How to Search Manatee County Court Records
The main entry point is the Clerk's Public Records Hub at records.manateeclerk.com. From the hub, the Court Records search at records.manateeclerk.com/CourtRecords/Search opens tabs for Person, Business, Case Number, Citation, Case Type, and Today's Hearings. The Clerk's Public Access and Research page says the same site covers small claims, traffic infractions, civil, criminal, family, probate, and most other case files held in Manatee County.
Before you start, pick the search mode that fits what you know. A name finds open and closed cases by party. A case number opens a single file. A citation number works for a traffic ticket. A case-type plus date range pulls a list of new filings. The portal warns that data is for informational purposes and is not an official record, so a certified copy still has to come from the Clerk.
The Clerk's Public Records Hub landing page lists every search the office offers.
From that hub a user moves directly into Court Records, Official Records, Plat Records, or Board Records without juggling separate logins.
- Open the Court Records search at the Public Records Hub.
- Pick a tab: Person, Business, Case Number, Citation, Case Type, or Today's Hearings.
- For a name search, type the last name in the Last field, then the first name. Pick a case type if you want to narrow the result.
- Set the page size to 25, 50, 100, or 250 and submit.
- Click the View icon on a row to open the docket; some images open free, some need a free account, and some are sealed.
- Order a certified copy from the Clerk if you need a record for court, immigration, school, or a background check.
The Manatee County Judicial System
Manatee County is part of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, along with Sarasota County and DeSoto County. Florida uses a two-tier trial court system. Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction. It hears felony criminal cases, family law, probate, guardianship, juvenile, large civil claims, and appeals from County Court in some matters. County Court is the lower trial tier. It handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, and most county civil cases up to the statutory limit.
The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller is the constitutional clerk for both tiers. Angelina "Angel" Colonneso, Esq., is the elected Clerk. The office runs court records, official records, recording, public access, and comptroller duties from the Historic Courthouse next door to the Judicial Center. Most circuit and county judges sit at the Judicial Center.
Case flow: County Court › Circuit Court › District Court of Appeal › Florida Supreme Court (for capital and some other matters).
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| County Court | Lower trial tier | Misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, county civil up to $50,000 |
| Circuit Court | General trial jurisdiction | Felonies, family, probate, guardianship, juvenile, circuit civil over $50,000 |
| District Court of Appeal | Intermediate appellate | Most appeals from circuit court |
| Florida Supreme Court | Highest state court | Death-penalty appeals; discretionary review |
Manatee County Courthouses
Two buildings sit side by side on Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton. The Judicial Center is where court is in session. The Historic Courthouse is where the Clerk keeps the records and where Public Access helps walk-in users. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit describes the Judicial Center as a nine-story glass and brick building finished in 2008. The Historic Courthouse was built in 1912 in neoclassical style by Falls City Construction Co. and once housed the county jail on the fourth floor.
The official courthouse page above lists hours, parking, and the main switchboard number, all useful before a first visit to the building.
Manatee County Judicial Center
1051 Manatee Avenue West
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-3600
Historic Courthouse / Clerk Public Access
1115 Manatee Avenue West
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-1800
Types of Manatee County Court Records
The Clerk's Court Records search lists more than thirty case types in its dropdown. They cover the full work of Circuit and County courts in Manatee County, from felony files to passport applications. Most case-type names are short codes you can match to a court division.
The list below is a quick map of the main groups. Each links to a dedicated page where the search method, the fields, and the limits are spelled out in detail.
- Criminal records - felony cases in Circuit Court and misdemeanor cases in County Court, plus criminal traffic.
- Civil records - circuit civil over $50,000, county civil from $8,000 to $50,000, and small claims.
- Family and divorce records - domestic relations cases including dissolution, custody, support, and injunctions.
- Probate and guardianship - estates, wills, guardianship, competency, and involuntary hospitalization.
- Traffic court records - citation files for every law enforcement agency that writes tickets in Manatee County.
- Warrant and search-warrant records - search warrant filings and capias entries on open criminal files.
