Public Records
Broward County public records include recorded land documents, County Commission materials, agency records, and information available through several online searches. This article explains which County office or system handles each type of record, how to search or submit a request, what information to prepare, and which common mix-ups can delay a response.
Which Public Records Are Available?
Florida’s public records law, Chapter 119, governs the right to inspect and obtain copies of public records. Broward County states that its records are public unless state or federal law makes them exempt or confidential. A record does not have to appear in an online search to be the subject of a public records request. Online databases provide access to certain materials, while a request gives a County agency a description of the records you want it to locate.
The first step is identifying the record, rather than choosing a search box based on a general phrase such as “Broward records.” A recorded deed belongs in the County’s Official Records system. Minutes of a County Commission meeting are maintained through the Records, Taxes, and Treasury Division’s Clerk to the Board functions. Records held by another County agency can be requested from that agency. These routes serve different purposes, even though each may involve a public record.
The County’s Access Public Records page identifies several categories that people can search online, including Official Records, certain environmental and growth management records, and Animal Care information. It is a useful place to determine whether the material you need already has an online access route.
Official Records and Recorded Documents
The Records, Taxes, and Treasury Division is the statutory repository for Broward County’s Official Records. It records documents into the County’s official land records and provides an online records search with a comprehensive listing of documents recorded between January 1, 1978, and the present. If you are looking for a recorded land document, this is the relevant County records function.
The Division’s records and Official Records information page identifies its Official Records Public Search along with information about County records, deeds, recording forms and instructions, and recording fees. The Division also handles the preparation, accessibility, retention, and disposal of public records within its responsibilities.
Keep the word recorded in mind when choosing this search. Official Records are documents recorded into the County’s land records. A search there serves a different purpose from asking an agency for correspondence, searching for a permit, or reviewing a Commission meeting. If you know the type of document you need, describe it precisely when contacting the Recording Office or making a records request. If you are uncertain which document would answer your question, review the Division’s records information before requesting a copy.
Recorded Land Records Versus Property Issues
Land records and property valuation matters can involve different County functions. Records, Taxes, and Treasury maintains the County’s recorded Official Records. It also provides administrative support to the Value Adjustment Board, which addresses disagreements between taxpayers and the Property Appraiser about property exemptions, classifications, and valuations. A recorded document search should not be treated as a search for every property assessment or Value Adjustment Board matter.
When describing a property-related request, state whether you want a document recorded in the land records, a County record concerning an assessment dispute, or another specific record. This helps direct the request to the function that handles the material. An address can help explain the property involved, but the description should also say what document or information you are seeking.
County Commission and Government Records
Records, Taxes, and Treasury also performs Clerk to the Board functions. These include maintaining official minutes and agendas of County Commission meetings and serving as the depository for County ordinances, resolutions, and the administrative code. Those records differ from documents recorded into the Official Records land records system.
The County’s Open Government page provides routes to Commission meeting information. According to the County, Commission meeting and public hearing agendas are posted before each meeting, with backup material and supplemental agenda items. An online archive contains Commission Action Agendas and meeting minutes from 1915 to the present. The page also points to live and archived meeting webcasts.
If you need to document what happened at a meeting, decide which material answers your question. An agenda identifies matters scheduled for consideration, while minutes and action agendas document meeting activity. Backup material may provide context for an agenda item. A webcast is another way to review a meeting, but it is a different format from an official written record. Including the meeting date and subject in a request gives the County a clearer starting point.
Other Open Government Databases
Broward County’s Open Government page identifies additional searchable government information. It includes a County Commission disclosure document database covering specified Commissioner activities, including campaign-related disclosures, charitable contribution fundraising, personal financial disclosures, outside or concurrent employment, and ethics training or certifications. It also identifies databases for registered lobbyists and visitors received by County Commissioners, their staff, or County employees.
Choose the database that matches the activity you are researching. For example, the County says its Commission visitor list can be searched by visitor name, date, or subject matter. A visitor entry, a financial disclosure, and a meeting agenda answer different questions. If an online result does not contain the particular record you seek, describe that record in a request to the appropriate County agency.
Environmental and Agency Searches
Some public information is available through agency-specific systems rather than the Official Records search. Broward County’s public records access page directs users to online databases for environmental and growth management records, including building licensing and inspections. It separately identifies a permit search by address and an enforcement case search for code enforcement matters.
For a permit question, begin with the permit search identified on the County’s access page. For a code enforcement question, use the enforcement case route identified there. The page also points users seeking elevating device information or Broward County contractor license verification toward an enforcement case search. These distinctions matter: a property address may be relevant to several County systems, but a search for recorded land documents does not replace a permit or enforcement search.
The same access page identifies Animal Care information, including records for a pet registered with the County, shelter impound and outcome data, and a digital dashboard. These are Animal Care materials, not land records or County Commission records. If you need an agency record beyond what its online information provides, direct a public records request to the agency that maintains it.
