Search Volusia County Court Records

How to Search Volusia County Court Records

The Clerk's Search Records page is the central hub for all public inquiry tools. From one page you can reach Case Inquiry, Citation Inquiry, Official Records search, jury inquiry, marriage document search, arrest booking downloads, and tax deed records. For most Volusia County court records searches, Case Inquiry is the right tool. It covers Circuit Civil, County Civil, Family Law, Probate, and Criminal case records and lets you search by party name or by case number. The Clerk warns that scheduled maintenance runs Thursday nights between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., so plan around that window.

Before you start, gather what you know. A full legal name helps narrow results. A case number is even better. Volusia case numbers combine a year, a sequence number, and a division code, for example "2026 103169 CFDB." Having the case type in mind also helps, because a Case Type dropdown is available during a name search.

1. Open the Clerk Search Records page and choose Case Inquiry.
2. Accept the public-use disclaimer in the Case Management System. The disclaimer says the data is for public informational use, is not the official record, and certified copies may be purchased.
3. Search by name or case number. For name searches, use the Case Type dropdown to narrow by Circuit Civil, County Civil, Family Law, Probate, or Criminal.
4. Open a result to view the case detail and docket tabs. Many public document images appear automatically. Others must be reviewed by the Clerk before online release, and some case types are nonpublic.
5. Use Criminal Event or Civil Event inquiry when you want a court schedule by case type, official, or location rather than a full case file.
6. Use Citation Inquiry for non-criminal traffic violations. The Clerk states citation records run from January 1, 1990 to present and searches use last name, first name, or citation identification.
7. Request a certified copy from the Clerk if you need an official version for legal proceedings. Standard copies are $1 per page and certification is $2.

The Florida Courts website provides a map of the state court system and its structure. The screenshot below shows the Florida court system overview from the state courts website.

Knowing where Volusia County sits in the Florida court hierarchy helps you pick the right search tool for the case type you are researching.

Volusia County Case Inquiry Search Fields

The Case Inquiry portal on the Clerk's site keeps the fields simple. You do not need every field. A name alone returns results, and a case number returns a single match when you have it. The table below lists the fields you will see when you open the Case Inquiry application.

Note: Online case data is informational only; only records kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court are official, and certified copies must be requested directly from the office.

The Volusia County Court System

Florida courts operate on four levels. The Supreme Court of Florida sits at the top. Below it are the District Courts of Appeal, which handle most trial-court appeals. Volusia County's appeals go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. Trial courts are next: Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction, and County Courts have limited jurisdiction. At the bottom are county courts, which handle the smaller matters. Volusia County is part of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, which also includes Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. Circuit 7 has 44 judges overall, with 27 circuit judges and 17 county judges.

The Circuit Court in Volusia County handles felony criminal cases, family law, probate, guardianship, circuit civil claims, and juvenile matters. The County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic offenses, small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, and county-level civil claims. Both courts are served by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, which is the single custodian for all local case files. Appeals from both courts flow to the Fifth DCA and, in limited matters, directly to the Florida Supreme Court.

Court flow: County Court › Circuit Court › Fifth District Court of Appeal › Florida Supreme Court

Types of Court Records Available in Volusia County

The Clerk serves both Circuit Court and County Court, so the range of case types is wide. Felony criminal cases and larger civil disputes are filed in Circuit Court. Misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic matters sit in County Court. Family law, probate, and guardianship are handled through Circuit Court divisions. Typical documents in any case file include the complaint or charging paper, summons, motions, orders, judgments, notices, and disposition entries. All are maintained by the Clerk as the local custodian.

Official Records are a separate series. The Clerk, as county recorder under Florida Statute 28.222, records and indexes deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, powers of attorney, judgments, military discharges, and marriage records in one permanent official records series. These are distinct from court case files. The online Official Records index and images run from April 4, 1988 forward; earlier records date to 1887 in the Clerk's public research room.

• Criminal records -- felony cases in Circuit Court, misdemeanors and criminal traffic in County Court, with arrest, charge, plea, bond, and sentencing entries. See criminal records for detail.
• Civil records -- circuit civil for foreclosure, injunctions, and larger claims; county civil for small claims and landlord-tenant matters.
• Family law records -- dissolution, paternity, child support, custody, and injunctions for protection. See marriage and divorce records.
• Probate and guardianship -- estates, caveats, wills, trusts, and court-supervised guardianship matters. See probate records.
• Traffic records -- non-criminal citation violations searched through Citation Inquiry from January 1, 1990 forward; DUI and criminal traffic appear in criminal case systems.

