About the Polk County Clerk's Office
The Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller is an elected constitutional office under Florida law. The current clerk is Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA. The office has a dual role: it serves as the official record-keeper for the circuit and county courts and as the county's comptroller, responsible for the financial records of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. Both functions are unified under one elected official, which is the standard Florida structure for all 67 counties.
The Clerk's office divides its services across several departments. The court-records side manages case filings, docket entries, court orders, and certified copies for civil, criminal, traffic, family, and probate matters. The official-records side handles the recording and indexing of deeds, mortgages, liens, marriage licenses, plats, and other instruments. The comptroller side handles county financial records, board minutes, and financial reports. All of these are accessible through the Clerk records landing page.
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
Clerk: Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA
255 North Broadway Avenue
Bartow, FL 33830
863-534-4000
Traffic and court payments: 863-733-8045
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
What the Clerk Does in Polk County
The Clerk of Court touches nearly every part of the Polk County court system. When a case is filed, the Clerk assigns a case number, opens the file, and begins the docket. From that point forward, every motion, order, hearing notice, and judgment that enters the case is stamped and indexed by the Clerk. The office also issues process (summons and writs), collects filing fees, and disburses funds ordered by the court. These functions apply to circuit court cases and county court cases alike.
Beyond court records, the Clerk records official instruments that affect property and status. Deeds and mortgages recorded with the Clerk create the public chain of title for Polk County real estate. Marriage licenses issued and returned to the Clerk become part of the official records. Final judgments recorded in official records can attach to real property. The Clerk also runs a Property Fraud Alert program that notifies registered property owners when a document is recorded using their information.
- Court records: criminal, civil, traffic, family, probate, and small claims case files for circuit and county courts.
- Official records: deeds, mortgages, plats, HOA documents, liens, notices of commencement, and recorded final judgments dating back to January 1, 1957.
- Marriage services: license applications, waiting-period tracking, certified copy requests, and optional framing certificates.
- Probate services: will deposit, estate filings, guardianship records, and probate forms.
- County Commission records: board minutes, county ordinances, and financial reports for the Board of County Commissioners.
- Traffic payments: accept payments for traffic citations and court financial obligations.
- Forms and self-help: court and recording forms, fillable PDF packets, and links to legal self-help resources.
The Clerk fees page lists current charges for copies, certifications, civil filings, divorce, criminal matters, marriage, recording, and traffic services.
Polk County Clerk Online Systems
The Clerk operates three main online search systems, each covering a different record type. Using the wrong portal for a record type returns no results, so matching the system to the record is the first step.
Civil court records, including circuit civil and family matters, are in Polk Records Online (PRO). PRO allows public access without registration for most civil case information and associated images. Some documents require clerk review before online release, and some case types require a registration agreement before the documents are visible. The Clerk's PRO home page shows Public Access, Register, Login, and Help panels.
Criminal and traffic records are in a separate portal. The criminal and traffic records page explains that users can search anonymously or log in for role-based access. The direct search portal is at showcase.polkcountyclerk.net. This portal shows the progress docket, court dates, case status, filed documents such as arrest affidavits and judgments, charges, court payments, fines, and fees.
Official records, including deeds, mortgages, marriage licenses recorded as instruments, and final judgments, are in the official records browser. That system covers records recorded since January 1, 1957. The search help page explains the tabs, field rules, and document-viewing instructions. A public records searches index links all three systems and also points to tax deed search tools.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a Clerk-authenticated copy of a court or official record. It carries the Clerk's signature, seal, and certification language. Courts, lenders, government agencies, and immigration authorities often require certified copies as proof of a court ruling or official document. An uncertified printout from the online portal is not a substitute. The Clerk charges a certification fee plus a per-page copy fee.
- Identify the case number or instrument number for the record you need. The case number appears in the Clerk's online portals. For official records, the instrument file number is in the official records browser.
- Go to the records copy request page and create an account. The Clerk's portal requires an account for the online request workflow.
- Select the record type from the dropdown: court record, divorce record, marriage license, or official record. Enter the case number or record reference and the names of the parties.
- Choose copy type: plain copy, certified copy, or exemplified/authenticated copy. Certified copies carry a certification fee; exemplified or authenticated copies cost more and are used for out-of-state or apostille workflows.
- Submit the request and pay the applicable fee. The Clerk's staff will contact you to complete the process. Payment by cash, credit card, money order, or check is accepted depending on the service. Credit-card transactions carry a service charge.
