Find the Broward criminal case first — then open the docket or request the record
Broward County criminal court records are maintained by the Broward County Clerk of Courts for Florida’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Felony cases are handled through the Circuit Criminal division, while misdemeanors, criminal traffic, municipal ordinances and county ordinances are handled through County Criminal. The Clerk’s public Case Search is normally the fastest place to begin.
Official Broward County criminal court case search
The Broward County Clerk of Courts Case Search is the primary public online system for Broward trial-court case information.
The system supports several search methods, including party-name searches, case-number searches and citation searches where applicable.
Party name
Useful when you know the defendant’s name but do not know the Broward case number. Verify the result using other case details before assuming a match.
Case number
Best when you already know the Broward Clerk case number. Criminal case numbers must be entered in the Clerk’s expected format.
Citation number
The Clerk currently provides citation-number searching for traffic citations. A citation not yet entered in the case-management system may not appear immediately.
How to search Broward criminal court records step by step
Open the official Broward Clerk Case Search
Use the Clerk’s own case-search portal rather than beginning with a commercial people-search website.
Choose the strongest search field you have
A known case number is usually fastest. If you do not have it, search by party name. For eligible traffic matters, citation search can also be useful.
Confirm the correct person and court type
Look at case type, filing year, location, party information and case activity. Do not rely on the name alone when several people share similar names.
Open the case detail
Review the case progress or docket entries, charges, hearings, filings and disposition information that the Clerk makes available for public access.
Open viewable electronic documents
For qualifying electronic criminal files, available public documents can be opened through the case detail. Access depends on case type, filing date, document type and Florida public-access rules.
Use Records Request or the courthouse when online access stops
If the docket exists but the needed image or document is unavailable online, use the Clerk’s Records Request process or visit the appropriate service location.
How Broward criminal case numbers work
Broward’s public Case Search uses a specific format for felony, traffic and misdemeanor case numbers. The Clerk says these criminal case numbers are generally 13 characters long and should be entered without spaces or dashes.
Example felony number: 15011819CF10A
| Code | Meaning | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| CF | Criminal Felony | Felony prosecution in Circuit Criminal. |
| MM | Misdemeanor | County Criminal misdemeanor case. |
| TC | Traffic Criminal | Criminal traffic case. |
| TI | Traffic Infraction | Non-criminal traffic infraction. |
| CO | County Ordinance | County ordinance case. |
| MO | Municipal Ordinance | Municipal ordinance matter. |
| CT | Contempt of Court | Contempt case type. |
| NI | Other Infractions | Other qualifying infraction cases. |
Location codes
The Clerk also uses location identifiers in criminal case numbers. Its public examples currently identify:
- 10 — Central
- 20 — North
- 30 — West
- 40 — South
How to read a Broward County criminal docket
A case docket is the running history of activity in the court file. It is more useful than simply seeing that a person was charged because it shows what happened after filing.
| Docket information | What it generally tells you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case type | Whether the matter is felony, misdemeanor, criminal traffic or another case type. | Do not confuse a civil traffic infraction with a criminal traffic case. |
| Charge | The offense alleged in the criminal proceeding. | A filed charge is not proof of conviction. |
| Filing / event | A document, hearing, motion, order or other case event. | Check chronological sequence rather than relying on one entry. |
| Hearing | A scheduled or completed court appearance. | Check whether the date changed or the hearing was continued. |
| Plea | The defendant’s plea recorded in the case. | A plea can later be followed by sentencing or other case action. |
| Disposition | How the charge or case ended. | Look for dismissal, acquittal, conviction, withheld adjudication or other outcome. |
| Sentence | Penalty or conditions imposed after a qualifying disposition. | Sentence can include jail, prison, probation, fines or other conditions. |
Felony and misdemeanor records are handled by different Broward divisions
Felony cases
The Broward Clerk’s Circuit Criminal division maintains felony case records. Felonies are handled at the circuit-court level within the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.
Felony Clerk contact:
954-831-6565, option 1
Misdemeanor and criminal traffic
County Criminal maintains misdemeanor, criminal traffic, municipal ordinance and county ordinance case records.
Traffic and misdemeanor service is available at Central and Broward’s regional courthouse locations.
Which Broward criminal records are available online?
Broward’s online document access has important date limits. The Clerk currently states that criminal court records filed on or after January 6, 2014 generally have electronic documents available for online viewing, subject to the record being public and remotely accessible.
Filed on or after Jan. 6, 2014
Public electronic documents are broadly available online when permitted by access rules. Some older felony cases also have electronic images.
Electronic filing era
New Traffic and Misdemeanor cases moved to electronic filing beginning January 6, 2014.
May require Archives
Older documents or files not available online may require a Court Records Request or in-person access.
How to obtain older Broward criminal court records
Broward’s Archives Division is especially important when an older case is not available through the online system.
