Court Case Search
A Miami-Dade County court case search can help you locate public case information, review docket activity, identify scheduled hearings, and determine which Clerk of the Court and Comptroller division manages a matter. This article explains the official online systems for civil, family, probate, felony, misdemeanor, and traffic-related cases, along with the search information users should prepare, the differences between case identifiers, options for obtaining certified records, and common mistakes that can lead to incomplete or incorrect results.
Official Court Search Systems
The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller maintains separate online systems for different categories of court records. Choosing the correct system is the first step because civil, family, and probate matters are not searched through the same interface used for criminal cases.
The Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System provides access to records in those three court areas. The system includes standard and advanced search options, public access to available court information, and document details associated with displayed record cards.
The Criminal Justice Online Case Search is used for criminal felony and misdemeanor records. It also provides calendar searches and several search methods based on criminal case identifiers, defendant information, jail numbers, citations, and police numbers.
Both systems are maintained by the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. They are designed for public access and are intended to provide direct online access to information contained in the Clerk’s information systems. Both also include accessibility features for individuals with disabilities.
Choosing the Correct Case Type
Before entering a name or case number, determine the general category of the court matter. Searching the wrong system may produce no results even when a case exists.
Civil Cases
Civil cases generally involve disputes between individuals, businesses, property owners, tenants, creditors, or other parties. Miami-Dade civil matters are handled in County Court or Circuit Court, depending on the type of action and the amount involved.
According to the Clerk’s Civil Court information, County Court handles civil claims in which the amount of damages exceeds $8,000 but does not exceed $50,000. County Court also handles tenant eviction cases. Small claims cases involve monetary claims that do not exceed $8,000, excluding interest, court costs, and attorney fees.
Circuit Court handles civil cases in which the amount exceeds $50,001, excluding interest, court costs, and attorney fees. It also handles certain types of cases regardless of whether a simple monetary claim is involved, including:
Eviction cases in which claimed damages exceed $50,001
Ejectment actions
Cases involving title to or boundaries of real property
Injunction proceedings
Replevin actions
Negligence and professional malpractice cases
Products liability claims
Mortgage foreclosure cases
Eminent domain matters
Foreign judgments
Writ proceedings
These cases are searched through the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System rather than the criminal search portal.
Family and Probate Cases
Family and probate cases are also part of the Odyssey system and are available through the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System. The Clerk’s Family Court section identifies three broad areas managed through Family Court operations: domestic relations, probate, and domestic violence.
Records may involve matters such as dissolution of marriage, simplified divorce, child support, alimony, guardianship, wills, probate proceedings, restraining orders, Baker Act cases, and Marchman Act cases. Marriage license services are also associated with Family Court operations, although a marriage license record is not necessarily the same as a court case.
Some family, probate, adoption, guardianship, or domestic violence records may be sealed, confidential, restricted, or otherwise unavailable for ordinary public review. A search result that does not display documents should not automatically be treated as proof that no case exists.
Criminal Cases
Criminal records must be searched through the Criminal Justice Online Case Search. The Miami-Dade Criminal Court consists of Circuit Criminal and County Criminal operations.
Circuit Criminal processes felony affidavits of probable cause, grand jury indictments, arrest warrants, and other felony proceedings. County Criminal operations include misdemeanor matters. Traffic-related and misdemeanor records may also be associated with the Traffic and Misdemeanor Office.
The Clerk’s Criminal Court information provides access to felony and misdemeanor case searches, certified criminal history disposition letters, bond-hearing information, jail arraignment schedules, and related court services.
Civil and Family Search Methods
The Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System offers several ways to locate a record. The available navigation options include Single Case Search, Local Case, State Case, Multiple Case Search, Party Name, Hearings, and Suggestions.
Single Case Search
A single-case search is generally the most direct method when the exact Miami-Dade case number is available. Enter the information into the required fields marked with an asterisk. Case numbers should be copied exactly from a court notice, filed document, judgment, summons, or other official correspondence whenever possible.
Pay attention to the case year, division, sequence number, and any letters or leading zeros. A missing character or incorrect year may prevent the system from matching the record.
Local and State Numbers
A local case number is an identifier assigned within the Miami-Dade court system. A state case number follows the statewide case-number format used for Florida court records. These numbers may refer to the same court matter but are formatted differently.
Do not enter a state case number into a local-case field or assume that the two numbers are interchangeable. Select the search type that matches the identifier shown on the document you are using.
Party Name Search
A party-name search can be useful when the case number is unknown. Depending on the case, a party may be a plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, business, estate, or other participant.
Use the legal name associated with the court filing. For an individual, prepare the full first and last name and any known middle name or initial. For a business, use the formal business name rather than a trade name, shortened name, or informal abbreviation unless that is how the party was identified in the case.
