No, we need to have original wet signatures for all documents recorded into the Official Record. We cannot accept a printed copy of the signed document. The only exception is if a document is notarized through an online notarization.

Review your Notice of Commencement form. If there are two signature lines with a legal paragraph at the bottom, and a signature line stating “Signature of Natural Person Signing Above” then the homeowner or authorized signer can sign in both lines without a notary. If the Notice of Commencement has one signature line and a notary paragraph then it must be notarized.

We suggest asking the permitting department if one is required for your property, each municipality has different requirements.

It is based on where the property is located, we suggest asking the permitting department if one is required for your property and circumstance.

The grantor would be the property owner and the grantee is the contactor listed on the Notice of Commencement.

Yes! You can order an e-certified copy on Clerk E-Certify (clerkecertify.com).

You should enter all of the information you know, but Florida statute requires numbers 1 through 4 be completed.

Only for a Notice of Commencement, a street address is sufficient information to replace the legal description.

Anyone is able to come in to record the Notice of Commencement. It can be done by the contractor, property owner, friend, or relative.

Property Fraud Alert is a free service offered by the Lee County Clerk of Court that alerts subscribers via email when a land document is recorded in the Lee County Official Records using a name or parcel that they have registered. This notification does not apply to documents filed in court proceedings.

Fraud can be committed in a number of ways by recording documents in public records. For example, someone can create a fraudulent document that will deed your home to them and then record that document in the official records.

Auctions are held on properties that have a foreclosure judgment. The judgment will specify the date and time of the sale, as well as whether the auction will be online or held in the office. The online auctions are conducted via the Internet in accordance with Florida Statutes. For each case, this site provides the judgment amount, the property’s Parcel ID, and a link to certain party information. The property will be auctioned in case number order and sold to the highest bidder. The property or interest being auctioned may be worth less than the assessed value.

Online bidders are required to register on this site. Prior to participating in a sale, the bidder must make a deposit equal to 5% of the anticipated final bid. All deposits must first be initiated on this site and the applicable funds must settle in the Clerk’s bank account by 4:00 PM on the business day prior to the scheduled auction date. Deposits can be remitted by cash or cashier’s check, payable to the Lee County Clerk of Court, or via wire transfer. Registry fees and costs are non-refundable.

The Clerk’s office must record all documents that meet the requirements outlined in the Florida Statutes. If a document is properly executed and presented with payment, it is the responsibility of the Clerk’s office to record the document.

The Property Fraud Alert system is designed to send email notifications within 24 hours of a recorded land record document for registered users. The alert keeps you informed about any recorded documents on your property. Sign up today and start protecting your most valuable investments.

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page to register a personal name, business name, or parcel.

Repeat the process to register as many names/parcels as you like.

If any document is recorded in Lee County matching the names/parcels you have registered, you will receive a notification within 24 hours. The notification includes instructions on how to view the recorded document and how to proceed if you feel the activity is fraudulent.

There is no special software or hardware needed for the sale. In order to participate, bidders must have a computer with access to the Internet. In order to have full functionality of the web site, the internet browsers that are supported are the latest two versions of Internet Explorer/Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page and follow the directions provided there. You may register as many names and parcels as you wish.

No, simply register online using your internet browser.

Registration requires internet access and an email address. If you do not have these, you might want to ask a friend or family member with access to sign up on your behalf and to notify you if they receive any alerts.

You will need the email address you wish to use, the personal name or business name to be registered, and the Parcel ID, if you wish to register a parcel as well. The Parcel ID is a 17-character parcel identifier, also known as a STRAP number. This number is typically found on recorded documents that involve property (such as Deeds, Notices of Commencement, and Liens), and it may also be available on the Lee County Property Appraisers web site.

The Parcel ID is a 17-character (consisting of numbers and letters) parcel identifier, also known as the STRAP number. It may be located on existing property-related documents (Deeds, Notices of Commencement, Liens, etc.) in your possession or found online using the Landmark Web Official Records Search (leeclerk.org). It is also likely to be found on the Lee County Property Appraiser’s search site, where you can search by property owner name or property address.

At this time, the property fraud alert system can only search by Personal Name, Business Name or Parcel ID.

You may register as many names and parcels as you like.

Notifications are based on exact matches, so for best results you may wish to register more than once to include a middle name or a middle initial.

Do not include a period ‘.’ after entering a middle initial.

For example, John Alan Smith may wish to register all of these names:

First                Middle            Last

John                                         Smith

John                 Alan                Smith

John                 A                     Smith

If you register a name, you may receive an Alert Notification for a document that is recorded in the name of an individual that shares that name. You are advised to review the document carefully to determine if this is the case. View the document using the link provided in the email you receive to determine if the recorded document is relevant to you or your property.

In order to have access to the cases you will be managing you must first register an account. Be advised that registration is global so once you have obtained a User Name and Password you will be able to log in to any RealForeclose site in which you will be managing cases. Once the registration is created, an email requesting Plaintiff Access should be sent to Customer Service at customerservice@realauction.com, with the following information:

• Name of County
• User Name
• Name of Firm
• Sale Date
• Case Number

An email confirming access to the Manage Cases module will be sent upon completion.

Once an account has been granted Plaintiff Access it CANNOT be used for participation as a 3^rd party bidder. 3^rd party bidding would necessitate creating a separate funded account in order to place a bid on an auction as a 3^rd party which means the 5% deposit requirement must be met as well.

Yes, you can include a suffix (Jr., Sr., II, etc.) by placing it in the Middle Name field using the guidelines below.

Do not include any punctuation (periods, commas) with your suffix.

To include a suffix with no middle name, place the suffix in the middle name field.

To include a suffix with a middle name, place the middle name in the middle name field, add a space, and then add the suffix.

To include a suffix with a middle initial, place the middle initial in the middle name field, add a space, and then add the suffix with no punctuation.

Examples:

If your name is:                       Enter this:

Name                                      First                Middle            Last

John Smith, Jr.                   John                 Jr                      Smith

John R. Smith, Jr.             John                 R Jr                  Smith

John Alan Smith, Jr.       John                 Alan Jr           Smith

John Smith, II                    John                 II                        Smith

Below is a summary of what you need to give to the Clerk in regards to the sale process.

Before the Sale:

• $70 service charge assessed as costs and paid when filing for an electronic sale date, pursuant to Florida Statute 45.035(3).
• $70 service charge pursuant to FS 45.035(1)

Each subsequent $ 70.00 electronic sale fee will be paid through Realauction.

Funds on deposit are only refunded upon request. To request a refund, click “Request Refund” on this site. The requested refund will be returned via check and can take up to four (4) weeks.

No. You will only receive notifications when names and parcels on recorded documents match exactly with the information that has been registered for Fraud Alert Notification.

 No, this service only alerts subscribers of documents being recorded in Lee County’s official records.

Failure to pay the balance of the final bid plus all fees by 4:00 PM the following business day will result in forfeiture of the deposit and nullification of the sale. The deposit will be reduced by the registry fee and may be reduced further by any incurred costs. Registry fees and costs are non-refundable. An order is required before the Clerk may release any remaining balance of the deposit.

If you prefer not to click on the link provided, you can search Official Records directly here: Search Official Records | Lee County Clerk of Court, FL (leeclerk.org) to review the document in question. You can also contact Official Records Services by phone or email and we will be happy to assist you.

The alert email will provide you with a direct link to the document in Lee County’s official records. You can easily review the recording information and the image to determine if this document is of concern to you.

If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, contact the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the property is located.

You may also wish to contact an attorney to determine whether you need to take legal action if you believe the recording activity is fraudulent.

If the document is a lien, and you dispute the lien filed against your property, contact the lien filer.

You may wish to consult with an attorney about the options available to you to remedy the situation.

It’s possible that data related to an old recorded document was updated, and this triggered a notification to be generated. You can contact Official Records Services if you would like to investigate this matter further.

Please contact Official Records Services in-person, via email, or by phone, and they can look into this matter for you.

The property fraud alert system allows you to register names and parcel IDs, but registration by property address is not currently an option.

EFiling is a statewide portal for the transmission of electronically filed cases and documents. The portal provides parties with a common entry point for filing and viewing electronically filed court documents.

Documents may be filed at any time the portal is accessible.  Current Business Rules regarding lead time for court preparation on filed documents remains in effect.

No, the only requirement will be an internet connection and a browser. If you are able to send and receive email with attached documents, and use a fairly new computer — the portal supports Internet Explorer 8 or higher, FireFox, or Google Chrome — you probably already know how to navigate your computer to attach a text or PDF document as you file on the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Use a personal computer when filing as the portal does not currently accept documents sent from an iPad or an Android device.

Please note: a document must be sent through the portal. Sending a document by email to the clerk or to support@myflcourtaccess.com does not get it filed or edited.

No, but it will notify you of a potential problem so that you can investigate to determine whether fraudulent activity related to your property may have occurred.

You may wish to consult with an attorney about the procedures available to you to address this situation.

The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal will accept filings in Word, Word Perfect, or PDF formats. By default, the ePortal will convert a WORD or Word Perfect document and provide it in PDF format to the local record system. Each county will also have the option to receive the original WORD document if available. The portal can also provide the conversion to TIFF format upon request if the local document management system cannot.

Only one account per Florida Bar number is allowed.

You may un-register names and parcels as follows:

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page and click on “Receive Email to Edit Property Fraud Alert” located at the bottom of the screen. You will receive an email with a list of your registered names/parcels, with links that allow you to un-register each.

Attorneys and Pro Se litigants may file via the portal.

There is a six character memo field on the payment screen that will appear on your bank/credit card statement.

All case types are currently being accepted.

New cases and all filings associated with opening a Criminal case must be done at the Clerk’s office. Attorneys are mandated to file new Civil cases through the ePortal. Pro-se litigants may file a Civil case through the ePortal or in person.

