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
or
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.
icon on the selected form’s page linked below. Download the selected form, complete any digital fields, and then print for signatures and filing.