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.

Circuit Civil

NOTICE: CIRCUIT CIVIL MATTERS CAN BE VERY TECHNICAL AND COMPLICATED PROCEDURES, AND AS SUCH, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY AND THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE FLORIDA STATUTES AND THE FLORIDA RULES OF PROCEDURE BEFORE PROCEEDING. THE CLERK’S OFFICE DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY FORMS RELATED TO ANY OF THESE PROCEDURES.

Claims of $50,000 and above are the responsibility of Circuit Civil Division.

Forms & Documents

Auto Negligence

All matters resulting from personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death arising out of a party’s alleged negligent operation of a motor vehicle, as defined in section 316.003, Florida Statutes. That is, any self-propelled vehicle not operated upon rails or guide way, but not including bicycles or mopeds. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Automobiles
Trucks
Buses
Motorcycles

Other Negligence

All matters relating to liability lawsuits involving negligence related to death, injury, or damage to property or property interests, including claims for statutory relief on account of death or injury, and including but not limited to the following:

Watercraft
Asbestos-related diseases

Professional Malpractice

All medical, legal, or other professional malpractice lawsuits.

Product Liability

All matters involving the alleged responsibility of the manufacturer or seller of an article causing injury to persons or property by a defect in, or condition of, the article sold, or an alleged breach of duty to provide suitable instructions to prevent injury.

Condominium

All civil lawsuits pursuant to Chapter 718, Florida Statutes. A condominium association (not condominium unit) must be a party in the lawsuit.

Contract and Indebtedness

All contract actions and all actions relating to promissory notes and other debts, including those arising from the sale of goods, and including, but not limited to the following:

Uniform Commercial Code litigation
Open accounts
Money lent
Breach of contract
Breach of lease agreement
Breach of insurance contract
Construction liens (formerly mechanics’ liens)
Evictions

Real Property / Mortgage Foreclosure

All matters relating to the possession, title and boundaries of real property including:

Purchase
Partition
Quieting title and removing encumbrances
Seals reformation
Rescissions and cancellation
Ejectment actions
All matters relating to the involvement of legal and equitable liens
against real property including foreclosures and sales, and
foreclosures associated with condominiums

Eminent Domain

All matters relating to the taking of private property for public use including inverse condemnation by state agencies, political subdivisions and public service corporations.

Enforcement of Lien By Sale of Motor Vehicle

Florida Statute 713.585. A person claiming a lien under s. 713.58 for performing labor or services on a motor vehicle.

Court Registry Surplus

Click here for the Court Registry Surplus

Other Civil

All civil matters not included in the previously described categories. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Declaratory judgments
Injunctions
Administrative agency appeals
Bond estreatures
Replevins
Habeas corpus proceedings
Forfeitures
Interpleader

Civil – County & Circuit Fees

Circuit Civil, County Civil, Small Claims Filing Fees
Effective June 1, 2009 Pursuant to SB1728

Small Claims Actions	Cost
Under $100	$55.00
$101 – $500	$80.00
$501 – $2,500	$175.00
$2,501 – $8,000	$300.00

County Civil Actions	Cost
$8,001 – $15,000	$300.00
$15,001 – $30,000	$400.00

Circuit Civil Actions	Cost
$50,001 and up	$400.00

Real Property or Foreclosure Cases with Claim Value	Cost
$50,000 Or Less	$400.00
$50,001 – $250,000	$905.00
Over $250,001	$1905.00

Replevin Actions	Cost
Up to $1,000	$130.00
$1,001 – $2,500	$240.00
$2,501 – $15,000	$385.00
$15,001 and over	$485.00

Each Defendant (Not including aka, fka, dba)	Cost
Over 5	$2.50

Issuing Summons	Cost
Per Summons	$10.00

Preparing Summons In Addition to Issuing Fee	Cost
Per Summons	$7.00

Recording Lis Pendens	Cost
1st Page	$5.00
Each Additional Page	$4.00

Tenant Eviction	$185.00

Cross Claim, Counter- Claim, 3rd Party Claim or Counter-Petition	Cost
County Court Actions Over $2500	$295.00
County Court Actions Transferring Jurisdiction to Circuit Court	$400.00
Circuit Court Actions	$395.00
Foreclosure/Real Property Actions Claims up to $15,000	$395.00
Foreclosure/Real Property Actions Claims $15001 – $250,000	$900.00
Foreclosure/Real Property Actions Claims Over $250,001	$1,900.00

Reopen Fee	Cost
Closed Case is Resubmitted to the Judge	$50.00

Domestication of Foreign Judgment	Cost
$15,000 Or Less	$300.00
Over $15,000	$400.00

Execution Fee on Foreign Judgment	$42.00

Bond Approvals	$8.50

Issuing Writ of Garnishment	$85.00

Transferred Case From Another County	Cost
Under $100	$55.00
$101 – $500	$80.00
$501 – $2,500	$175.00
$2,501 – $15,000	$300.00
$15,001 – $50,000	$400.00
$50,001 – $250,000	$905.00
Over $250,000	$1905.00