The web address for the e-Portal is http://www.myflcourtaccess.com.

On the Internet, go to www.myflcourtaccess.com. Once there, you may want to add the site to your “Favorites” so you can easily get back to it. You will see the “Register” button at the top. Instructions are easy to follow for setting up your registration, user name and password. If you wish more assistance, there are a number of videos available on the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority website that can help you with many of the tasks, including initial registration. The Florida Bar member database is used to validate who you are when signing on.

You will receive an automated filing confirmation, in the email account you provided through your portal email, both when the portal receives the filing and also when the Clerk’s Office accepts the filing. Also watch for information on the “My Trial Court Filings” portion of your portal account when you logon. The time and date that is given when the portal receives the document, the note shows, “Submitted.”

Once the Clerk begins review at the local level, you will see the notation, “Pending Review.” The submission is in the list for the Clerk to review. In the event there are issues with the document, you may see the term, “Pending Queue.” At that point, the filer has 5 days to correct the issue with the document or it will be sent to the judge for “Judicial Review.” If the document has been placed in the pending queue, there should be some direction by the clerk as to what needs corrected. Please review page 15 of the E-Filer Manual for the exact steps on how to edit the document for re-submission.

Once the filing is accepted into the local Clerk’s system, this becomes the official court record just like the current paper process. As a precaution, make sure you have sent the filing to the correct county to make sure it is timely filed.

The processing / docketing of paper and e-Filed documents remain 3 business days. The e-Portal will notify you via email when the documents have been approved.

If a document is filed within 3 business days prior to the court date, the Clerk will make every effort to ensure the filing is docketed to the case.  If your court date is within 48 hours, we strongly encourage attorneys to make an appearance in court.

Should an event occur that prohibits the Clerk from receiving e-filed documents, a notification will be posted on the Lee County e-Portal news banner and our website, www.LeeClerk.org

Re-open fees can be paid through the portal, if applicable.  All motions filed will be reviewed by the clerk to determine if a re-open fee is applicable. If the clerk determines the motion requires a re-open fee, the attorney will be notified by email that a fee is required and the motion will not be processed until the fee is received.

You will as long as the Rules require it.

Issued summonses and any required Standing Order (or other documents for service) can be retrieved through Court Records Online. 

Summonses can be retrieved within 4 hours of acceptance by the Clerk.

No.  You will need to file the original.

Contact Lee County Clerk of Courts at 533-5000, select option 1, and your call will be directed to someone that can assist you.  You may also submit questions via email to Support@myflcourtaccess.com or via our Records Request Tracking System.

The ePortal has a per filing limitation of 50 megabytes.

Pleadings which cannot be accepted by the Clerk will be moved to an ePortal Pending Queue.  Incorrect Documents event type, Missing Signature, Incorrect Jurisdiction/Count, Missing Case Number, Incorrect Case Number, Corrupt Image/ Poor Image Quality, Multiple documents within the same image, Blank Orders, or Multiple Filings/ same case numbers.

Pleadings in the Pending Queue must be corrected within five (5) business days.  If accepted by the Clerk, it will retain the initial ePortal file stamp date. If you take no action in this time period, the filing will be moved to Judicial Review.

When a pleading is moved to the Abandoned Filings Queue after five (5) days, the hold on the charge is released.

The filing will no longer be available for correction.  It will be necessary to submit a new ePortal filing with the corrected pleading attached once moved into Judicial Review.

We suggest that your document titles match the ePortal type selection or reference to generic pleading options (Affidavit filed, Notice filed, Motion filed, etc.).

Yes, Documents with multiple case numbers should be uploaded ONE time, to the first case listed on the document. The Criminal Division will process and attach the document to the other case numbers listed. 

Multiple pleadings for the same case number may be submitted within the same transaction but must be filed as separate documents. See Business Rules for Rules of Separation.

Always check Filed on Behalf of for any party you represent.

Only /s/, s/, or /s are acceptable 

Example:

/s/ John Doe

John Doe

According to Florida Rule 3.030(C): The only document(s) required to be filled with the Clerk in paper format are, sworn documents.

No, the fee is only charged when the filing is accepted and completed.

If you change your document type to Motion, no fee will be assessed. However, you will be invoiced the reopen fee, if appropriate.

You will be invoiced the amount of the fee.

If your support payments are processed through the Department of Revenue, you will need to contact their office. 

If your payments are not processed through the Department of Revenue, you would need to file a supplemental petition to modify. Both parties will need to agree that they can file an agreed stipulation and order but you will need to do your own research to know what is required to file. 

If your support payments are processed through the Department of Revenue, you will need to contact their office. 

If your payments are not processed through the Department of Revenue, you would need to file a motion and order to the case, then contact the judicial assistant within 24-48 hours to find out if a hearing is needed. 

If your payments are processed through the Department of Revenue (DOR), you would have to contact their office or file a motion to credit. If you file the motion to credit with the clerk’s office, you will need to provide the DOR with a copy.

If your payments are not with DOR you can file an agreement to credit and file a motion. You must contact the judicial assistant 24- 48 hours later to see if a hearing is required. Forms are available on our website under Forms Library Support- Child Support and Alimony to Credit. You will need to perform your own research or contact an attorney to complete the forms.

An amended complaint is when the petitioner refiles the complaint to either add or make a correction to the original one.

Visit Circuit Civil’s Family Law section for assistance with dissolution of marriage (divorce). Your Lee County Clerk offers easy to use interactive forms through TurboCourt. TurboCourt makes the task of filling out forms easier to understand and helps you get it right the first time. There is a $10.40 fee to prepare/print forms and $10.00 fee to eFile using TurboCourt. Forms approved by the Supreme Court are available online through the Florida State Courts. If the parties do not agree to the divorce or one of the parties cannot be located, please contact an attorney or Family Court Services at 239-533-2747 for assistance.

If you need a copy of your Final Judgment or Divorce Decree, you can obtain it in several ways. Registered users of our Court Records Inquiry (CRI) system may view and print documents at home; non‑certified copies are free, and certified copies are available for $8.00 each through CRI.

Certified copies may also be requested through our records request system, where copies cost $1.00 per page and certification is $2.00 per document.

If you prefer to request copies in person, you may visit either the Justice Center in Fort Myers or our Cape Coral office. Requests may also be mailed, along with payment, to the Civil Division, P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, Florida 33902. Standard copy and certification fees apply, and you may refer to our Fee Schedule for details.

Please Note: Some government agencies, including Social Security, may not accept electronically certified documents. In those cases, you will need to obtain a traditional certified copy by visiting our office or submitting a request by mail.

No, but you may seek the assistance of counsel if you choose. It is suggested that, while you have the right to file and to represent yourself, you contact an attorney to assist you in the legal process. The Lee Bar Association maintains an Attorney Referral Service Our Self Help can provide you access to an attorney for a nominal charge, solely for the purpose of providing procedural advice, and not as your legal representative.

Small Claims Rule 7.010.(a) provides: “…These rules shall be construed to implement the simple, speedy, and inexpensive trial of actions at law in county courts.”

Small Claims forms are available through the Self Help Center and in the Florida Small Claims Rules.

The party who files a claim is referred to as the "Plaintiff". Any person 18 years or older or any individual doing business as a company may file a Small Claims case. The party who is sued is referred to as the "Defendant". A claim must designate the proper Plaintiff(s) and Defendant(s). The determination of the proper party will depend on whether the party is a person or a business and how that business is set up. Failure to name the proper parties may result in the rejection of the claim or in a defective (unenforceable) judgment.

• Individuals: If the party is a person, that person is designated by his or her legal name.

• Minors: If the Plaintiff is a minor (under the age of 18), he or she may not be a Plaintiff directly but must sue through the minor's parent or legal guardian. However, a minor may be sued directly or through the minor's parent or legal guardian.

• Businesses: If the party is a business, you must name the proper legal entity. There are different forms of business enterprise, and the exact details will control how to determine the correct party to a lawsuit (see below). Florida Statutes determine the proper legal entity. You can contact the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Corporations at (850) 488-9000 to get information on a corporation. The Division of Corporations can also tell you the names and addresses of the corporate officers, the name and address of the registered agent for the corporation and the current status of the corporation. For more information, go to Florida's Division of Corporations online information center.

• Corporations: A corporation is a legal entity with a separate legal identity from its owners, regardless if there is one owner or many. The proper party is the corporation. Example: "John's Garage, Inc." You can get information on corporations from the Florida Division of Corporations by calling (850) 488-9000 or by going to their online information center. You should determine the correct name and address of the Registered Agent for service of process. Please see Florida Statutes for particulars.

When filing a lawsuit in any court in Florida including Small Claims Court, correct venue is necessary to avoid a dismissal. It is recommended that you consult with an attorney before filing, as fees are not refundable if the case is dismissed. While you are free to do your own research, this is a potentially complex issue. In addition, you may lose legal rights if your claim is not properly filed within the time provided by law. Florida Statutes are also accessible online.

This requirement is referred to as "venue". There are a number of different statutes and rules that affect venue. If the potential lawsuit is one based on Florida law, venue is controlled by Florida statutes. Florida’s laws regarding venue can be found in Title VI, Chapter 47 of the Florida Statues.

Yes. The Florida Small Claims Rules provide:

“RULE 7.150. JURY TRIALS - Jury trials may be had upon written demand of the plaintiff at the time of the commencement of the suit, or by the defendant within 5 days after service of notice of suit or at the pretrial conference, if any. Otherwise jury trial shall be deemed waived.”

Florida Statute 55.141 provides:

"(1) All judgments and decrees for the payment of money rendered in the courts of this state and which have become final, may be satisfied at any time prior to the actual levy of execution issued thereon by payment of the full amount of such judgment or decree, with interest thereon, plus the costs of the issuance, if any, of execution thereon into the registry of the court where rendered.