Name searches can return multiple records involving people or businesses with similar names. Compare the case type, filing year, party roles, and docket information before deciding that a result belongs to the person or matter being researched.
Multiple Case Search
The multiple-case option is intended for searches involving more than one case. Users should still verify each result individually because similar case numbers, related parties, and proceedings filed in different divisions can be easily confused.
Hearing Search
The hearings section may help users locate scheduled hearing information connected with civil, family, or probate matters. Hearing information can change, so the online entry should be reviewed in context with the case docket and any notice issued by the court.
Criminal Search Methods
The Criminal Justice Online Case Search includes several identifiers that may be used to locate a felony or misdemeanor case. Its navigation options include Case Number, State Case Number, Citation or Police Number, Defendant, Background Check, Jail Number, Calendar Search, Judge Hearing Calendar, and First Appearance Calendar.
Case and State Case Numbers
Use the case-number search when you have the local criminal case identifier. Use the state-case-number option when the document contains the statewide case format. As with civil searches, entering the identifier into the wrong field may produce no match.
Citation or Police Number
A citation number or police number may appear on a citation, law-enforcement document, notice, or related paperwork. These numbers are not the same as the Clerk’s court case number. Select the citation or police-number search rather than entering that number into the case-number field.
Defendant Search
The defendant search is useful when a criminal case number is unknown. Enter the defendant’s identifying information as accurately as possible. Review all matching records rather than relying on a name alone, especially when the name is common.
A criminal court search should not be treated as a statewide or national criminal history check. The Clerk’s criminal history disposition letter provides the results of a local case-record search associated with Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor cases.
Jail Number Search
A jail number can be used as a criminal search identifier when it is available. A jail number is distinct from a criminal court case number, state case number, police number, and citation number. An arrest or custody event may also be connected with more than one court matter, so users should review the resulting case information rather than assuming one jail identifier represents only one case.
Criminal Calendars
The criminal system provides a general Calendar Search, a Judge Hearing Calendar, and a First Appearance Calendar. These tools serve different purposes from a case-record search. They can help locate scheduled court activity, but they should not be used as the only source for evaluating a case’s history or current status.
Preparing Search Information
Collecting the correct information before opening the search portal reduces the chance of an incomplete result. The most useful item is usually the exact case number, but several other details can help confirm a match.
Local court case number
State case number
Full legal name of a party or defendant
Case filing year
Citation or police number for a criminal matter
Jail number when applicable
Approximate case type, such as civil, family, probate, felony, or misdemeanor
Judge name or hearing date when searching calendars
Enter all required fields marked with an asterisk. Avoid adding unsupported details to a field simply to complete the search. A search may fail when a number is entered with the wrong format, a name is misspelled, or the user chooses a record category that does not match the case.
Reviewing Search Results
Search results in both official systems are displayed as record cards. Selecting a card opens additional details, including available document or docket information.
Review the case caption, parties, filing date, division, case type, and case number before opening individual entries. Similar names do not establish that two records involve the same person. Likewise, related family, civil, criminal, or probate proceedings may have separate case numbers even when they involve some of the same individuals.
Docket Entries and Documents
A docket is the chronological record of activity recorded in a court case. It may show filings, orders, notices, hearings, judgments, and other case events. The presence of a docket entry does not necessarily mean that the associated document image is available for unrestricted online viewing.
In the criminal system, users seeking a certified copy are directed to the Dockets section. The relevant docket entry must be expanded, after which the image icon can be selected to begin the certified-copy process when that option is available.
Case Status Interpretation
Read the complete docket rather than making assumptions based on a single label or entry. A case may include later orders, reopened proceedings, appeals, amended filings, or other activity that affects how the current record should be understood.
The Clerk’s online systems do not provide legal advice. The information should not be used as a substitute for legal counsel or direct legal research.
Public and Registered Access
Both court-search systems provide public access to available records. Users may search without creating an account, but public searches can include captcha requirements or search limitations.
Registered users may avoid captcha prompts and certain search limits by registering or logging in. Registration changes the search experience but does not make confidential, sealed, or otherwise restricted records available to the public.
The criminal system uses Cloudflare Turnstile to detect automated traffic and prevent abuse. The service may process browser, device, and interaction data to distinguish ordinary users from automated activity.
Online Records and Official Records
The Clerk makes efforts to maintain accurate information but does not warrant the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of data displayed through the online systems. Electronic access through the website is not the official record of the Clerk and Comptroller.
When accuracy is essential, the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office should be consulted regarding the official court record. This distinction matters when records are needed for litigation, employment, licensing, immigration, housing, financial matters, or another purpose requiring verified documentation.
Online information may also reflect delays between a court event, the filing or processing of a document, and its appearance in the public system. Repeating the same search immediately may not resolve a processing delay.
Certified Court Records
A screen display, downloaded docket, or ordinary online document is not necessarily a certified court record. Certified copies are issued through the Clerk and include certification showing that the copy is an official reproduction of the record maintained by the office.