What Volusia County Court Records Show

Each Volusia County court record holds far more than a name and case number. The case file contains the parties, the filing date, a full docket of events, and the current status or final disposition. Criminal files add charge counts, statute citations, bond data, and sentencing detail. Civil records carry the claim amount, judgment, and any satisfaction. Financial fields may show filing fees, court costs, fines, restitution, and registry funds. The docket tab may carry public document images, but certified copies are purchased separately and are the version courts accept. The table below maps the most common fields to what they mean.

Public Access Laws for Volusia County Court Records

Florida starts from openness. The right to inspect public records is a constitutional guarantee under Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution. The public-records law lives in Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. Court files add a second layer under Rule 2.420 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, which lists specific confidential categories. The Clerk's online portal implements these rules by publishing released case data and selected document images while excluding confidential case types. Anyone may search and request records, and the Clerk performs name searches for $2 per name per year when staff do the work.

The key statutes and rule below drive what gets published, what gets redacted, and how requests are handled in Volusia County.

See Volusia County public records for the broader open-records framework, including how to file a public records request with the Clerk or the Sheriff.

Restricted and Confidential Volusia County Court Records

Not every Volusia County court record is open to the public. Florida law closes certain case types and documents by statute, court rule, or court order. Juvenile delinquency and dependency records are restricted under Florida Statute 985.04 and 39.0132. Adoption records are confidential under Florida Statute 63.162. Mental health clinical records carry protection under Florida Statute 394.4615. Sealed and expunged criminal records are restricted after a court order under Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059. Rule 2.420 also protects personal identifying information, victim data, financial account numbers, and certain family law safety details from online display.

If a case or document that should exist does not appear, it may be sealed, confidential, not yet indexed, or searched incorrectly. The Clerk can explain how access works but cannot disclose sealed contents. Viewing a closed record may require party or attorney status, elevated access under AOSC 16-14, or a court order. To seal or expunge a criminal case, a person must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE, then file the petition, sworn statement, proposed order, and original certificate with the Volusia Clerk. The Clerk lists a $42 filing fee for that petition. See the criminal records page for the full seal and expunge process.

Specialty Courts in Volusia County

The Seventh Judicial Circuit runs several problem-solving court programs for Volusia County. Volusia County Drug Court began in 1997 and had 1,354 graduates as of the 2025 problem-solving courts report from Circuit 7. Drug Court serves eligible defendants whose criminal conduct is tied to substance use. Participants are supervised by a judge, attend treatment, submit to testing, and appear for regular review hearings. Judicial supervision, treatment, sanctions, and incentives work together to reduce recidivism. Judge Elizabeth A. Blackburn is assigned to Division 21 Drug Court and Division 40 Felony Criminal in Daytona Beach.

Unified Family Court is a second specialty program in Volusia County. It coordinates family-related matters including dissolution, custody, dependency overlap, and domestic issues under a single judicial assignment where possible. The goal is to reduce inconsistent rulings and duplicative hearings when the same family has multiple open matters. Judge Joan Anthony is assigned to Division 38 Unified Family Court in Daytona Beach. Volusia County court records in Drug Court and Unified Family Court divisions follow the same Clerk search process as other case types, though some documents in these matters carry confidentiality protections under state law.

Volusia County Sheriff and Jail Information

Corrections and law enforcement in Volusia County are handled by two separate agencies. The Volusia County Division of Corrections runs the county jail facilities, under Corrections Director Joseph DeMore. The Volusia Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood, handles law enforcement services, arrests, civil process, criminal registration, and public records requests. The Sheriff's Office does not run the jails. This split matters when you are searching for an inmate or trying to get an arrest report, because those requests go to different offices.

The Division of Corrections operates two facilities in Daytona Beach. The Volusia County Branch Jail at 1300 Red John Drive handles pretrial inmates, first appearances, and bond posting. The Volusia County Correctional Facility at 1354 N. Indian Lake Road houses county-sentenced inmates and all female inmates. Public inmate records are searched through the Volusia inmate inquiry portal. For full details, booking records, and search instructions, see Volusia County inmate records. For warrant-related information, see warrant records.

The Volusia County Division of Corrections website covers inmate search, visitation, bonding, and facility rules. The screenshot below shows the Corrections inmate inquiry portal.

Both jail facilities are off U.S. 92 approximately four miles west of I-95 in Daytona Beach, and bond posting is handled at the Branch Jail Booking Office, which is open 24/7 at (386) 254-1555.

Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records

The Clerk of the Circuit Court handles marriage licenses, marriage records, divorce case files, and probate matters. Marriage licenses are issued to opposite-sex and same-sex couples. Both parties must apply in person together at the DeLand courthouse or the Daytona Beach judicial center. Marriage records in Volusia County date back to 1855. Divorce cases are Circuit Court family law matters; the Clerk's Case Inquiry covers dissolution cases under the Family Law case type. Volusia County marriage and divorce records has the full search process, fees, and certified copy instructions.