(2) Upon such payment, the clerk shall execute and record in the official records a satisfaction of judgment upon payment of the recording charge prescribed in s. 28.24(12). Upon payment of the amount required in subsection (1) and the recording charge required by this subsection and execution and recordation of the satisfaction by the clerk, any lien created by the judgment is satisfied and discharged.”

You are responsible to make sure that service of process occurs on all Defendants. The Defendant(s) is given a copy of the Statement of Claim and the Summons, which sets forth the date and time of the pre-trial conference.

It is your responsibility to proceed with obtaining proper Service of Process in accordance with Florida law. General rules for Service of Process can be found in Ch. 48, Florida Statutes, however there are special rules for service of process in some specific matters and on some specific defendants. The choice is up to you to select either the County Sheriff or a private process server to make service. The Sheriff’s Office and the process servers set their own fees and have their own requirements regarding form of payment. In each case, remittance of service of process fees is separate. The Sheriff or Process Server must file a Return of Service or give it to you for filing. If there is not a proper Return of Service in the file, the action cannot proceed.

At the Pre-trial Conference, you should be prepared to present your case in court although you will not be permitted to present witnesses at that time. If both parties to the dispute are present, mediation is ordered. At mediation, decision-making authority rests with the parties, but the Mediator will endeavor to assist in a resolution of the dispute. All statements made during a mediation conference are confidential and cannot be used as evidence if the case goes to trial. If the dispute cannot be settled at the Pre-trial Conference, a trial date will be scheduled. You must appear at the trial with all witnesses and whatever documentation of your claim you have to present.

If any Defendant fails to respond or appear to defend against the statement of claim, the Clerk may enter a Clerk’s default, or the judge may enter a default judgment against that Defendant.

No. There are no fees to access and view the court records remotely.

The Florida Supreme Court has determined the appropriate level of access for each category of user. These access levels are in accordance with legal statutes that protect confidential information. The Clerk is required to comply with these access levels and uses certain security protocols to protect confidential information and documents.

No, in order to protect confidential information, such as account information, social security numbers, victim information, etc., only redacted documents are available online. In order to receive un-redacted copies of documents, you must go to the courthouse and present a state-issued identification.

For certain sensitive cases, such as those involving sex crimes or abuse, the documents must be manually redacted in order to protect confidential information that cannot be detected by automated software.

These are considered Viewable on Request or VOR documents and they will display an icon. These documents can be requested by following the instructions on the case details screen. Every effort will be made by the Lee County Clerk of Courts to make the requested document(s) available within 2-5 business days from the request date. Please note that this may take longer for larger documents, or documents containing higher amounts of confidential data. The Clerk will pre-redact the most commonly requested filings to minimize the VOR impact to the community. Once a request has been submitted, it will not have to be reviewed for redaction again.

The icon will change to once a request has been made.

You may register online as an attorney to gain additional access to all cases on which you are an attorney of record. You will be required to complete an affidavit that must be notarized and returned to the Lee County Clerk of Courts, either by mail or in-person at any of the Clerk’s locations. Upon successful validation of your request, you will receive an email confirming your account activation. Please note: Attorney access to cases is dependent on current standing with the Florida Bar Association, which the Lee County Clerk of Courts verifies daily. Access to a case is also dependent on whether the requestor is an Attorney of Record. If you are not validated as being in good standing, you will be prevented from logging in to the Court Records Inquiry.

On the login screen, click ‘Forgot password? Click here to reset’ and enter your registered email address. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password. If you are a case party or attorney and require technical assistance, please call 239-533-5000 and we will transfer your call to our technology department.

No, certified copies cannot be requested through the site and must be obtained through our Records/Information Request option.

The Clerk recommends the Internet Explorer platform for the Court Inquiry site. However, in some browser versions it may be necessary to refresh the document page, or you can attempt to reload the document. If the problem persists, please contact our office at 239-533-5000 and we will forward you to our Technology Service Department.

 The Clerk’s Office places the highest priority on the security of confidential information. If you find that confidential information has not been redacted, please contact us immediately through our Call Center at 239-533-5000, or by contacting us via our Records/Information Request option. We will work to correct the issue as quickly as possible and notify you when it has been completed.

The Clerk is required to redact confidential information on documents filed after Jan 1, 2012. Florida Statute 119.0714(2)(d) states that the custodian of records “must use his or her best efforts to redact all Social Security numbers and bank account, debit, charge, or credit card numbers from electronic copies of the official record. The use of an automated program for redaction is deemed to be the best effort in performing the redaction…”

Information deemed to be confidential according to rule 2.420:

• Social Security number
• Bank account number
• Credit, debit or charge card number

Information that is not confidential includes:

• Driver’s license number
• Date of birth
• Home address

For more information on public access to court records, review F.S.119.0714 and Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420

We encourage you to first try using the Court Records Inquiry to search for records and documents as a general public user. If you find that you cannot view the documents that you need online and/or you were able to obtain them at the courthouse, please call our Call Center at 239-533-5000 or contact us via our Records/Information Request option. When you contact us, please identify the specific case that you are attempting to view online. We will confirm what you are eligible to view online and work with you on the next steps.

Formerly known as Court Records Online (CRO), Court Records Inquiry is a website where the community has access to case related data and images based upon AOSC17-47.  CRI is compatible with mobile devices and tablets.

Yes. If your case was assigned to Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, you will need to contact them and arrange for payments directly with the agency. If you choose to make payment in full, or pay off your payment plan, you can do so in person at the Clerk’s Customer Service locations, or directly with the agency.

To make a payment directly with the collections agency, you have the option to make a payment online, by phone, or by mail. For more information, please visit their website at www.lgbs.com or call 844-624-9435.

To make a payment with the Clerk’s Office, you have the option to make a payment by telephone, by mail, or by visiting one or our 2 customer service locations.  Acceptable payments are cash, personal checks, cashier’s check, money order, or debit/credit card Please bring your collections letter with you so you are sure of the amount due.

• 239-533-5000
• Lee County Justice Center, 1^st Floor (Monday - Friday)
• Cape Coral Branch Office (Monday-Friday)
  1039 SE 9th Pl, Cape Coral, FL  33990

Possibly, in order to answer that question you will need to contact the Collections Agency named in the letter you have received in the mail.

Pursuant to Florida Statute 28.246(6), the Clerk of the Circuit Court can hire an outside collections to work on our behalf to collect outstanding monies owed to the courts. The collection firm Lee County has hired is Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson. If you have received a letter from this organization, please call them directly at 844-624-9435 or by visiting their website at www.lgbs.com. If the letter you received is not from this collections firm, please contact the Clerk’s Inspector General Hotline at 239-337-7799.

•  The Inspector General’s Tourist Tax Office has the authority and responsibility to perform administration, collection, audits,  compliance, and enforcement in support of the Lee County Tourist Development Tax per Lee County Ordinance 13-14.

• The Inspector General’s Tourist Tax Office is not a Regulatory Agency; we do not have the authority or responsibility to enforce any local laws or ordinances other than 13-14.

• To confirm if short term rentals are allowed in your local area or if regulations exist, inquire directly with your local municipality, city, town, village, home owners association, condo association, or others, for information relating to whether or not your short term rental property is in compliance with any existing rules, laws, or regulations governing short term rentals.
• If someone is renting short term in an area where it is not permitted, we can only ensure that they collect and remit the tax. Whether or not they should be renting is outside of our authority and responsibility.

Every time a visitor pays for accommodations, funds are generated for our beaches, ballparks and attractions.

Find out more about how Lee County’s tourist tax dollars are put to use.

When you pay your citation, you can elect to attend traffic school for an additional fee. Read the affidavit carefully. Within 30 calendar days of the date your citation was issued, complete the affidavit, have your signature notarized, and return it to the Clerk's office. If you reside outside of Lee County, contact your local Clerk's office, and you may make your election to attend driver improvement school by mail.

1. Pay your citation and elect school online
2. Visit the Clerk’s office at the Justice Center, 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 1st Floor, Fort Myers or the Government Complex, 1039 SE 9^th Place, Cape Coral. For hours and directions, visit the Contact Us page.
3. Mail your election. Mail a check or money order made payable to Clerk of Courts, Traffic Office, P.O. Box 2507, Fort Myers, FL 33902. Include your civil citation payment, your notarized signed affidavit, and school election fee. Allow sufficient mail time to ensure your affidavit is received by the Clerk's office with the required 30 calendar days from the date your citation was issued. Be sure to check the appropriate box on your citation.

You must present proof of completion of driver improvement school to the Clerk's office within 60 calendar days of the date you elected to attend the course. If the date that the completion is due falls on a holiday or a weekend, the certificate must be received prior to that date. After completing the school, send the certificate of completion to the Clerk's office by one of the following options:

• Email to Courts@leeclerk.org
• Mail through USPS to the Clerk of Courts, Traffic Office, PO Box 2507, Fort Myers, Florida, 33902
• Overnight Mail to the Clerk of Courts, Traffic Office, 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, 2nd floor, Fort Myers, Florida 33901
• Deliver in person to the clerk’s office on the 1^st floor of the Justice Center at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard or on the 2^nd floor at our Cape Coral Branch at 1039 SE 9^th Place

A guardianship exists when the court appoints a person (the guardian) to exercise all or some control over another individual's person and/or property. The appointment is usually made when an individual (the ward) is incapable of managing his or her own affairs.

•  Do not exit the bridge using the exit ramp.
• You will come to your first light at McGregor Blvd.
• Continue traveling south and make a left at the 2nd light, which is Victoria Avenue.
• Traveling east on Victoria Avenue make a left turn on Broadway.
• The entrance to the juror parking lot is located on the left.

•  Travel north on US 41.
• Make a right on Victoria Avenue.
• Traveling east on Victoria Avenue, make a left turn on Broadway.
• The entrance to the Juror Parking Lot is located on your left.