The Clerk says the Archives Division maintains access to:
- felony cases from 1915 through present
- traffic and misdemeanor cases from 1973 through present
- older court records unavailable through normal online viewing
- archived paper and other historical Clerk records
Broward also warns that many Traffic and Misdemeanor cases filed before 2011 were routinely purged from the main case-management system. Those records may require a formal Court Records Request or an in-person Archives search.
Information to provide for an Archives search
- case number, if known
- defendant’s full name
- date of birth
- approximate year of arrest
- type of case or arrest
- specific documents needed
Broward County Courthouse — East Building
201 S.E. 6th Street
3rd Floor, Room 03305
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-831-6565, option 3
Published service hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., excluding holidays
How to get copies of Broward criminal court documents
If the document is viewable electronically, Broward provides online options for obtaining electronic court documents and purchasing electronic certified copies.
Find the case in Case Search
Open the case detail and identify the exact document you need.
Check whether the document is viewable
Only eligible public documents that are available in electronic format can be purchased online as electronic certified documents.
Select the certified-copy option when required
The Clerk’s online workflow provides a “Purchase Certified Copies Online” option for qualifying viewable documents.
Complete checkout
Select the document or documents, complete payment and wait for the certification link sent by the Clerk’s electronic certification system.
Verify the electronic certification
Broward’s e-Certify system provides verification methods for both electronic certificates and printed versions of electronically certified documents.
Official service: Broward Clerk — Electronic Certified Documents .
Broward court-record copy and search fees
Broward publishes several standard Clerk record fees. The exact total depends on the service and number of pages or documents requested.
| Service | Published Clerk fee | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Record search | $2 per year searched | Relevant when the Clerk must perform a record search. |
| Photocopy of public record | $1 per page | Standard Clerk photocopy charge listed in published fee schedules. |
| Certification | $2 per document | Added when certification of the filed document is required. |
| Verification of document prepared by someone else | $3.50 | Applies to qualifying verification/certification service. |
| Exemplification certificate | $7 | Higher level of court authentication where required. |
Fees can change and some electronic services may include additional checkout or service charges. Confirm the current amount on the Clerk’s official fee page before ordering.
Broward criminal court service locations
Felony services are centered at the main Broward County Courthouse complex in Fort Lauderdale. Traffic and misdemeanor services are also available through Broward’s North, South and West regional courthouses.
| Location | Address | Criminal-record services |
|---|---|---|
| Central Courthouse | 201 S.E. 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Felony; Traffic and Misdemeanor; Archives; Appeals; public court access. |
| North Regional Courthouse | 1600 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 | Traffic and Misdemeanor services; County Civil and other Clerk services. |
| South Regional Courthouse | 3550 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33021 | Traffic and Misdemeanor services; County Civil and other Clerk services. |
| West Regional Courthouse | 100 N. Pine Island Road, Plantation, FL 33324 | Traffic and Misdemeanor services; County Civil and other Clerk services. |
The regional Traffic and Misdemeanor service locations currently publish hours of 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding court holidays. Always check the Clerk’s current Hours and Locations page before traveling.
Check current Broward courthouse hoursMap: Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale
The central judicial complex at 201 S.E. 6th Street is the key location for felony records, Archives and other criminal-court services.
Broward County Courthouse
201 S.E. 6th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
General Clerk phone: 954-831-6565
Why some Broward court records or documents cannot be viewed online
Florida court records are governed by public-access rules including Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 and statewide electronic court-record access standards.
The existence of a court case does not mean every document in the file must be displayed publicly online. Depending on the case and document, access may be limited because of:
- sealed or expunged status
- confidential information
- juvenile-record restrictions
- victim-related protected information
- statutory exemptions
- user access level
- document age or digitization status
- court order
Broward juvenile delinquency records are not ordinary public criminal records
Juvenile delinquency files have different access rules from ordinary adult criminal cases. Broward’s Records Request guidance states that electronic Juvenile Delinquency records filed on or after January 6, 2014 require the appropriate Attorney of Record or Registered User access.
This means a normal anonymous public user should not expect the same remote document access available for an ordinary adult felony case.
Sealed and expunged Broward County criminal records
Florida law provides several forms of sealing and expungement. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) handles the Certificate of Eligibility stage for many court-ordered sealing and expungement petitions.
FDLE currently explains that obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility is only the first step. The record is not sealed or expunged until the proper court enters an order and the required agencies receive it.
Public access is restricted
A sealed Florida criminal-history record is generally unavailable to ordinary public searches, although specified government or authorized entities can retain access under Florida law.
More restrictive treatment
Expungement provides broader relief than sealing, but legal access and agency handling still depend on Florida statutes.
Broward’s Clerk states that sealed or expunged Traffic, Misdemeanor and Felony records must be handled through the division in which the case was filed when access is legally authorized.
Start with the official FDLE Seal and Expunge Process .
Broward court records are not the same as a statewide Florida criminal-history check
If your goal is a broader Florida criminal-history search rather than a specific Broward court case, the appropriate state repository is the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Division of Criminal Justice Information Services.
FDLE is Florida’s central criminal-history repository and currently charges $24 for public Florida criminal-history record checks.
