment Board

Official Records Forms

Forms below can be downloaded using the icon on the selected form’s page linked below. Download the selected form, complete any digital fields, and then print for signatures and filing. Adobe Reader is suggested for completing PDF documents with digital form fields.

In accordance with Florida Statute 695.26 and the requirements for recording instruments affecting real property, the Clerk will not record an instrument by which title to real property or interest is conveyed, assigned, encumbered, or disposed of unless:
• The name of each witness is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped immediately beneath the signature of the witness.
• The post office address of each witness is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped on each instrument.