• Travel west Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. past Fowler Street.
• Turn left on Broadway.
• The juror parking lot is located on the right just past Widman Way.

• Stay on Fowler Street and make a right on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• Turn left on Broadway. 
• The Juror Parking Lot is located on the right just past Widman Way.

Petit juries will hear and decide civil and criminal cases. Civil cases are disputes between private citizens, corporations, government, government agencies, or other organizations. Usually, the party who brings the suit is seeking monetary damages for an alleged wrong that has been done. The party who brings the suit is called the plaintiff, and the one being sued is called the defendant. The trials can involve small claims, personal injury, and medical malpractice cases. Criminal cases are brought by the state against a person(s) accused of committing a crime. In these cases, the state is the plaintiff, and the accused person(s) is the defendant. Criminal trials can involve traffic, misdemeanor, felony, and capital (death penalty) cases.

There are two ways to schedule an appointment with an attorney from Legal Aid.

• Visit the Self-Help Center in person
• Call 239-533-5000
  and speak to a Customer Service representative

• Be over the age of 18 years
• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be a legal resident of the State of Florida and Lee County
• Possess a valid driver license or identification card issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Not have been convicted of a felony crime under the laws of the State of Florida, the United States, or any other country, without having been restored to your civil rights by amnesty or pardon.
• Not have any prosecution pending against you in any court
• Not have any mental or physical handicap that could render you incapable of serving as a juror.

No. The attorneys will only assist with the Florida Bar pro se forms and aid in the understanding of the overall legal process. They will assist with any pleadings the person has received.

Pro se is a legal term for people who represent themselves in court without an attorney. 

It is not necessary but is highly recommended. We understand that some issues require immediate action, and we will try to accommodate walk-ins. However, the appointment calendar can fill very quickly. You will save time if you make an appointment in advance.

Visit the online Request for Excusal or Postponement and select the Request Schedule Change option. The ability to postpone your service is available only one time using the online form. You may also submit your request to jury@leeclerk.org or mail your completed Request for Excusal/Postponement form attached to your summons. All requests must be received by our office at least three business days prior to the date you are summoned to serve.

Updating any information in your bidder account does NOT automatically update the information associated with any of your aliases, such as names on title. Those changes are done by the bidder through the My Account option. After clicking on that link, select Manage Aliases (Names on Title) to manually make any changes needed.

No.  There may still be other encumbrances, such as (judgments, priority mortgages, taxes, or liens) that remain after the sale.  The winning bidder takes title to the property subject to all defects, liens, encumbrances, and matters of which he/she has or could obtain knowledge. It is the bidder's responsibility to perform all research regarding the property, including the value, title defects, liens, mortgages, or other encumbrances.  The Clerk's office does not guarantee a clear title and is not responsible for any encumbrances on the property purchased at auction.

The laws regarding foreclosures are extremely complicated.  It is recommended that all bidders perform a title search and consult an attorney prior to placing a bid.

Florida Statute 40.013 lists the valid reasons below for juror excusal:

• Expectant mother
• Given birth within 6 months before the reporting date on your jury summons
• 70 years old or older
• Parent not employed full time with child under 6 years old
• Full-time high school or college student, ages 18-21 years old
• Physically unable to serve
• Served as juror in Lee County within the last 12 months
• Sole unpaid caregiver of a person who is incapable of caring for himself/herself because of physical and/or mental illness
• Full-time law enforcement officer
• Convicted of a felony and civil rights have not been restored
• Currently under prosecution for a crime
• Currently on probation/parole
• Not a legal resident of Lee County
• Not a citizen of the United States

 Unused deposit money may be used to pay for winnings by clicking on Make Payment and following the steps indicated. To request a refund, select the Request Refund under the Funds Transfer menu on the RealAuction website.

Refunds will be made in the form of paper check and will be sent to the name and address of the registered bidder. Please allow 2-3 weeks for the processing and mailing of the check refund.

Section 40.23 of the Florida Statutes states that “failure to attend as a juror upon being duly summoned may result in a fine not to exceed $100.”  In addition to the fine, you may also face contempt proceedings which could result in the imposition of community service or other sanctions, including jail time.

If identical bids are placed prior to the auction start date and time, the first participant to place the bid will be deemed the official high bidder.

Tie bids are not allowed once the auction begins. However if a bidder enters a bid that equals a proxy bid placed by another bidder, the bid entered first would be deemed the current high bid.  If this occurs, you will receive a message indicating that you “Do Not Have the Current High Bid” and will then have the opportunity to raise your bid if desired.

Deposits can be made on the RealAuction website via wire transfers. Cash, cashier's check, or money order made payable to the Lee County Clerk of Courts will also be accepted in person at the Clerk’s office.

Payments must be delivered to the Clerk’s office in the form of a wire transfer, cash, cashier’s checks, or money order made payable to the Lee County Clerk of Courts.

To participate in a sale, bidders must register on the RealAuction website and place a valid deposit for bids to be considered.

Auctions are held on properties offered for sale to the highest bidder. The Clerk's office conducts the sale via public auction in accordance with F. S. 197.542. The property or interest being auctioned may be worth less than the assessed value.

Anyone may bid on the properties by  registering with the clerk on the RealAuction website prior to the sale. The site provides information for each sale item, including the name of the owner, legal description, and the opening or base bid.  

At the date and time specified for the sale, each item is auctioned in order of file number and sold to the highest bidder.

At the time of the sale, the successful high bidder must post with the Clerk a nonrefundable deposit of $200 or 5 percent of the winning bid, whichever is greater. The remainder of the bid is due within 24 hours, including the recording fee and state documentary stamps of $.70 per $100 of the bid.

Deposits may be made in the form of wire transfer, cash, cashier’s check, or money order. After the sale, the remainder of the winning bid may be made in the form of a wire transfer, cash, cashier’s check, or money order.

Upon payment of the remainder of the bid, the Clerk will issue a tax deed to the property. The sale is final when the clerk’s office receives the purchase balance.

Phone:

• 239-533-5087

Physical Locations:

•  Monday - Friday,
  7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
  Lee County Justice
  Center 1^st Floor
•  Tuesday,
  Wednesday and Thursday,
  8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
  Cape Coral Office

Mailing Address:

• P.O. Box 2507,
  Ft. Myers, FL 33902

An individual, through their attorney, files for a guardian to be appointed for a minor or an adult who is not mentally capable of taking care of himself/herself. When a guardianship petition is filed on an adult, an accompanying petition to determine incapacity is simultaneously filed as a separate proceeding in the Probate Department. The court will appoint a committee to evaluate the person and file their report with the court. The exception to this would be a guardian advocate petition. These petitions are for persons who are developmentally disabled. With these petitions, there is no requirement for the ward to be examined by a committee. Therefore, there will be no accompanying Mental Health file. Guardians can be appointed as guardian of the person only, property only, or person and property.

Guardianships are also filed for minors when the minor child has inherited money or property in excess of $15,000 from a deceased relative, or received money from a settlement in excess of $15,000. In this case, a guardian of the property is all that is needed if the minor child's parents are living. If a minor child's parents are deceased or unable to be appointed guardian, he/she may need a guardian of the person and property.

The Guardianship Advocate how-to guide will help you through the process. Also, visit our Guardianship page which will link you to forms and more information.

Yes, you must charge the 5 percent  tourist development tax, as well as 6.5 percent Florida sales tax. Please contact the Florida Department of Revenue at (239) 338-2400 for information on Sales Tax.

 If your short term-rental property is listed on an online website platform, such as HomeAway, VRBO, Airbnb, or, any of their Subsidiaries, they will collect and remit the tourist development tax on your behalf. If you are using an online property management program such as Evolve, Hostaway, Guesty, Lodgify, etc., the property is listed on the online platforms, but the tourist development tax is directed to you.  You are responsible to register, collect, and remit taxes for those rentals. To confirm tax related details of your short-term rental property, please contact the online website platform or property management program handling your property listing. If the short-term rental is advertised for rent on other online website platforms (ex: Craigslist) and/or you handle short-term rentals without using a dealer (property manager, real estate agent, real estate agency, rental agent, etc. ...), you are required to register and must collect and remit the tourist development tax on the gross rent received (rent plus any mandatory fees), or advise if your short-term rental is being handled by a tax collecting agent (bookkeeper, accountant, CPA, tax compliance specialist, etc....).

To obtain address information or locate a phone number, refer to the  Contact Us section and select the appropriate department. 

Visit the 20th Judicial Circuit website for contact information for judges.

Visit the Lee County government Ordinance webpage.

You may complete a Declaration of Domicile form and return it to our Official Records Department. In addition to the information listed below, please look under the State of Florida links page.

Florida driver license and tax information are handled by the Tax Collector.

Voter registration is handled by the Supervisor of Elections.

Homestead Exemptions are handled by the Property Appraiser's office Call 239-533-6100 for more information.

A restraining order or injunction may be obtained through the clerk’s office, located on the 1^st floor of the Justice Center at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard or on the 2^nd floor at our Cape Coral Branch at 1039 SE 9^th Place. You can read more about the process here: Domestic Violence & Injunction for Protection | Lee County Clerk of Court, FL. 

Your Lee County Clerk offers easy to use interactive forms through TurboCourt. TurboCourt makes the task of filling out forms easier to understand and helps you get it right the first time. There is a $10.00 fee to use TurboCourt to complete your filing,  or by viewing the Residential Tenant Eviction Checklist.

Before filing the complaint, a notice must be served to the tenant(s) by posting, by hand delivery or by mail.

When filing a tenant eviction case, you will need the following:

• Complaint for Tenant Eviction
• Copy of Notice
• Two copies of each of the above for every defendant/tenant being served
• A stamped addressed envelope for every defendant/tenant being served
• If pro se, an Affidavit of Ownership/Lessor
• County Civil fees

Florida Statute Chapter 83  Landlord and Tenant

A motion must be filed to obtain an order in the proceeding in which you would like to appear. A $100 service charge payable to the  Lee County Clerk of Court must accompany the motion.