Court-case record
Best when you need the actual Broward criminal case, docket, filed documents, disposition or certified Clerk record.
Florida criminal-history search
Best when you need a statewide Florida criminal-history record search rather than a single Broward court case.
Official source: FDLE Florida Criminal History Record Check .
Your own Florida criminal-history record
FDLE also provides a Personal Review process for individuals who want to inspect their own Florida criminal-history information for accuracy and challenge incomplete or incorrect information. FDLE currently states there is no charge for the Personal Review itself, although fingerprinting agencies can charge for taking fingerprints.
Broward criminal appeals and appellate dockets
Broward County is part of Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal. The Fourth DCA hears appeals from the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, including qualifying Broward criminal cases.
Florida now provides public appellate dockets and available case documents through the Florida Appellate Case Information System (ACIS).
ACIS allows public users to search appellate records by:
- appellate case number
- case title
- case category
- filed date
- originating trial-court case number
- party name
- available documents
- oral argument information
The Fourth District Court of Appeal is located at: 110 South Tamarind Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.
Why a Broward criminal case may not appear online
A failed online search does not always mean no case exists. Common reasons include:
Case not entered yet
A recent citation or filing may not yet have been entered into the Clerk’s case-management system.
Archived or purged from main system
Older Traffic and Misdemeanor files can require the Archives Division or a Records Request.
Sealed or confidential
Public search results and documents can be restricted by Florida law, court rule or court order.
Name entered differently
Try the full legal name, alternate spelling or known case number when appropriate.
Case filed elsewhere
A person can live in Broward but have a criminal case filed in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach or another county.
Docket visible, image unavailable
The case can be searchable even when a particular document is not remotely viewable.
Broward criminal court search tips that save time
Save the 13-character case number
Once you find the correct case, use the case number for copies, Archives requests and appellate searches.
CF means felony
A Broward case number containing CF identifies a Criminal Felony case.
MM means misdemeanor
This helps distinguish County Criminal misdemeanor cases from Circuit Criminal felonies.
Do not confuse docket and document
A docket entry can be public even when its attached image is unavailable online.
Pre-2011 misdemeanor?
Go to Archives sooner instead of repeatedly searching the public portal.
Need official proof?
Order a certified court document rather than relying on a screenshot of Case Search.
Use Central for felony records
Felony Clerk and Archives services are concentrated at the Fort Lauderdale courthouse complex.
Check the final disposition
An arrest or filed charge alone does not tell you whether the person was ultimately convicted.
Appeal filed?
Search Florida ACIS and the Fourth DCA before assuming the trial-court result remained unchanged.
Broward County criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. How do I search Broward County criminal court records online?
Use the official Broward County Clerk of Courts Case Search. You can search using party information, a Broward case number or qualifying traffic citation information.
2. Are Broward criminal court records free to search?
The public online Case Search can be used to locate case information without paying a per-search fee. Fees can apply when the Clerk must perform a records search or when you order photocopies, certifications or other record services.
3. What does CF mean in a Broward criminal case number?
CF identifies a Criminal Felony case. Broward also uses MM for misdemeanor, TC for criminal traffic, TI for traffic infraction, MO for municipal ordinance and other division identifiers.
4. Can I view Broward felony court documents online?
The Clerk states that criminal court records filed on or after January 6, 2014 generally have electronic documents available for online viewing when the records are public and eligible for remote access. Some older felony cases also have electronic images.
5. How do I obtain an older Broward criminal court record?
If the document is unavailable online, submit a Broward Court Records Request or contact the Archives Division at the Central Courthouse. The Archives Division maintains felony records dating to 1915 and Traffic/Misdemeanor records dating to 1973.
6. Why can’t I find an old Broward misdemeanor case online?
Broward states that many Traffic and Misdemeanor cases filed before 2011 were routinely purged from the main system. Those records may require a Records Request or in-person Archives access.
7. How do I get a certified Broward criminal court document?
Locate the case in Case Search. If the document is viewable electronically, use the Clerk’s Electronic Certified Documents service. If it is unavailable online, contact the Clerk division maintaining the case or submit a Records Request.
8. Are sealed or expunged Broward criminal cases public?
No. Florida sealing and expungement laws restrict ordinary public access. Authorized access depends on the type of relief, Florida law and the identity or legal status of the requester.
9. Where do I search a Broward criminal appeal?
Broward is within Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal. Public appellate dockets and available appellate documents can be searched through Florida’s Appellate Case Information System (ACIS).
10. Is a Broward court case search the same as a Florida criminal-history check?
No. Broward Clerk records concern Broward court cases. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the central repository for statewide Florida criminal-history information.
Official sources for Broward criminal court records
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Case Search
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Felony Division
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Traffic and Misdemeanor
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Court Records Request
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Archives
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Electronic Certified Documents
- Broward County Clerk of Courts — Hours and Locations
- Florida Courts — Rule 2.420 Public Access to Judicial Branch Records
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Florida Criminal History Record Check
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Seal and Expunge Process
- Florida Appellate Case Information System
- Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal