Lee County Court Docket Records

Lee County court docket records are managed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Fort Myers. The 20th Judicial Circuit covers Lee County along with Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry Counties. With over 800,000 residents, Lee County is one of the busiest court systems in southwest Florida. You can search court docket entries online through the clerk website or visit the Fort Myers courthouse in person. Every criminal case, civil lawsuit, family law matter, and traffic offense creates a court docket that tracks all filings, hearings, and orders. Florida's public records law guarantees your right to view these records.

Lee County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of the Circuit Court in Lee County handles all court docket records from the Fort Myers courthouse. This is a large office that processes thousands of case filings each year. The clerk files new cases, tracks docket entries, and stores documents for every active and closed case. As an elected constitutional officer, the Lee County clerk also manages official records, jury services, and county financial duties.

The Lee County Clerk website offers online case search tools, e-filing access, and contact details. Lee County has multiple courthouse locations that handle different case types. The main courthouse in Fort Myers is the primary location for court docket services. Call ahead or check the website to find out which location handles your case type. Walk-in requests for copies of court docket documents are handled at the clerk's office during business hours.

How to Search Lee County Court Docket

Online search is the fastest way to find court docket records in Lee County. The clerk website has case search tools where you can look up cases by party name, case number, or date. Results show docket entries, filing dates, case status, and hearing schedules. Given Lee County's large population, you may get many results from a name search, so adding a date range or case type helps narrow things down.

The Lee County Clerk website covers both circuit and county court cases. Circuit court handles felonies, family law, divorce, probate, and civil matters over $50,000. County court deals with traffic cases, misdemeanors, small claims, and civil disputes up to $50,000. All of these case types have court docket records available through the clerk.

Statewide portals also give you access to Lee County court docket data. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal tracks documents filed in all 67 counties. Over 770,000 users have accounts in this system. The ACIS portal handles appellate court docket searches. You do not need an account for basic public searches on either system.

The MyFloridaCounty portal lets you search official records in Lee County, including deeds, liens, and mortgages. These records may connect to court docket cases involving property disputes or foreclosures.

Court Docket Access in Lee County

Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes makes court docket records public. All state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying. You can ask to see any court docket file at the Lee County clerk office without stating a reason. Providing access is a duty of each agency.

Some records have limits. Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs confidential court records. Sealed and expunged cases are not available to the public. Social Security numbers, bank info, and medical data get redacted. Juvenile and adoption records stay confidential. The Florida Supreme Court's Administrative Order AOSC24-65 sets 15 user roles for electronic access. The general public can see case numbers, party names, and basic docket entries from Lee County without an account. Attorneys, law enforcement, and court staff get deeper access based on their role.

Note: Lee County handles a high volume of cases, so allow extra time for complex record requests.

Lee County Court Structure

The 20th Judicial Circuit serves Lee County and four neighboring counties in southwest Florida. Circuit court hears general jurisdiction cases. These include felony criminal matters, family law cases, divorce filings, probate, guardianship, and civil cases over $50,000. Most jury trials take place at this level. County court in Lee County handles traffic offenses, misdemeanors, small claims up to $8,000, and civil disputes up to $50,000.

Both court levels produce court docket records the Lee County Clerk maintains. Every filing, hearing, motion, and order gets a docket entry with a date stamp. This creates a full record of the case from start to close. The Florida Courts website has details on the 20 judicial circuits. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers site lists all 67 county clerks. Attorneys and parties file documents through the E-Filing Portal, and each filing shows up on the Lee County court docket right away.

Lee County Court Docket Resources

The Lee County Clerk offers forms, self-help guides, and filing instructions for common case types. The Florida Courts website provides family law forms and other tools for self-represented parties. E-filing support is available at (850) 577-4609 during weekday business hours.

For questions about specific Lee County court docket records, contact the clerk at (239) 533-5000. Legal aid groups in the 20th Circuit serve Lee County residents who qualify for free or reduced-cost help. The Lee County Bar Association can also refer you to local attorneys if you need one.

Cities in Lee County

Lee County has several large cities. All court docket records for these areas go through the Lee County Clerk in Fort Myers.

Other communities in Lee County include Bonita Springs, Estero, and Sanibel. All cases from these areas appear on the Lee County court docket.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lee County in southwest Florida. Each maintains its own court docket records through its clerk of court.