Go to our Official Records Search page,  click the "Click Here to Search Official Records" button, and choose the Search Type. You will need to accept the Disclaimer to continue to the Search screen.

Notes:

• When searching by name, it is helpful to enter just the last name and first initial and browse through the listings that display. When you locate the desired name, click on the line of the desired document. You should see a picture of the recorded document if it is available to the public.
• The date range is automatically set to begin with 01/01/2010. You will need to change the date range if the document was recorded prior to 01/01/2010.

To locate a court (Civil or Criminal) case in Lee County, go to Search Court Cases and accept the disclaimer. Click on Court Records Public Search. Choose either Criminal & Traffic or Civil, Family & Probate. You can search by case number, name or attorney. For traffic tickets, you can also enter the citation number. Next to "search by" click on the drop down button to choose how you want to search. When entering a name, both a first and last name are required however, if you are only putting in partial information, you will need to asterisk after the name.

Some records go back to 1984 or earlier in some areas. Only cases that are not confidential or purged are available.

At the end of the information about any given case, there is a link to the particular office which can give further information.

The most common mistake is that the information is incomplete or not correct.  As an applicant, please be sure of the following:

• Information is complete and accurate
• Provide as much employment information as possible
• Previous employer/reference contacts are complete
• Education information is correct
• Resume should not include personal information

There are a variety of clerical, technical and professional career opportunities available. For a listing of current career opportunities, visit our job listings webpage.

Florida Statute 741.04 has been amended: Effective 7/1/2018 it states that you must be 17 years old and have parental consent in order to apply for a marriage license.  The older person to the marriage cannot be more than 2 years older than the 17 year old.  Please call our office at 239-533-5007 to get additional information and find out what forms are required. 

Since the Lee County Sheriff’s Office does not permit inmates in a Lee County facility to be married while incarcerated, the Lee County Clerk of Court does not issue marriage licenses to Lee County inmates.

Yes, as of January 6, 2015.

Please see our fee schedule

Yes, the fee will be reduced to $61 if both applicants are Florida residents and provide proof of 4-hour course completion with a registered counselor.

Yes, they may access our website to complete the form and mail it to our Office.

Yes, the 3-day waiting period will be waived, and the fee will be reduced to $61 if you are both Florida residents and provide proof of 4-hour course completion with a registered counselor.

No. To waive the 3-day waiting period, couples must attend a course provided by a registered provider. View the list of Premarital Course Providers.

Complete the Premarital Course Provider Affidavit and return it to: Lee County Clerk of Courts, P.O. Box 2278, Attn: Recording Department, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2278.

The hours to apply for a marriage license are from 8:30 AM to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday in the Fort Myers Office located at Administration Building 2115 Second Street, Fort Myers on the 2^nd floor or Cape Coral office located at 1039 SE 9^th Place, Cape Coral on the 2^nd floor.

A Florida marriage license is good in any of the 67 Florida counties. It cannot be used outside of Florida.

Both people will have to return to the office for the issuance of a duplicate license. They do not have to wait the three days.

No, blood tests are not conducted.

No.

The waiting period starts on the day after you get the license. For example, if you get the license on Monday, it could not be used until Thursday.

The following may perform marriage ceremonies per Florida Statute 741.07.   

• A regularly ordained minister or other ordained clergy
• Elders in communion with some church
• All judicial officers/judges
• Clerks of Circuit Court and their deputies
• A Florida Notary Public, which may include family members

Yes, an authorized Deputy Clerk of the Clerk of Courts Recording Department can perform the marriage ceremony between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30PM, Monday through Friday in the Fort Myers Office located at Administration Building 2115 Second Street, Fort Myers on the 2^nd floor or Cape Coral office located at 1039 SE 9^th Place, Cape Coral on the 2^nd floor.

Yes.

No, a notary can only marry within the state of which they are a notary.

Yes, a minister can marry anywhere.

No, ship Captains cannot officiate weddings. Sea captains in the United States cannot now and have not ever been able to perform marriages at sea or anywhere else, unless they also happen to be recognized ministers or justice of the peace.

Code of Federal Regulations, 32 CFR 700.716

Yes, you are considered to be legally married. Contact a Florida attorney for further assistance.

If you require a copy of your marriage license with this information, you must contact the Vital Statistics in Jacksonville with this request.

You can order a copy from the Department of Health, visit the DOH website for more information.

For access to documents in the state or territory you were married, visit the National Center for Health Services Vital Statistics website.

No, Florida does not have common law marriage, but it recognizes them from other states.

Florida recognizes marriages outside of the United States. You may get a certified translation from a translator if you need to show proof of your marriage.

No, proxy marriages, which is when someone stands in for another person, are not permitted.

The Sand Dollar Snapshot is a cloud-based financial transparency tool that displays county government finances over a multi-year period. It includes financials for the Board of County Commissioners, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Port Authority.

The Sand Dollar Snapshot allows you to explore finances in a simple graphical user interface. View the video tutorial for an overview of how to navigate the site.

• The Report Title is at the top menu with a brief description at the top of each page. 
• On each page, there is a list of available reports. Each chart is altered based on the selected data and fiscal years. 
• Many reports can also be filtered and exported.

Hover over any area of the graph to see the amounts for that selection or just scroll down to see a table with detailed information.

You can make a public records request.

There are four ways in which you can obtain a regular copy or a certified copy of a document:

1. View and print the record for free through the Official Records Search.
2. Request an electronically certified copy online (Please Note: when requesting copies through this website additional service fees apply.)
3. Visit the Recording Department in person and request copies. Payment is accepted either in cash, by check, money order or credit card. The Recording Department is located on the 2nd floor of the County Administration Building, 2115 Second Street, Fort Myers or at our Cape Coral Branch office on the 2^nd floor of 1039 SE 9^th Place.
4. Mail a written request, along with a check or money order payable to Lee County Clerk of Courts, to cover copy fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your document. . You must include the instrument number or book/page number in addition to the name the document is recorded under. In your request, include your driver license number and state of issuance.  Please mail your request and payment to P.O. Box 2278, Attn: Land Records, Fort Myers, FL 33902. Your copies will be mailed to you.

Please refer to our fee schedule for associated costs.

You can make a public records request.

If you need copies from your court case, you can obtain it in several ways. Registered users of our Court Records Inquiry (CRI) system (matrix.leeclerk.org) may view and print documents at home; non‑certified copies are free, and certified copies are available for $8.00 each through CRI.

Certified copies may also be requested through our records request system, where copies cost $1.00 per page and certification is $2.00 per document.

If you prefer to request copies in person, you may visit either the Justice Center in Fort Myers or the Cape Coral office (Contact Us | Lee County Clerk of Court, FL). Requests may also be mailed, along with payment, to the Civil Division, P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, Florida 33902 or to the Criminal Division, P.O. Box 2507, Fort Myers, Florida 33902. Standard copy and certification fees apply, and you may refer to our Fee Schedule for details.

Please Note: Some government agencies, including Social Security, may not accept electronically certified documents. In those cases, you will need to obtain a traditional certified copy by visiting our office, requesting using our record request system, or via mail.

There are a few ways you may obtain a copy:

1. View and print the record for free through the Official Records Search.
2. Request an electronically certified copy online (Please Note: when requesting copies through this website additional service fees apply.)
3. Order certified copies with your credit card at www.myfloridacounty.com (Please Note: when requesting copies through this website service fees apply when you use your credit card.)
4. Visit the Recording Department in person and request a copy. Payment is accepted either in cash, by check, money order or credit card. The Recording Department is located on the 2nd floor of the County Administration Building, 2115 Second Street, Fort Myers.
5. Mail a written request, along with a check or money order payable to Lee County Clerk of Courts, to cover copy fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your document. . You must include the bride’s maiden name, groom’s name, and the date of the ceremony. In your request, include your driver license number and state of issuance.  Please mail your request and payment to Lee County Clerk of Courts Recording Office, P.O. Box 2278, Fort Myers, FL 33902. Your copies will be mailed to you.

Please refer to our fee schedule for associated costs.

See County Financial Information or make a public records request.

If you need a copy of your Final Judgment or Divorce Decree, you can obtain it in several ways. Registered users of our Court Records Inquiry (CRI) system may view and print documents at home; non‑certified copies are free, and certified copies are available for $8.00 each through CRI.

Certified copies may also be requested through our records request system, where copies cost $1.00 per page and certification is $2.00 per document.

If you prefer to request copies in person, you may visit either the Justice Center in Fort Myers or our Cape Coral office. Requests may also be mailed, along with payment, to the Civil Division, P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, Florida 33902. Standard copy and certification fees apply, and you may refer to our Fee Schedule for details.

Please Note: Some government agencies, including Social Security, may not accept electronically certified documents. In those cases, you will need to obtain a traditional certified copy by visiting our office or submitting a request by mail.

Parents no longer have the legal authority to make decisions for their children after they turn 18 years of age.  Guardian Advocacy is a process for family members, caregivers, or friends of individuals with a developmental disability to obtain the legal authority to act on their behalf. This is accomplished without having to declare the person with a developmental disability incapacitated. Guardian Advocate appointments are governed by Florida Statute Section 393.12.  

Florida birth record copies may be obtained at the Florida Department of Health Lee County Vital Statistics office or ordered online through VitalChek.

Birth records for other states can be ordered through VitalChek.

For more information call 239-332-9572 or visit the Florida Department of Health Lee County Vital Statistics.

Electronic viewing of many court records, indexes and dockets as well as non-confidential document images is currently available on our Lee County Clerk of Court Viewing of Electronica Records site, as authorized by the Florida Supreme Court. Pursuant to Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, access to all electronic and other court records shall be governed by the Standards for Access to Electronic Court Records and Access Security Matrix. Please note that the majority of files maintained in the Mental Health Department are confidential and exempt from public access.