Civil and Family Copies
The Clerk provides methods to request certified copies of civil and family cases online, by mail, or in person. The specific case number and document information should be identified before making the request. Users should confirm that they are requesting records from the correct division because civil, family, probate, and criminal requests are handled through different court operations.
Criminal Disposition Letters
A certified criminal history disposition letter provides the results of a local case-record search for Miami-Dade felony and misdemeanor matters. It may be requested online, by mail, or in person.
A mailed request must include:
The defendant’s name
The case number
The case year
The defendant’s date of birth
The appropriate fee
A self-addressed stamped envelope
The certified-copy fee stated by the Clerk is $7. When the requester does not know the case year or case number, an additional search fee of $2 per year, per name applies for every year searched.
Felony, misdemeanor, and traffic mail requests use different suite numbers within the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building. Sending a request to the correct division can help prevent it from being routed unnecessarily.
Common Search Problems
Wrong Record System
A civil, family, or probate case will not be found by searching only the criminal portal. A felony or misdemeanor matter should not be searched only through the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System.
Mismatched Identifiers
Case numbers, state case numbers, jail numbers, citation numbers, and police numbers are separate identifiers. Select the field designed for the number shown on the source document.
Incomplete Names
Nicknames, shortened business names, omitted middle names, and spelling variations can affect party searches. Begin with the legal name shown on court documents. When several results appear, use the filing year, case type, and party role to narrow the match.
Confidential or Sealed Records
Certain records or document images may be unavailable because access is restricted. This can affect cases involving adoption, domestic violence, guardianship, sealed criminal matters, or orders entered under court rules governing confidential records.
Assuming Results Are Final
An online result should not be treated as a guaranteed statement of the complete or current official record. The Clerk expressly distinguishes electronic access from the official court record.
Confusing Copies With Certification
Printing a webpage or saving an image does not create a certified copy. When certification is required, use the Clerk’s certified-copy or disposition-letter process.
Clerk Contact Options
The Clerk’s official contact page directs general inquiries to the Interactive Voice Response System and provides a form for inquiries, suggestions, and feedback. A deputy clerk from the appropriate department may respond to a submitted inquiry.
Under Florida public-records law, email addresses submitted to the Clerk may be public records. A person who does not want an email address released in response to a public-records request should contact the office by phone or in writing rather than by email.
Relevant Court Offices
Clerk of the Court and Comptroller of Miami-Dade County
20 NW 1st Avenue
Miami, Florida 33128
305-275-1155
Civil Court Office
20 NW 1st Avenue, Suite 6.240
Miami, Florida 33128
786-29-CIVIL (24845)
Criminal Court Office
1351 NW 12th Street, 9th Floor
Miami, Florida 33125
786-971-CRIM (2746)
Family Court Office
175 NW First Avenue
Miami, Florida 33128
786-767-7FAM (326)
Probate Court Office
20 NW 1st Avenue, Suite 6.223
Miami, Florida 33128
786-767-7FAM (326)
Traffic and Misdemeanor Office
1351 NW 12th Street
Miami, Florida 33125
305-275-1111 (Traffic)
786-971-CRIM (2746) (Misdemeanor)
Court Case Search FAQs
Why do the search results look different now?
The Miami-Dade Clerk has updated how results appear in its online court systems. Cases are displayed as record cards, but the underlying case information remains the same. Select the appropriate card to review the available docket and document details. Users searching civil, family, or probate matters should use the Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System. Felony and misdemeanor records appear in the Criminal Justice Online Case Search.
Can I receive reminders for a criminal hearing?
After locating a felony or misdemeanor matter, you may be able to register for Florida’s e-Notify service to receive text or email reminders about upcoming hearings. Enrollment information is available through the Clerk’s criminal court services page. A reminder is a convenience and should not replace the official hearing notice or a fresh review of the court calendar.
How should I report an online search problem?
Both official search portals include “Suggestions” and “Submit Feedback” options in their navigation menus. When reporting a problem, identify the portal used, the search method selected, and the case identifier entered. Do not assume that submitting feedback changes a docket entry or corrects the official court record; the feedback feature is primarily intended to address website usability and system issues.
May I copy or republish court search data?
The Clerk permits limited copies for personal and public noncommercial educational use. Republishing, retransmitting, redistributing, uploading, or storing substantial portions of the website generally requires prior permission. Automated collection or reuse should not be treated as unrestricted simply because individual case information is publicly searchable.
Are court forms linked from a case guaranteed to be current?
No. Forms provided through Clerk pages are for reference and may be controlled by courts, lawmakers, or other agencies. Some forms can become outdated. Before filing, confirm the applicable Florida rules, statutes, administrative orders, and local court requirements. Clerk personnel cannot select a form for your legal situation or provide assistance that amounts to legal advice.