- Pick up in person at the Bartow courthouse or wait for the Clerk to fulfill the request. In-person requests can be handled at the office at 255 North Broadway Avenue, Bartow, FL 33830, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Polk County public records request page routes public-records requests to the appropriate constitutional officer, including the Clerk for court and official records.
Records Request Form Fields
The Clerk's online records request portal collects specific information to process each copy request. Having these items ready before you submit speeds up fulfillment. The table below shows the fields the Clerk uses and what each one requires.
| Field / Element | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Account creation / login | Yes | Required for the online portal workflow; the Clerk marriage page confirms certified copy requests use this portal after creating an account. |
| Record type | Yes | Dropdown: court record, divorce record, marriage license, or official record. |
| Case number / record reference | Recommended | Strongly recommended for copies; speeds processing and avoids confusion when multiple parties share a name. |
| Party names | Yes if no record number | Use legal names as they appear in the case or instrument; no nicknames. |
| Contact information | Yes | Email and phone required; Clerk staff contacts you to complete the process. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain copy, certified copy, or exemplified/authenticated where available. |
| Payment | Yes (where fee applies) | Cash, credit card, money order, or check depending on the service; domestic relations fees require cash or credit card only. |
Polk County Clerk Fee Schedule
Clerk fees in Florida are set by the state legislature. The Polk County Clerk publishes the current schedule at the fees page. The table below shows selected fees from that schedule. Always confirm the current fee at the Clerk's office or fee page before submitting a request, as amounts may change when the legislature revises the fee schedule.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certifying copies in public record | $2.00 |
| Verifying instrument prepared by someone other than the Clerk | $3.50 |
| Photographic public-record copies (not more than 14 in. x 8.5 in.) | $1.00 per page |
| Photographic public-record copies (more than 14 in. x 8.5 in.) | $5.00 per page |
| Searching records | $2.00 per year searched |
| Sealing a court file or expungement of record | $42.00 |
| Exemplified certificates | $7.00 |
| Authenticated certificates | $7.00 |
| Signing and sealing only | $2.00 |
| Civil action / suit / proceeding | $400.00 |
| Dissolution of marriage / divorce (including simplified) | $408.00 |
| Circuit civil family action under chs. 39, 61, 741, 742, 747, 752, 753 (except dissolution) | $300.00 |
Payment methods accepted by the Clerk include cash, credit card, money order, and check payable to Polk County Clerk of Courts. Accepted cards include American Express, Apple Pay, Discover, Google Pay, MasterCard, Samsung Pay, and Visa. A service charge applies to credit-card transactions. Domestic relations fee payments require cash or credit card only.
Official Records Maintained by the Clerk
The Clerk records a wide range of legal instruments beyond court-case documents. Official records are instruments that affect property ownership, encumbrances, or legal status and that Florida law requires to be recorded with the Clerk to put the public on notice. The official records browser covers instruments recorded since January 1, 1957, and is searchable by party name, document type, file number, or book and page.
Key types of official records held by the Clerk include property deeds, mortgage instruments, notices of commencement for construction, homeowners association documents, plats, liens, satisfaction of judgment, and recorded final judgments. Marriage licenses that have been completed, signed, and returned after the ceremony are also recorded in official records. Electronic access to official records is governed by Florida Statutes section 28.2221, which protects certain personal information in the online system.
Note: Official records and court records are two separate systems; a divorce judgment appears as a court record in the case portal and may also be recorded as an official record instrument if the prevailing party records it against real property.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The Clerk issues and records marriage licenses under Florida Statutes section 741.01. Florida residents must wait three days after completing the application process, including the required in-office signing, unless they complete a premarital course from an approved provider. Non-Florida residents are exempt from the waiting period. Once the ceremony is performed and the license is returned to the Clerk, it becomes part of the official records. Certified copies of marriage records are requested through the records request portal. For more detail, see the marriage and divorce records page.
Divorce records are court case records. A divorce filed in Polk County Circuit Court appears in PRO or the criminal and traffic portal depending on the year and case type. The Clerk's divorce information page links to self-help resources. The filing fee for dissolution of marriage, including simplified dissolution, is $408. A residency requirement of six months in Florida applies under section 61.021.
Probate records, including wills, estates, guardianships, and related filings, are handled through the Circuit Court's Probate Division. Original wills must be deposited with the Clerk within 10 days after the custodian learns of the person's death, under Florida Statutes section 733.202. Will deposit is accepted only at the Bartow courthouse. For more detail, see the probate records page.