Parties to the case, under Florida Rules of Judicial Administration to view a court file may pick up a copy of the file In person at our Fort Myers Location, 2075 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 2nd Floor, Fort Myers FL 33901.

Florida death record copies for deaths occurring in 2009 to the present may be obtained at the Florida Department of Health Lee County Vital Statistics office or ordered online through VitalChek.

Florida death records prior to 2009 can be obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or ordered through VitalChek.

Death records for other states can be ordered through VitalChek.

For more information call 239-332-9572 or visit Lee County Vital Statistics.

The Clerk's Mental Health Division maintains court records when a person is involuntarily committed for the treatment of substance abuse.

The legal process that is commonly referred to as The Marchman Act.

The Marchman Act allows family and friends to petition the court to obtain an involuntary assessment and treatment for a substance abuser. First, a Petition for Involuntary Assessment is filed, and if the court enters an Order for Involuntary Assessment, the patient is taken to a facility licensed by the Department of Children and Families. Within five days, the court will receive a written assessment and can proceed with the Petition for Involuntary Treatment. At the hearing, if the court issues an Order for Involuntary Treatment, the patient can be admitted to the facility for a period not to exceed 60 days.

Family Court Services can assist you with filing the Petition for Involuntary Assessment. The Service Provider, usually Southwest Florida Addiction Services may assist with the filing for the Petition for Involuntary Treatment.

Yes. Pursuant to Florida Statute 394.464 and Rule 2.420, these case types are confidential and not accessible by the general public.

You may check the status of your license on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website. The site will only inform you if your license is valid or invalid. In order to find out the reason for suspensions or revocations, you may purchase a copy of your driving record from the Clerk of Courts for a fee. Refer to the Fee Schedule for more information.

Probate is a legal process provided for by Florida law that determines the value of a deceased person’s property and its distribution to heirs. Probate proceedings take place in the circuit court of the county where the deceased property owner lived or maintained his or her usual place of dwelling.

A petition for an ex-parte order is available at the Probate Department. For an order to be issued allowing law enforcement to transport a person to a receiving facility for an involuntary psychiatric examination, all of the following must be met:

• there must be reason to believe that the person is mentally ill
• because of the illness, the person has refused a voluntary examination after being asked by the petitioner
• without care or treatment the person will harm himself/herself or another
• the petitioner must have observed the behavior of the person
• the person must be physically located in Lee County and the petitioner has to supply a valid location for service

The petitioner must bring valid photo identification with a signature, such as a driver license/ID, passport, or resident alien card.

There is no filing fee for this petition. The facility will arrange for the examination within 72 hours.

Probate is necessary to manage the affairs a decedent leaves behind with no valid will.

A life insurance policy payable to a specific beneficiary is not a probate asset, but a policy payable to the decedent’s estate is a probate asset.

Real estate titled in the sole name of the decedent is a probate asset, unless it is homesteaded. Property owned by spouses as tenants by the entirety is not a probate asset on the death of the first spouse, but goes automatically to the surviving spouse.

Yes. Anytime you feel an individual is a danger to himself, herself, or other, you may initiate these procedures.

 A will declares how a person desires his/her property to be disposed of after death. It is canceled or altered by the individual at any time, and it has no purpose until the person’s death.

Within 10 days after receiving information of the testator's death, the custodian of a will must deposit the will with the Clerk having venue of the estate, in accordance with Florida Statutes 732.901. Upon deposit the custodian must supply the decedent's date of death.

Upon the death of a person, the custodian of the will must deposit the will with the Clerk, within 10 days after receiving information that the person is deceased. The custodian must supply the person’s date of death or the person’s Social Security number to the Clerk upon depositing the will.

When there is no will, legally known as intestate, the court appoints a personal representative, known or unknown to you, to manage your estate. The cost of probating may be greater than if you had planned your estate with a will, and the administration of your estate may be subject to greater court supervision.

Yes. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office serves the person with a copy of the petition and the order entered by the Judge. The mental health receiving facility is also provided copies and they become a part of the person’s records at that facility. If the patient requests to see his or her records, the facility must allow access.

Small Estates is also known as Disposition of Personal Property without Administration. These cases are filed when formal administration is not necessary and no real property is involved. Visit the Forms to download the form. You may also mail a request for forms and instructions, along with a self-addressed stamp envelope to the Probate Department. Visit the Contact Us page for information. If requested, the clerk may also assist you with filing a small estate.

The decedent must have been a resident of Lee County at the time of death. The assets of the decedent must be $6,000 or less. Other restrictions may be applicable depending on the circumstances. If the assets are more than $6,000, you cannot proceed with a Small Estates action, and it is suggested that you consult with an attorney on how to proceed. Assets cannot exceed funeral bill.

At the time of filing a small estates action, you must mail in or take a certified copy of the death certificate, a copy of the funeral bill paid in full, a copy of any documentation of the decedent's assets, and the applicable filing fees. Assets are only released to the party who paid the final funeral bill.

Visit the Fees and Costs page for a complete list of our fees.

A petition for an ex-parte order is available at the Probate Department. For an order to be issued allowing law enforcement to transport a person to a receiving facility for an involuntary psychiatric examination, all of the following must be met:

• there must be reason to believe that the person is mentally ill
• because of the illness, the person has refused a voluntary examination after being asked by the petitioner
• without care or treatment the person will harm himself/herself or another
• the petitioner must have observed the behavior of the person
• the person must be physically located in Lee County and the petitioner has to supply a valid location for service

The petitioner must bring valid photo identification with a signature, such as a driver license/ID, passport, or resident alien card.

There is no filing fee for this petition. The facility will arrange for the examination within 72 hours.

The complete Instruction Sheet for this document may be viewed in the Disposition of Personal Property without Administration Packet.

Visit the Official Records Search page, accept the disclaimer and follow the script to search as desired.

You may visit our page for deeds or mortgages:

Calculate Recording Fees for Deeds

Calculate Recording Fees for Mortgages

There is a list explaining all abbreviations of document types on our site. Go to Official Records Search, then click on "Official Records Public Search" and click I accept on the disclaimer page. On the web search page, click on the grey button located on the right side of the Document Type field to display the list.

Visit the Requirements for Recording Documents page for a list of requirements. You can also view our how to video or written presentation for requirements and the process. Recording fees are listed under the Fee Schedule. You may send the document(s) with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your recorded documents(s) and a check payable to Lee County Clerk of Courts, Recording Department, P.O. Box 2278, Fort Myers, FL 33902.

You may complete and submit the Request to Remove Exempt Information form, if qualified, to Lee County Clerk of Court, Attn: Redaction, P.O. Box 2278, Fort Myers, FL 33902 to remove any additional confidential numbers. Provide the document’s instrument number or book/page number, document type/name, party name(s), and the exact information that is to be removed.

Forms are also available in our Recording Department, 2nd floor, County Administration Building, 2115 Second Street. Due to the volume of records, this form must be filled out in order for us to remove any information.

Recording a death certificate does not remove the name from the deed. However, you can record the death certificate, and it will remove the name from the tax bill. You will need to have a new deed prepared if you want to remove a name from the existing deed of record. If a document meets the requirements to be recorded, we will record it. The Clerk’s office does not provide forms or legal advice.

Visit the Requirements for Recording Documents page for a list of requirements per F.S. 695.26. Recording fees are listed under the Fee Schedule.

Documentary stamp taxes, also known as excise taxes, are taxes imposed by Florida law on the transfer of ownership or interest in real estate transactions. They are calculated, for recording purposes, as a percentage of either the consideration amount for a deed or the obligatory amount for a mortgage. Documentary stamp taxes must be paid at the time of recording. To calculate documentary stamps, please use our deed calculator. For additional information, refer to the Department of Revenue's website.

Florida Documentary Stamp Tax is due at the time of recording. Each document transferring an interest in real property may be subject to Florida’s Documentary Stamp Tax (document stamps on deeds (rounded up to the nearest hundred) $0.70 per $100). Please contact the Department of Revenue for guidance at 800-352-3671. Documentary stamps are paid on the total consideration paid, given, or to be paid, for the transfer.

The Clerk’s office is restricted by state law from offering any legal advice. Staff cannot assist you in completing legal forms or provide legal advice of any type. If you have questions about completing forms or the proper method of transferring property, you should consult an attorney or legal advisor.

To locate a court case, visit the Court Records Search.
Choose either Criminal Traffic or Traffic Infraction. You can search by case number, name or attorney. For traffic tickets, you can also enter the citation number. When searching a name, both a first and last name are required. However, if you are only putting in partial information, you will need to enter an asterisk (*) after the name.

Yes, each type of citation carries a statutory fine and possible point assessment. You have 30 calendar days from the date you received your citation to select from one of three available options:

Option #1 - Pay your fine as indicated on the back of the citation. Paying the fine means you admit to the violation listed on your citation. Occasionally, the citation you receive has a printed fine amount, but the actual fine amount reflected by our record may be different, and in some cases higher. County governments may add surcharges to citations by ordinance that the law enforcement agency does not reflect when the citation is printed. Points may be assessed against your driving record if the violation is one that carries points. Pay your citation online.

Option #3 - Elect to attend a defensive driving course approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Adjudication shall be withheld and points will not be assessed: if you have not attended driving school in the last 12 months; and if you have not been to driving school more than five times in a lifetime and do not hold a class A, B, or C CDL License. The State of Florida monitors your driving record and periodically checks your record for point accumulation. An excessive number of points within a specific time period will result in action being taken against your driving privileges.

Florida law allows for 30 calendar days from the issue date of your citation to comply with one of these options. If you fail to select one within the 30 day compliance period, you are subject to late fees and possible suspension of your driver license. If you continue to drive on a suspended license, you may be arrested by any law enforcement agency. If you have any questions about your options, please call 239-533-5087 for assistance.