Appeal Filing Fee	Cost
County To Circuit	$281.00

Copies	Cost
Per Page	$1.00

Foreclosure Sale Fee	$70.00

Certifications	$2.00

Records Search	Cost
Per Year	$2.00

Exemplifications	$7.00

Malpractice Extension Fee	$42.00

FAX Copies	Cost
Per Page Local	$1.00
Per Page Long Distance	$1.25

Subpoenas	Cost
Issue Only	$2.00

Court Registry Fee	Cost
3% of 1st	$500.00
1.5% of	Remaining Balance

Search Official Records

Search Official Records Now

Search Prior to 1987

Search Older Alpha Index / Plats

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.

Passports

The Bay County Clerk’s Office accepts passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. U.S. citizens planning international travel may apply for their passports weekly Monday through Friday at the Bay County Clerk’s office 300 E 4^th Street Room 110, Panama City, Florida 32401. Please call our office at 850-747-5100 option 3 for information and to set an appointment.

DS-11 passport applications are accepted between the hours of 8:00am – 11:00am and 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Appointments are preferred to avoid wait times, however, walk ins are accepted with completed applications, proof of citizenship, proof of identification and the application fee payable to U.S. Department of State ($100.00 under the age of 16) and $130.00 (ages 16 and above)which must be paid by personal check, money order or cashier’s check. Additional $60.00 fee due for expedited service and an optional $22.05 (1-2 day return service) on expedited passports only.

The Clerk of Court is due the following fees:
Passport acceptance fee of $35.00
Passport Photo Fee of $15.00
Passport Priority Mail Fee shipping fee of $10.45 (which is subject to change by the USPS)

Accepted forms of payment:

Cash
Money Orders, Cashier’s Checks & Business Checks
Credit/Debit Cards- Subject to 3.5% processing fee of total transaction

Please complete your passport application prior to your appointment time by visiting travel.state.gov and choose the application that meets your needs. Please print the application and bring to your appointment along with your proof of citizenship, picture identification and required methods of payment. A passport picture is also required. The Bay County Clerk’s office does provide this service if needed.

Please read below for specific information regarding passport issuance, passport fees, and documents needed

Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State.

Passport Card

Customers have the option of applying for a passport book, a passport card or both. The passport card may only be used for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The passport card will provide a less expensive, smaller and more convenient alternative for those who travel to these destinations.

For more information about the difference between the passport book and passport card, please see “Should I get a passport book or card?” from the Department of State.

New Applicants

You must apply in person and complete the Passport Application Form DS-11 if any of the following are true:

You have never had a U.S. passport
You are under age 16
Your most recent passport was issued more than 15 years ago
Your most recent passport was lost or stolen

All applicants, including children, must apply in person and bring the following documents:

Proof of Citizenship – Provide one of the following:

Previous U.S. Passport
Certified copy of your birth certificate (must have names of both parents)
Certificate of Naturalization

Proof of Identity – Provide one of the following:

Previous U.S. Passport
Valid Driver’s License (A temporary license does not meet this requirement)
State Identification Card
Certificate of Naturalization

The Clerk’s office will offer passport photos on site for an additional cost.

Note: Payments to the Department of State must be made by personal check, cashier’s check or money order ONLY (no cash or credit cards). A separate application fee to the Clerk & Comptroller’s office may be paid by cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order, MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover.

*If a customer’s passport has been expired for LESS than five years, the passport must be renewed by mail. Customers whose passports have been expired for MORE than five years must reapply in person and may use the expired passport as proof of citizenship and identification.

Passport Renewal (By Mail)

All Passport renewals require the completion of Form DS-82. You may renew your passport by mail if:

You hold a passport and it is not more than 5 years past the date of expiration and not more than 15 years since being issued.
You were at least 16 years of age when it was issued.

Instructions:

Complete, sign and mail Form DS-82.
Include your most recent passport with two new passport photos.
- If the name you are using differs from the name on your most recent passport, you must
  - Submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate or
  - Certified copy of Court order showing the change.
If your passport is mutilated or damaged, you must
- Use the DS-11 application form and
- Apply in person at one of the acceptance agencies with a certified copy of your birth certificate (must have the names of both parents on it).

Passport Reapplication

If your most recent passport was issued less than 1 year ago, use DS-5504 form for the following:

Change of name
Correction of descriptive date
Extend the validity of a Limited Passport

Instructions:

Complete, sign and date the Reapplication Form DS-5504.
Mail your application to one of the addresses listed on page 2 of the DS-5504 form.

Note: There is no fee if your passport was issued less than 1 year ago, unless you request expedited processing.

If your most recent passport was issued more than 1 year ago AND you have the passport, use Form DS-82.

