The Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts refers to an organization that is responsible for managing the largest and highest volume of court filings and official records in Florida and the fourth largest judicial circuit in America. It serves about 2.7 million people in the county. Aside from that, it also supports the operations of the 11th Judicial Circuit and County Courts. In addition, it provides professional services to a few things such as the public, the judiciary, the legal community, and the Miami-Dade County Commission.
Purposes
As the custodian of public records such as courts, home and property, board of county commission, marriage license, value adjustment board, the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court wants to be a trusted, neutral, and processional one. It always tries its best to improve services, accessibility, and some other aspects. Its main goal is to serve more and more of the public online instead of in-line.
Just like any other organizations, the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts has some purposes, which include:
- Improving access and availability to public information
- Serving those who use the services of the Miami-Dade County Clerk’s office
- Maximizing the ability to provide the best thing to the public
- Building the future
- Improving the employees and everything
- Keeping the balance between gaining benefits and some other things
Responsibilities
The Miami-Dade County Clerk is elected as mandated by Article V, Section 16 of the Constitution of the State of Florida. They are chosen to a four-year term by the electorate of Miami-Dade County.
The State of Constitution, the Florida State Statutes, Miami-Dade County Ordinances and Regulations and Judicial Orders are the ones that establish the responsibilities of the Clerk. The Clerk serves as Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, County Recorder, County Auditor, and custodian of all County Funds, custodian of all records filed with the Courts, official records, marriage licenses, and the Board of County Commission.
Locations
There are some Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Courts locations. According to its official websites, these locations include:
- Central Depository (601 NW 1st Court, 16th Floor, Miami, FL, 33136)
- Coral Gables District Court (3100 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables, Florida 33134)
- District Courts (Joseph Caleb Center Court, Coral Gables District Court, Hialeah District Court, Miami Beach District Court, North Dade Justice Center, South Dade Government Center)
- Hialeah District Court (11 E. 6th Street, Hialeah, Florida 33010)
- Joseph Caleb Center Court (5400 NW 22nd Avenue, Suite # 103, Miami, Florida 33142)
- Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center (175 NW First Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128)
- Miami Beach District Court (1130 Washington Ave, Suite 200, Miami Beach, FL 33139)
- Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse (155 N.W. 3 Street Suite 3318 Miami, Florida 33128)
- Miami-Dade County Courthouse (73 W. Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33130)
- Miami-Dade County Courthouse East (22 NW First Street Miami, Florida 33128)
- North Dade Justice Center (15555 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite # 100 N. Miami Beach, FL 33160)
- Overtown Village South Building (601 NW 1 Court Miami, Florida 33136)
- Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building (1351 NW 12th Street Miami, Florida 33125)
- South Dade Justice Center (10710 SW 211th Street, Suite #1200 Miami, Florida 33189)
- Stephen P. Clark Center (111 NW First Street Miami, Florida 33128)
Services
There are a number of services offered by the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts. The top ones include:
1. Pay parking
This service makes it possible for you to pay your parking citation online. If you want to use this service, you have to prepare your citation number or your license plate number.
2. Search records
This service allows you to search records that are kept and maintained by the Clerk’s Office. Some of the records that you can search include:
- Attorney wheel position
- Central depository/child support
- Civil/family/probate court online system
- Code enforcement
- County recorder’s official record
- Criminal justice case
- Home & property records library
- Marriage license bureau
- Parking violations
- Tax deed sale process
- Traffic
- Value adjustment board
3. Request certified copies
With this service, you are able to request certified copies of eligible records online, by mail or in person. The ones that can be requested include:
- Civil cases
- Family cases
- Marriage licenses
- Official records
- Probate cases
- Criminal cases (can only be ordered by mail or in person)
- Criminal history checks
- Juvenile cases (can only be ordered by mail or in person)
Ordering certified copies is not free. When doing so, you will be charged. For anyone who has no idea about the year or case number, there is an extra search fee of $2 per year, per name. Talking about the fees, here are the accepted payment methods that you have to know:
- Online: Visa, Discover, Mastercard, American Express
- By mail: Cashier check, money order
- In person: Visa, Discover, Mastercard, American Express, cash, cashier check, money order
Once again, these are the accepted payment methods. For those who are wondering if personal checks are accepted, unfortunately, they are not.
4. Marriage licenses
You can search for marriage licenses that are recorded in Miami-Dade County. If you want to use this service, you have to enter your full name at the time of the application for at least one of the spouses and marriage date. If you know the license number that you are looking for, you can also use it.
5. Pay traffic citations
It is possible for you to pay your civil traffic infraction online by using this service. Feel free to use citation number, state case number, or driver’s license if you know any of them. If you have no idea about them, you can enter the defendant’s name, gender, and date of birth.
6. Central depository child support/alimony
This service can be used to view information about jury summons. If you get a jury summons, please log into the Clearview Juror Portal and complete the questionnaire by the date displayed on the summons. After completing the questionnaire and reviewing the jury service information, you will get reporting instructions and are allowed to request a postponement, excusal or disqualification from jury service. When reporting for jury duty, make sure to bring the summons with you as it contains your juror badge. If there is no access to a computer, try to log onto e Juror on your phone, visit the local public library to get access to a computer, or dial 786-828-5879. If you prefer the latter, you have to know that it is available from Monday through Friday from 10 Am to 4 PM.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