Probate is managed by the Clerk's Probate and Guardianship division and the Circuit Court. The division handles caveats, formal and summary administration, disposition of personal property, wills, trusts, and guardianship matters. Under Florida Statute 732.901, a custodian of a will must deposit it with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the testator's death. Probate case records are searched through Case Inquiry. See probate records for the full process and fee schedule.

Common terms used in probate and estate matters:

Testator

The person who made a will; the deceased whose estate is being probated.

Executor / Personal Representative

The person or institution appointed by the court to administer the estate and carry out the terms of the will.

Intestate

Dying without a valid will; Florida law then sets who inherits.

Caveat

A probate filing by an interested person, such as an heir or creditor, requesting notice before estate proceedings begin.

Guardianship

A court process appointing a guardian for a minor or incapacitated adult when the person cannot manage their own affairs.

Volusia County Clerk Fee Schedule

The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges fees set under Florida Statute 28.24 and related statutes. These fees apply to copies, certified copies, search services, marriage licenses, and specialty filings. The Clerk fee schedule page is the official source for the full list. The screenshot below shows the published fee schedule on the Clerk's website.

The table below covers the fees most commonly needed for court record requests and vital record searches.

How to Interpret Volusia County Court Records

Reading a Volusia County court record for the first time can be confusing. A charge on a docket is not a conviction. It is an allegation that has been formally filed with the court. The disposition field tells you what happened: guilty, not guilty, nolle prosequi (prosecutor dismissed), nol-pros (same), adjudicated, withheld adjudication, or dismissed. "Withheld adjudication" in Florida means the defendant was not formally convicted even if they accepted a plea, and that has significance for civil rights and future background checks. The word "disposed" just means the case is closed, not that the defendant was found guilty.

Docket entries run in date order and use short labels. Common ones include: "Complaint Filed," "Summons Issued," "Information Filed," "Not Guilty Plea Entered," "Order Granting Motion," "Hearing Scheduled," "Continuance," "Judgment," and "Sentence." A "capias" or "bench warrant" on a docket means a judge ordered an arrest, often after a failure to appear. Bond amounts in a criminal docket reflect release conditions, not a fine. Fines and court costs appear as separate financial entries. When a case shows "NSI" as a charge status, that code appears in jail booking data and means "No Sentence Information" at that point.

For legal definitions of the terms you encounter in Volusia County court records, the Clerk's forms page and Florida Courts self-help resources provide plain-language explanations. The court records page has a full glossary of 30 common legal terms used in Volusia case files.

Note: A court record shows what was filed and decided in the legal proceeding; it does not mean the underlying information is accurate, nor should it be used to draw conclusions about a person without reading the full disposition.

Accuracy and Record Limitations

Volusia County court records online are informational. The Clerk's own disclaimer states the portal is for public informational use, is not the official record, and should not be relied on for legal action. Court data can lag behind real-time events. A case dismissed yesterday may still show open online until the next database update. A sealed or expunged record may have been recently restricted and no longer appear, or it may take time to clear from third-party aggregator sites that captured earlier snapshots. Certified copies are the only version courts and government agencies will accept, and they must be purchased directly from the Clerk.

Online Official Records images are "released" records only. The Clerk verifies, indexes, and releases each instrument before it appears publicly. An instrument filed but not yet released will not show online. For records before April 4, 1988, the online index does not apply; those records must be reviewed using the public research terminals in the DeLand Recording Department, where original media dating back to 1887 is available. Records before 1855 for marriage or before 1887 for official records do not exist in the Clerk's collection.

History of Volusia County Courts

Volusia County's court history is tied to DeLand, the county seat, and to the growth of the coastal communities around Daytona Beach. The Clerk preserves Official Records dating back to 1887 in various media, including microfilm and digital images, accessible in the public research area of the Recording Department at the DeLand courthouse. Marriage records go back even further, to 1855. For older records, the Clerk keeps original physical books in a Historical Records room, available by appointment when possible. The online Official Records index starts at April 4, 1988, and the online Citation Inquiry covers traffic violations from January 1, 1990 forward.

The Seventh Judicial Circuit, which includes Volusia County, now has 44 judges serving four counties. Drug Court in Volusia County started in 1997 and had reached 1,354 graduates by the time of the 2025 problem-solving courts report from Circuit 7. Public access to case records has expanded through the Clerk's Case Inquiry, Citation Inquiry, Official Records inquiry, and event-schedule tools. Florida Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14 authorizes the Clerk to post many public court document images online, while confidential categories remain excluded.