How to Request County Records
Broward County accepts public records requests to its agencies online, by phone, in person, by mail, or by email. Its Public Records Requests page provides access to an online customer portal and a list of agency Public Records Request Coordinators. The County describes the online portal as the easiest way to submit a request.
The portal allows you to open an account to track a request and receive records. You may also submit a request anonymously. If you contact an agency directly, Broward County says each County agency has a designated Public Records Request Coordinator. The coordinator list is posted online and in County administrative buildings where public records are routinely created, sent, received, maintained, and requested.
A request should identify the records you want, not merely name a broad subject. You can help the receiving agency by stating the type of record, the relevant County agency or activity, and any names, locations, or dates that distinguish it from similar records. Use ordinary terms instead of unexplained acronyms. The County specifically advises requesters to prepare a clear, concise description.
Information to Prepare
The details that matter depend on the record. Before submitting a request, organize the information you already have:
For a recorded document: Identify the kind of document and the property or transaction it concerns as clearly as you can.
For a Commission record: Identify the meeting date, agenda subject, ordinance, resolution, or other material you want reviewed.
For an agency record: Name the County agency and describe the specific activity or record involved.
For email records: Specify a date range, the email accounts to be searched, and search keywords. Broward County expressly requires these details for email requests.
Include only details that help identify the records. A request covering every document about a large subject may require more searching than one tied to a particular event, period, or agency activity. Broward County advises that very broad requests can take longer and may become costly.
Fees and Response Timing
If a fee applies to the records, Broward County says it will notify you in advance. Its public records request page also provides access to the County’s fees and deposits information. Consider the scope of the records you actually need when preparing your request, especially if it would require searching a large volume of material.
The County states that records are provided within a reasonable period based on the request’s volume and complexity. It does not describe one response period that applies to every request. A focused description makes it easier for the agency to identify the material and for you to assess whether the response addresses what you asked for. If you use a portal account, you can track the request and receive records through that account.
Records Outside County Custody
Before submitting a request, confirm that Broward County is the custodian of the material. A record can concern something that happened in Broward County without being held by Broward County government. Sending a request to a County agency that does not hold the record will not make that agency the record’s custodian.
The County gives specific examples: it is not the custodian of law enforcement body camera footage, dash camera footage, mugshots, or 911 call recordings. It also says it does not photograph or record activity on its intersection traffic signal structures. These examples are useful checks when a search result for “Broward County public records” leads you to the County request page, but the record you want concerns law enforcement or traffic footage.
Do not assume that a County record system shares identifiers with another system. A document recorded in Official Records, an agency permit, an enforcement case, and a law enforcement record are different kinds of material. Describe the underlying record and identify its likely custodian before relying on a number or search result from another service.
Common Search and Request Mistakes
The most frequent difficulty is searching the wrong collection. Official Records is the route for documents recorded into the County’s land records; it is not a general search of every document held by every Broward County agency. Commission minutes and agendas have their own County government access routes. Permits, enforcement matters, and Animal Care information are identified through their respective agency systems.
Another mistake is submitting a request that is too broad to identify the desired records efficiently. “All records about a property” could encompass very different materials. State whether you seek a recorded document, a permit record, an enforcement matter, or another defined set of records. For emails, include the date range, accounts, and keywords required by the County. Avoid acronyms that might have more than one meaning.
Finally, distinguish online access from a formal request. Some documents can be searched online without first submitting a request; other records may require an agency to locate and provide them. If a search does not produce the material you need, review the record category and the likely custodian before changing your search terms or submitting a request. That step can prevent a land records inquiry from going to a permit office, or an agency records inquiry from going to the Recording Office.
Relevant County Offices
Recording Office — Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 114, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 — 954-831-4000 or 3-1-1
Document Control & Minutes — Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 336U, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 — 954-357-6517
Public Records FAQs
Can I request records without creating an account?
Yes. Broward County allows anonymous requests through its Public Records Requests page. Creating an account is optional; an account lets you track your request and receive records through the online portal. If you submit anonymously, keep the request details and any confirmation information you receive so you can identify your inquiry later.
Why can’t I find an older deed online?
The County’s online Official Records listing covers documents recorded from January 1, 1978, to the present. A document recorded before that date falls outside the stated coverage of that search. Check the recording date, rather than the date of a later property sale or transaction, before deciding whether to use the online listing. The County’s Access Public Records page identifies the available search.
Where can I check who visited a Commissioner?
Broward County’s Open Government page points to separate visitor databases for County Commissioners and their staff, and for County employees. The Commission Visitors List can be searched by visitor name, date, or subject matter. Choose the list based on whose visitor activity you want to review; the databases cover different groups of County personnel.
Can I ask to inspect records instead of getting copies?
Yes. Broward County states that public records may be inspected, examined, or copied, subject to applicable exemptions or confidentiality laws. Say in your request if you want to inspect records, receive copies, or both. If a fee applies, the County says it will notify you in advance. The time needed to provide records depends on the volume and complexity of the request, so there is no single response period for every inquiry.