No.

The officer who issued the traffic infraction will be present as well as any other witnesses. You may have witnesses present to testify on your behalf. If you choose to subpoena witnesses on your behalf, it will be your responsibility for the preparation and costs, generally $40 per witness.

If you are found guilty of a civil traffic infraction, the court may assess fine and costs, order you to attend driver improvement school or impose other penalties. If you should fail to pay the fine and costs in the time allotted to you by the court, a suspension will be issued against your driver license and additional penalties will be imposed.

For driver license renewal or state ID requirements, please go to the FLDHSMV website. 

Any person charged with a moving violation, within 30 days from the citation date may be eligible to elect to attend driver improvement school in lieu of accumulating points on the driver history record. They must not have elected to attend a basic driver improvement school in the past 12 months, have not elected to attend more than eight times in a lifetime, and do not hold a class A, B, or C CDL License. Not all moving violations are eligible for this option. Please refer to FLHSV.gov for more information.

Yes. If you contact the Clerk's office before the 60 days required to attend the course, you can state that you no longer wish to attend driver improvement school. A fee will be assessed for changing the election, the case will be closed, and the points will be assessed to the license.  If you change your mind and elect not to attend the school, it'll still count as one of your five times in a lifetime elections.

If you elect to attend driver improvement school and do not provide proof of completion to the Clerk’s office, an additional delinquency fee will be owed, your driver license will be suspended, a fee to reinstate your driving privileges will be assessed, and a conviction of the violation will be reported on your driver history record.

You may elect the traffic school option once within a twelve (12) month period, and a total of eight (8) times in your lifetime.  To see if you are eligible, you may check online at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

You must make your election and pay the associated fines and costs to attend a defensive driving course in the county in which your citation was issued. You may, however, attend a defensive driving course approved by the State of Florida, in the location of your choice. Refer to your local telephone directory for the names and locations of defensive driving courses in other counties.

Regular passport processing can take 6-8 weeks.

• If you are traveling within 14 calendar days, you must make an appointment at the nearest passport agency by calling the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.
• If you are traveling within 3-4 weeks, the Department of State strongly recommends that you request and pay for expedited service. For applicable fees, visit the Fee Schedule.
• If you are traveling within 2-3 weeks, you must request and pay for expedited service plus two-way overnight delivery service. For applicable fees, visit the Fee Schedule.

Cross through the incorrect information once and write correct information legibly, or complete a new application. Fillable applications are available on the U.S. Department of State’s website.

No, the dealer is required to have their own TDT tax account number, and must submit your tax in a consolidated return, which includes the rental properties of all their clients. However, you should be aware that if the dealer fails to collect and remit the tax, after all provisions under the law have been pursued, then the owner is ultimately responsible for the payment of the tax.

Yes, you will need an account number, since you will be responsible for collecting, reporting, and remitting the tax during the months the property was rented without the use of a dealer.

Complete the application and return it using the options listed on the form. Once received, you will be assigned an account number, provided with a username and password, and informed how to complete your return and pay online.

Yes. The Lee County tourist development tax has made provisions for seasonal renters to simplify the payment of the tax. Seasonal renters submit tax returns only once a year. See application for filing options.

The federal government only issues no-fee passports to individuals traveling abroad in connection with official employment. For more information, call 877-487-2778 or visit U.S. Department of State’s website.

Yes, this is a bed tax, and is applicable to all transient visitors, whether or not they are residents of Florida or Lee County.

If you collect rent from them, or accept any form of compensation in lieu of rent, you are required to file a tax return. Collect and remit the tax based upon the rent paid, or upon the fair market value of the compensation received in lieu of rent.

Tourist development tax is used for: 53.6 percent - advertising and promotion (VCB operations and Lee County Sports Development operations); 26.4 percent - beach and shoreline improvements and maintenance; 20.0 percent - stadium debt service (includes debit payments for the Lee County Sports Complex and JetBlue Park, as well as major maintenance for both).

If a dealer handles your property, the dealer is required to have their own tourist development tax account and submit the tax payments for all of their clients in a consolidated return. You should verify this with your dealer. In addition to the consolidated return, for audit purposes, dealers must keep records of all properties and rental amounts collected each month. Tourist development tax is a 5 percent tax on the gross rental amount. The dealer is responsible to collect and remit the tax from any person or other party who rents, leases or lets for consideration living quarters or accommodations for a period of six months or less. If the dealer fails to collect and remit the tax, after all provisions under the law have been pursued, then the owner is ultimately responsible for the payment of the tax.

A warrant can be issued and filed, creating a lien against real property and/or personal property in Lee County. Any person who rents living quarters for a period of six months or less shall be personally liable for the tax payment. The following offenses may also result in the individual being found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony, punishable as provided in F.S. 212.12, 775.082, 775.083:

• fails to file six consecutive returns
• diverts or converts tax monies to their own use or the benefit of others

Other actions:

• Suspending of your privilege to rent properties in Lee County, Florida

Those who have signed a bona fide written lease in excess of six months and one day, or have paid the tax continuously month-to-month for the first six months without a lease are exempt. Exempt status with the State of Florida Department of Revenue Sales & Use Tax is also exempt from Lee County Tax.

The Lee County Clerk of Court Inspector General Department enforces the tax.

The tax is also referred to as:

• Bed Tax
• Transient Rental Tax
• Resort Tax

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 2469, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-2328

Location:
Administration Building, 2^nd Floor
2115 Second Street, Room 207
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 2507, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 2

Email:

• DUI School Completions: DUISchoolCompletions@leeclerk.org
• Traffic Compliance: Courts@leeclerk.org
• Traffic School Completion Certificates: Courts@leeclerk.org

Locations:
Lee County Government Center
1039 SE 9th Place, 2nd Floor
Cape Coral, FL  33990

Justice Center, 1st Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Phone: 239-533-2200

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. M-F

If after business hours, please report the issue to our Service Desk using the button below. Include your contact information and details about the issue you encountered. Your email will be addressed when the Service Desk reopens.

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page and follow the directions provided there. You may register as many names and parcels as you wish.

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 9367, Fort Myers, FL 33902-9367

Phone: 239-533-2800

Location:
Justice Center,  2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

No, simply register online using your internet browser.

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 3

Location:
Justice Center, 2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Registration requires internet access and an email address. If you do not have these, you might want to ask a friend or family member with access to sign up on your behalf and to notify you if they receive any alerts.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9346, Fort Myers, FL 33902 

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 6

Location:
Justice Center,  2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Guardianship and Incapacity Cases, email Guardianship@leeclerk.org.

Probate, Baker Act, and Marchman Cases, email Probate@leeclerk.org.

Land Records, Passports, Marriage Licenses and Declaration of Domicile 

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2278, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5007

Locations:
Administration Building, 2nd Floor
2115 Second Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Google Map
*Please note: When entering the street address in your GPS, be sure to spell out Second Street rather than using the number. 

 Lee County Government Center
1039 SE 9th Place, 2nd Floor
Cape Coral, FL 33990 
*Please note: Passport and marriage services are not available at the Cape Coral location.

You will need the email address you wish to use, the personal name or business name to be registered, and the Parcel ID, if you wish to register a parcel as well. The Parcel ID is a 17-character parcel identifier, also known as a STRAP number. This number is typically found on recorded documents that involve property (such as Deeds, Notices of Commencement, and Liens), and it may also be available on the Lee County Property Appraisers web site.

The Parcel ID is a 17-character (consisting of numbers and letters) parcel identifier, also known as the STRAP number. It may be located on existing property-related documents (Deeds, Notices of Commencement, Liens, etc.) in your possession or found online using the Landmark Web Official Records Search (leeclerk.org). It is also likely to be found on the Lee County Property Appraiser’s search site, where you can search by property owner name or property address.

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 2507, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 2
Payments by Phone: 239-271-3252

Locations:
Justice Center, 1st Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Lee County Government Center
1039 SE 9th Place, 2nd Floor
Cape Coral, FL  33990

At this time, the property fraud alert system can only search by Personal Name, Business Name or Parcel ID.

Board of County Commissioners, Port Authority Board and Value Adjustment Board

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2469, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-2328

Location:
Administration Building, 2^nd Floor
2115 Second Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901

You may register as many names and parcels as you like.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9347, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 2

Location:
Justice Center, 2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

If you prefer not to click on the link provided, you can search Official Records directly here: Search Official Records | Lee County Clerk of Court, FL (leeclerk.org) to review the document in question. You can also contact Official Records Services by phone or email and we will be happy to assist you.

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 9349, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-2929

Location:
Justice Center, 2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Notifications are based on exact matches, so for best results you may wish to register more than once to include a middle name or a middle initial.

Do not include a period ‘.’ after entering a middle initial.

For example, John Alan Smith may wish to register all of these names:

First                Middle            Last

John                                         Smith

John                 Alan                Smith

John                 A                     Smith

If you register a name, you may receive an Alert Notification for a document that is recorded in the name of an individual that shares that name. You are advised to review the document carefully to determine if this is the case. View the document using the link provided in the email you receive to determine if the recorded document is relevant to you or your property.

Internal Audits, Fraud, Waste & Abuse Investigations or Enhanced Guardianship Audits, to make an appointment please contact:

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2469,  Fort Myers, FL 33902-2469
Phone: 239-533-5480
Email: Info_InspectorGeneral@leeclerk.org 

Tourist Development Tax Audit, Compliance & Enforcement, to make an appointment please contact:

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 2469, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2469
Phone: 239-533-5427
Email: TouristTaxAudit@leeclerk.org

Tourist Development Tax Collections, to make an appointment please contact:

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2257, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2257
Phone: 239-533-2190
Email:TouristTax@leeclerk.org

Location:
City/County Annex Building
1825 Hendry Street, 3rd Floor
Fort Myers, FL 33901 

This Department is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

The alert email will provide you with a direct link to the document in Lee County’s official records. You can easily review the recording information and the image to determine if this document is of concern to you.