What Manatee County Court Records Show
The result table on the Manatee County Clerk's Court Records search lists eight fields per case. The full file shows more once you click View. A felony record dated 11/14/2022 inspected at records.manateeclerk.com/CourtRecords/Search/CaseNumber showed party name JOHNSON, ERVIN JAMAR, case type Felony, status DFR - CLOSED, and a DOB display of 1991 only. Year-only DOB is a privacy-minimized display under Fla. Stat. § 119.0714 and Rule 2.425.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, division code, sequence, and suffix. Example 2022CF003020AX is a 2022 felony. |
| Party Name | Full name as indexed on the charging document or pleading. |
| Party Type | Defendant, Plaintiff, Petitioner, Respondent, or related role. |
| Case Type | Felony, County Civil, Probate, Domestic Relations, Traffic Infractions, and similar. |
| Case Status | Open, Closed, DFR - CLOSED, Collections-Open, Reopen, or similar. |
| File Date | Date the Clerk first stamped the case file. |
| DOB | Year only on public results; full DOB is restricted. |
| View | Button that opens the docket, the lock-icon request, or a confidential notice. |
Public Access Laws for Manatee County Court Records
Florida law starts from the rule that government records are open unless an exemption applies. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes sets that policy for state and local agencies. Court records add a second layer of rules under Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 and the electronic-access standards set by the Florida Supreme Court. The Manatee County Clerk cites these on the Public Records Hub.
Key Florida Statutes:
Fla. Stat. § 119.01 - Sets the state policy that public records are open for inspection and copying unless a specific law restricts them.
Fla. Stat. § 119.07 - Requires custodians to allow inspection and copying at reasonable times, redact exempt parts, and state the statutory basis for any denial.
Fla. Stat. § 119.0714 - Governs court files, court records, and official records, with special rules for redacting Social Security numbers and financial account numbers.
Fla. Stat. § 28.2221 - Authorizes electronic access to official records and limits which images stay online for some sensitive case types.
The Public Access page also lists role-based access. Attorneys, parties, government agencies, and law enforcement can apply for expanded login that opens more documents than the public view. A general user can still read most felony and civil dockets without an account.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Some Manatee County court records are not open to the public. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are sealed under Fla. Stat. § 985.04. The Clerk's Public Access page says juvenile case information cannot be given online or by phone. Only parents, legal guardians, the juvenile, or counsel can request the file in person at the Family/Juvenile department with photo ID.
Adoption files are sealed under Fla. Stat. § 63.162. Mental health and Baker Act materials are protected under Fla. Stat. § 394.4615. Sealed and expunged criminal records are governed by § 943.0585 and § 943.059. To view a sealed record you must be a party or qualified requester, and you must follow the court-ordered access path.
The Clerk uses two icons in the portal that tell you what kind of restriction is in place. A lock icon means the document is viewable on request: enter an email and the Clerk emails a copy within about 24 hours. A confidential icon means the document is not open at all and may be a psychological evaluation, a birth certificate, a guardianship report, or a sealed order.
Specialty Courts in Manatee County
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit runs three problem-solving courts in Manatee County. Each is voluntary and aims to keep eligible defendants in treatment instead of jail. Judge Stephen M. Walker presides over the two largest programs.
The Comprehensive Treatment Court, also called Mental Health Court, follows the legislative intent of Fla. Stat. § 394.47892. Participants receive therapy, case management, drug testing, and medical or psychiatric services while staying under court supervision. The program director is Alfred James at (941) 782-4192.
The Health Care Court serves people charged with a qualifying offense in Manatee County whose mental illness is tied to the criminal charge. Court meets the third Thursday of each month in Courtroom 2A. The main office line is (941) 749-3670.
The Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary four-phase program for veterans with substance-abuse, mental-health, or transition issues tied to a criminal charge. The handbook describes urine samples each Monday and weekly call-in checks. Drug Court, presided over by Judge Stephen Walker as the Problem Solving Court Division P judge, rounds out the local specialty docket.
Manatee County Sheriff and Jail
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Rick Wells, runs the county jail and handles every booking in Manatee. The Sheriff's headquarters is at 600 Highway 301 Boulevard West, Bradenton, with the main line at (941) 747-3011. Every arrestee is transported to Central Jail at 14470 Harlee Road, Palmetto, for intake.
The Sheriff's Arrest Inquiry tool at manateesheriff.com/arrest_inquiries_app shows people currently held and people released within the last 90 days. For full roster details, see the Manatee County inmate records page. For active capias entries, the warrant records page covers Crime Stoppers, search-warrant files, and bench-warrant resolution.
The Sheriff's homepage links to the jail, the Arrest Inquiry app, the wanted list, the media releases, and the Records Section that processes public-record requests.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses are filed with the Clerk's Official Records system, not the court file. Divorces are Domestic Relations cases in Circuit Court. Probate and guardianship cases are heard in the Probate and Guardianship Division of the Circuit Court; full search steps are on the probate records page.