Instructions:

Complete, sign and mail your application to the address listed on the back of the DS-82 form.
Include the appropriate payment/fee.

If your most recent passport was issued more than 1 year ago AND you do not have the passport, use DS-11 form.

Instructions:

Complete the DS-11 form
Bring it to an acceptance agency for processing.

Applications for Minors

Children under age 16 (For new and renewal passports). Minors must be present when applying.You must complete the New Applicant DS-11 form and include:

Proof of Citizenship
- Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state (must have the names of both parents on it)
- Certificate of Naturalization
Proof of Identity
- Previous U.S. Passport
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Government issued identification card

Both parents must appear together to sign the application DS-11 form, or one parent must be present to sign the application, and the absent parent MUST submit a completed and notarized “Statement of Consent” Form DS-3053 AND a photocopy (front and back) of their ID. The notarized consent form cannot be more than three months old.

For more information on obtaining passports for minors, see the Department of State website.

Fees

See Service Charges & Fees

How Long Passports Are Valid

Adults (16 years of age and older) – Ten (10) years
Children (15 years and younger) – Five (5) years

Passport Processing – Time Requirements

Please consult http://www.travel.state.gov for the most up-to-date processing times.

To check the status of your Passport Application:

Call 1-877-487-2778 from 6:00a.m. – Midnight EST, Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays), or
Check online at http://www.travel.state.gov
If you are traveling within 9 weeks, you must make an appointment at the nearest Passport Agency by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.
If you are traveling within 13 weeks, the Department of State strongly recommends that you request and pay for Expedited Service. For current expedited service fees, see Passport Fees & Costs.

For application forms, information on documentation required, fees, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information, visit the only official website for passport information: https://travel.state.gov/

Forms

The information contained in the forms on this website is simply informational and is not intended as legal advice. Do not depend on using the forms offered on this site for making legal, business or other important decisions. Employees of the Clerk’s Office cannot give legal advice. For further explanation of the forms on this site please contact an attorney.

We are currently in the process of making our entire document library ADA Compliant. If you have any problems accessing or using a PDF document on this website, please call Connor Vann at (850) 747-5123 for assistance.

To request public records from the Clerk’s Office, please print and complete the Request For Public Records Form below and return to the appropriate department.

Attorneys, please visit the Florida Bar for the latest rulings on Civil and Family Filings and Dispositions.

Popular Downloads

Request for Public Records

Traffic School Election Affidavit

Case Number Format Examples

Credit Card Payment

Landlord Tenant Eviction – Paper Packet

Small Claims Packet

All Downloads

Tourist Development Tax

Value Adjustment Board

Divorce

Juvenile

Probate / Guardianship

Other

Announcing The Launch Of Our Updated Website

We are pleased to announce the launch of our updated website! After some hard work and dedication, we are delighted to officially launch the new www.baycoclerk.com which will make it easier for customers using mobile devices to navigate. Amongst the new features, the site contains buttons to file court documents electronically and to purchase certified copies of court and official records documents using a self-service portal.

We hope you find the updated website with a fresh look, easy to access information and we also wish to establish this portal as a source of information for those who visit our site.

For any questions, suggestions, feedback, or comments, please contact us.

Thank You!

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

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.

Official Records Fees

Accepted forms of payment:

Cash
Money Orders, Cashier’s Checks & Business Checks
Credit/Debit Cards- Subject to 3.5% processing fee of total transaction

Calculate your fees

Service	Fees
Official Records CD (per book)	$25.00
Plat copy per page	$5.00
Record Search per year	$1.00
Extra names (per name over 4)	$1.00
Examining, certifying and recording plats larger than 8 1/2 x 14 Each additional page	$30.00 $15.00
Recording instruments – 8 1/2 x 14 Each additional page	$10.00 $8.50

Documentary Stamps

(anything that conveys real estate)

Service	Fees
Doc Stamps on Deeds (computed on the total purchase price)	$0.70 per $100
Doc Stamps on Mortgages (computed on the amount of mortgage rounded to the nearest $100.00)	$0.35 per $100
Intangible tax (computed on the exact amount of mortgage)	$0.20 per $100

Please be informed that fee increases are added during Legislative Session.

Recording Fees History

Date	Fees
From 1931 to June 30th, 1957	$00.10
From July 1st, 1957 to June 30th, 1963	$00.20
From July 1st, 1963 to September 30th, 1979	$00.30
From October 1st, 1979 to June 30th, 1981	$00.40
July 1st, 1981 to June 30th, 1985	$00.45
July 1st, 1985 to June 30th, 1987	$00.50
July 1st, 1987 to May 31st, 1991	$00.55
June 1st, 1991 to July 31st, 1992	$00.60
August 1st, 1992 to present	$00.70

To calculate your fees, click here.

Please be informed that fee increases are due to the Senate Bill 2962 that was passed during this Legislative Session.