If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, contact the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the property is located.

You may also wish to contact an attorney to determine whether you need to take legal action if you believe the recording activity is fraudulent.

If the document is a lien, and you dispute the lien filed against your property, contact the lien filer.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9344, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-3211

Location:
Administration East, 3rd Floor 
2201 Second Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Yes, you can include a suffix (Jr., Sr., II, etc.) by placing it in the Middle Name field using the guidelines below.

Do not include any punctuation (periods, commas) with your suffix.

To include a suffix with no middle name, place the suffix in the middle name field.

To include a suffix with a middle name, place the middle name in the middle name field, add a space, and then add the suffix.

To include a suffix with a middle initial, place the middle initial in the middle name field, add a space, and then add the suffix with no punctuation.

Examples:

If your name is:                       Enter this:

Name                                      First                Middle            Last

John Smith, Jr.                   John                 Jr                      Smith

John R. Smith, Jr.             John                 R Jr                  Smith

John Alan Smith, Jr.       John                 Alan Jr           Smith

John Smith, II                    John                 II                        Smith

You may wish to consult with an attorney about the options available to you to remedy the situation.

Accounts Payable, Payroll, Revenue/Investments and Financial Reporting

Vendor Payments:

• Board of County Commissioners: P.O. Box 2238, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2238
• Clerk’s Office: P.O. Box 2396, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2396
• Port Authority: P.O. Box 2463, Fort Myers, FL 33902-2463
• All Other Finance Offices: P.O. Box 9366, Fort Myers, FL 33902-9366
  

Phone: 239-533-2100

Location:
Administration Building, 3rd Floor
2115 Second Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Property Fraud Alert is a free service offered by the Lee County Clerk of Court that alerts subscribers via email when a land document is recorded in the Lee County Official Records using a name or parcel that they have registered. This notification does not apply to documents filed in court proceedings.

It’s possible that data related to an old recorded document was updated, and this triggered a notification to be generated. You can contact Official Records Services if you would like to investigate this matter further.

No. You will only receive notifications when names and parcels on recorded documents match exactly with the information that has been registered for Fraud Alert Notification.

Yes, if a document is recorded with any name you choose to monitor, you will receive an alert. 

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2507, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 2, option 5

Locations:
Justice Center, 1st Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Cape Coral Branch Office
1039 SE 9th Place
Cape Coral, FL 33990 

Fraud can be committed in a number of ways by recording documents in public records. For example, someone can create a fraudulent document that will deed your home to them and then record that document in the official records.

Please contact Official Records Services in-person, via email, or by phone, and they can look into this matter for you.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 3

Location:
Justice Center,  2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33901

The Clerk’s office must record all documents that meet the requirements outlined in the Florida Statutes. If a document is properly executed and presented with payment, it is the responsibility of the Clerk’s office to record the document.

No, but it will notify you of a potential problem so that you can investigate to determine whether fraudulent activity related to your property may have occurred.

Child Support Payments: (877) 769-0251

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2488, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000, option 3

Location:
Justice Center,  2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page to register a personal name, business name, or parcel.

Repeat the process to register as many names/parcels as you like.

If any document is recorded in Lee County matching the names/parcels you have registered, you will receive a notification within 24 hours. The notification includes instructions on how to view the recorded document and how to proceed if you feel the activity is fraudulent.

You may wish to consult with an attorney about the procedures available to you to address this situation.

Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 2469, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Phone: 239-533-5000

Location:
Justice Center, 2nd Floor
2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Yes, in accordance with a state law enacted May 6, 2024, names, phone numbers, emails and parcel ID numbers used to register for Property Fraud Alert is exempt from public record.

The Property Fraud Alert system is designed to send email notifications within 24 hours of a recorded land record document for registered users. The alert keeps you informed about any recorded documents on your property. Sign up today and start protecting your most valuable investments.

No, this service only alerts subscribers of documents being recorded in Lee County’s official records.

email: leeclerk_info@leeclerk.org

Fraud can be committed in a number of ways by recording documents in public records. For example, someone can create a fraudulent document that will deed your home to them and then record that document in the official records.

You can come to our offices in Fort Myers or Cape Coral to physically record your document. You can also mail the completed form, with a check or money order made out to “Lee County Clerk of Courts” and a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of your documents. Our physical and mailing addresses can be found on our Contact Us page. You could also submit the document through one of our E-Record vendors located on our website.

• Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page linked on the top of the Official Records Search
  • Choose whether you would like to monitor a person’s name or a business name
  • Enter the name you would like to monitor
  • Enter the email address to send alerts
  • Confirm email address
  • Select Send Confirmation Email
  • You may repeat the process to monitor additional names. If you entered an email address, you will receive a confirmation message.

You may un-register names and parcels as follows:

Visit the Property Fraud Alert registration page and click on “Receive Email to Edit Property Fraud Alert” located at the bottom of the screen. You will receive an email with a list of your registered names/parcels, with links that allow you to un-register each.

Each email you receive with a notification has a disclaimer and an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email.

• Visit the Property Fraud Alert page to sign up.
• Enter the personal or business name(s) to monitor.
• Provide the email address to send alerts.
• Add additional names by repeating the process.
• You will receive an alert promptly after any document is recorded in Lee County matching the name(s) you chose to monitor.
• This alert allows you to be informed of any recording activity taking place and to take timely action if you determine the activity is fraudulent.

You may register as many names as you wish.  There is no limit.

The property fraud alert system allows you to register names and parcel IDs, but registration by property address is not currently an option.

If the divorce is contested , contact Family Court Services at 239-533-2747. 

If the divorce is uncontested, either party may obtain a checklist of the forms from the Clerk's Office required for filing an uncontested dissolution of marriage. The forms can also be accessed and completed through the online forms program TurboCourt.

There is nothing that will distinguish one name from another. Therefore, a person with a common name like John Smith may receive alerts for documents recorded with the same name. View the document using the link provided in the email you receive to determine if the recorded document is relevant to you or your property.

Yes, in accordance with a state law enacted May 6, 2024, names, phone numbers, emails and parcel ID numbers used to register for Property Fraud Alert is exempt from public record.

Some of examples of cases are:

• Contracts and Indebtedness
• Eminent Domain
• Negligence (i.e., Automobile/Slip-and-Fall incidents and others)
• Professional Malpractice
• Product Liability
• Real Property/Mortgage Foreclosures

The alert email will provide you with a direct link to the document in Lee County’s official records. You can easily review the recording information and the image to determine if this document is of concern to you.

If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000. You may also need to contact an attorney to determine whether you need to take legal action to undo the fraudulent recording.

If the document is a lien, and you dispute the lien filed against your property, contact the lien filer.

The only information you need to provide is your first and last name along with your email address.

Filing fees are determined by law and regulation and are subject to change. View the current Fees & Costs.

Cash, credit/debit card, money orders, and checks are accepted. If paying in cash, exact change is recommended. Personal checks will not be accepted for Judgment Satisfactions.

It is an annual event hosted by the Lee County Clerk & Comptroller designed to help citizens pay overdue traffic tickets and court fines. During this event, the 25% collection surcharge is waived and special payment plans are made available for eligible customers

• The Inspector General’s Tourist Tax Office has the authority to Collect, Audit, Enforce, and provide Administration of the Five Percent (5%) Tourist Development Tax per Lee County Ordinance 13-14.

• The Inspector General’s Tourist Tax Office is not a Regulatory Agency.

• To confirm if short term rentals are allowed in your local area or if regulations exist, inquire directly with your local municipality, city, town, village, home owners association, condo association, or others, for information relating to whether or not your short term rental property is in compliance with any existing rules, laws, or regulations governing short term rentals.

Circuit Civil
The Circuit Civil Division hears case with damages in excess of $50,000 filed by an individual, business or government agency. The Circuit Civil Division has jurisdiction over a broad category of cases, including tort actions, contract disputes, products liability issues, malpractice matters and infringements of intellectual property.

Mortgage Foreclosures
Foreclosure is the enforcement of a mortgage lien by judicial sale of the property. A mortgage lien is created when there is a loan contract for money borrowed under a note. This loan is secured by the mortgage lien upon real property. When the debt is not paid according to the loan contract terms, or when other contract terms are violated, the lender can pursue is lien on the property.

County Civil
The County Civil Division hears Landlord Tenant, Small Claims (amounts up to $8,000), and other civil matters like auto negligence, condominium and personal injury protection (amounts of $8,001 up to $50,000) cases.

The event applies to overdue traffic tickets and criminal court fees that have been referred to collections.

The event runs from April 14–17, 2026.

• April 14–16: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• April 17: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Extended hours at the downtown location only)

You can visit the Lee Clerk’s office at either of these locations:

• Justice Center: 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers, FL
• Cape Coral Branch: 1039 SE 9th Pl., 2nd Floor, Cape Coral, FL

You may also participate by calling 239-533-5000 (select option 2) or by scheduling an appointment at www.leeclerk.org/appointment. Appointments are not required.

You can file your documentation in any of the following ways:

• In person at our Fort Myers location
• By mail: Lee County Clerk of the Circuit Court, P.O. Box 310, Fort Myers, FL 33902
• Electronically via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Electronically via TurboCourt

The Clerk’s office must record all documents that meet the requirements outlined in the Florida Statutes. If a document is properly executed and presented with payment, it is the responsibility of the Clerk’s office to record the document.

The Property Fraud Alert system is designed to send email notifications within 48 hours of a recorded land record document for registered users. The alert keeps you informed about any recorded documents on your property. Sign up today and start protecting your most valuable investments.

No. You will only receive a notification for the exact name(s) registered.