- Testator
- A person who has made a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to administer the estate.
- Conservator
- A court-appointed adult who handles the affairs of a person who cannot manage their own affairs; Florida calls this role guardian in most cases.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will; the estate is divided under Florida statute.
- Letters of Administration
- Court order naming a personal representative to act for the estate.
Manatee County Court Records Fees
The Clerk fee page lists the costs for plain copies, certified copies, certifications, and record searches. The basic per-page rate has not changed in a long time. Large-format pages and certificates of clerk cost more. The fee schedule at manateeclerk.com/about-us/department-fee-listing is the authoritative source.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy, 8.5 x 11 page | $1.00 per page |
| Certification of a document | $2.00 per certification |
| Record search (when no case number is given) | $2.00 per year searched |
| Certificate of Clerk | $7.00 |
| Large copy, 18 x 24 page | $5.00 per page |
| Driver license transcript | $23.25 with valid ID |
Reading a Manatee County Court Record
Case numbers in Manatee follow a fixed pattern. The year is first, then two letters that name the division, then a sequence, then a suffix. CF is felony, MM is misdemeanor, CI is circuit civil, and DR is domestic relations. The full code 2022CF003020AX reads as the 3,020th felony filed in 2022.
Status codes look short and can confuse first-time readers. OPEN means the case is active. CLOSED means it is done. DFR - CLOSED means a defendant did not appear and the case was closed under a specific Florida tag. COLLECTIONS-OPEN means a judgment or fine is in collections. REOPEN means a closed case has been reopened by motion. A charge is not a conviction. A booking is not a final disposition. Always read the disposition entry to learn the outcome.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
The Clerk's Court Records disclaimer says the portal is a public service for informational use and is not an authoritative legal document. The site can lag a few minutes after a new filing. Some images need manual review. If you need a record for court, school, immigration, or a background check, order a certified copy from the Clerk.
Note: Always confirm a final disposition with the Clerk at (941) 749-1800 before relying on any online entry for a real-world decision.
History of the Manatee County Courts
Manatee County records date back to the 1850s. The Clerk FAQ says documents from before 1978 are kept in the Historical Records Library and that plat maps go back to 1887. The 1912 Historic Courthouse was the active courtroom building for most of the twentieth century. It was one of Bradenton's first reinforced-concrete buildings. The roof dome was removed in 1925 after fire-hazard concerns. A south addition was added in 1966. The 2008 Judicial Center took over courtroom duties and now holds every active division, leaving the Historic Courthouse as the Clerk's home.
The Public Records Hub is the latest modernization step. Starting January 1, 2020, the Clerk stopped issuing Book/Page numbers for new official records and switched to consecutive Instrument Numbers. Pre-2020 deeds, liens, and judgments stay searchable under their Book/Page entries.
Self-Help and Legal Aid in Manatee County
The State Attorney for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit prosecutes felony and misdemeanor cases in Manatee. The Public Defender for the Twelfth Circuit represents indigent criminal defendants who qualify for court-appointed counsel. Eligibility is set by judicial appointment after the Clerk's indigency application.
Self-represented filers can use TurboCourt, listed on the Clerk's public-record page, for Florida Supreme Court-approved forms. Local rules may apply, so check with the Clerk before filing. The Clerk also keeps eviction packets for Non-Payment of Rent and Eviction & Damages cases. Manatee County has a law library on the main floor of the Historic Courthouse with Westlaw and Public Records Hub terminals; computers are not for personal use or printing, and the librarian is not an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Manatee County Court cases online?
Use the Clerk's Court Records search at records.manateeclerk.com/CourtRecords/Search. Pick a search mode: person name, business name, case number, citation number, case type, or Today's Hearings. Name searches need a last name and accept an optional first name. Case-number searches need the full Manatee case number.
Are Manatee County Court records free?
Yes for the public search. The Clerk says you do not need an account to search. Some images need a free account, and a few case types need role-based access. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $2.00 certification fee.
Where is the Manatee County courthouse?
Court is in session at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205. The Clerk's Public Access office is right next door at the Historic Courthouse, 1115 Manatee Avenue West.
Can the Manatee County Clerk run a background check?
No. The Clerk FAQ says it can only search Manatee County records. Countywide background checks go through the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Records Section. Statewide criminal history checks go through FDLE.
More questions are answered on the Manatee County Court Records FAQ page.