Volusia County Courthouse Location and Contact

The main Volusia County Courthouse is in downtown DeLand at 101 North Alabama Avenue. It is the central location for most Clerk of the Circuit Court functions, including court records, official records, probate, family law, marriage, and the recording department. Major Clerk counters also operate at two Daytona Beach facilities. The Clerk contact page lists departments, room numbers, phones, and parking for each location. Free parking is available at the garage attached to the DeLand courthouse and in the lot at East New York Avenue and North Amelia Avenue for short-term visits.

The screenshot below shows the Clerk's records search hub, which is the starting point for any Volusia County court records search online.

Use the Clerk's online tools to search before visiting in person, then bring a photo ID, case details, and a payment method if requesting copies.

Self-Help and Legal Aid in Volusia County

People handling their own court matters can find forms, instructions, and guidance from several official sources. The Florida Courts self-help center offers court-approved family, civil, and probate forms statewide. The Volusia Clerk forms library is the local place to start for Clerk-hosted forms, including the seal and expunge petition, records request forms, and access applications. The Clerk and Clerk staff can provide procedural help and record access, but they cannot give legal advice. If you need legal advice, contact a licensed attorney.

Legal aid and self-help organizations serving Volusia County include:

• Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida -- civil legal aid for eligible Central Florida residents, including housing, family safety, consumer, public benefits, and senior matters.
• FloridaLawHelp -- statewide triage and resource site for civil legal topics and local provider listings.
• The Florida Bar -- lawyer referral, public education, and consumer legal resources.
• Public Defender, Seventh Circuit -- represents eligible defendants in criminal cases in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, including Volusia County.

Common pro se topics in Volusia County courts include simplified dissolution of marriage, small claims, landlord-tenant, name change, fee waiver and indigency, probate summary administration, and seal or expunge petitions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Volusia County Court Records

Where do I start a Volusia County court records search?

Start with the Clerk Search Records page at clerk.org. Use Case Inquiry for Circuit Civil, County Civil, Family Law, Probate, and Criminal case records. Use Citation Inquiry for non-criminal traffic violations from 1990 forward. Use Official Records search for deeds, mortgages, marriage records, liens, and recorded judgments.

Are online case records official?

No. The Clerk portal disclaimer says online information is for public informational use and is not the official record. For legal use, request certified copies from the Clerk. Standard copies cost $1 per page, and certification adds $2. Online images are not certified true and correct copies unless purchased through the Clerk's office.

What court handles felonies in Volusia County?

Felony criminal cases are in Circuit Court. Misdemeanors and traffic offenses are generally in County Court. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is the custodian for records in both courts. For criminal case dockets, use Case Inquiry and select the Criminal case type.

Why can I see a docket but not a document image?

Some document images are automatically available, but others must be requested and reviewed by the Clerk before release online. Some case types and documents are nonpublic under statute, rule, or court order. This includes juvenile, adoption, mental health, sealed, expunged, and protected family law information.

How do I get a certified copy of a court record?

Request it directly from the Clerk. You can visit the DeLand courthouse or Daytona Beach locations, send a written request by mail with the case details, fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, or call (386) 736-5915. Standard copies are $1 per page and certification is $2. Staff searches cost $2 per name per year.

Where are Volusia marriage records?

Marriage records are maintained by the Clerk and date back to 1855. Simple photocopies may be printed from Marriage Document Inquiry online at no charge. Certified copies can be requested in person or by mail with both parties' names, the marriage date, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Marriage Department. See marriage and divorce records.

How do I find an inmate in Volusia County?

Use the public inmate inquiry at volusiamug.vcgov.org. After accepting the disclaimer, search by last name, first name, or booking number. You can also press Recent for recent bookings. Full details are on the inmate records page.

What if the record I need is older than the online database?

For Official Records older than April 4, 1988, visit the Clerk's public research area in the DeLand Recording Department, Room A121. Records date back to 1887 in microfilm and digital images, and original physical books may be available by appointment. For marriage records before 1988, the Clerk's staff can assist with older records dating to 1855.

More answers are on the Volusia County Court Records FAQ page.

Volusia County Clerk Records Search Portal

The Volusia County Clerk Search Records hub links every public inquiry tool the office offers, from court cases to official records to marriage documents and arrest booking downloads.

The Volusia County Courthouse at 101 North Alabama Avenue in DeLand is the main location for in-person record requests, public access terminals, and the Recording Department research room with historic records.

For detailed search instructions and all available search tools, visit Volusia County court records, court dockets, or public records. For court-specific information, see Circuit Court and County Court. For released inmates and population data, see released inmates and jail population.