EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Prior to the implementation of a Florida Law which requires that images of County Official Records be published on the Internet by 2006, the Clerk of Court was instrumental in assisting the Legislature in developing measures to protect the most sensitive types of information belonging to the public.

Upon becoming law, CS/HB 1679 provides that images of the following types of documents may not be placed on a “publicly available Internet website”:

Military Discharge

Death Certificates

Court files, records of paper relating to matters or cases governed by

The Florida Rules of Family Law

The Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

The Florida Rules of Probate

Any “affected person” may request that the Clerk of Court/Comptroller or County Recorder remove an image of one of the above-listed documents from a “publicly available Internet website.”  This request must be in writing and may be delivered in person, by mail, electronically, or by facsimile.  The request must specify the “identification” page number of the document to be removed.  Forms are available in our office, upon request, to assist you.

No fee is charged for this service.

Florida law requires that images and copies of the above listed documents remain on file and available to the public upon request in the office of the Clerk/County Recorder.

This request may be made at the either office of :

Don W. Howard

Clerk of the County and Circuit Courts

Okaloosa County

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records.  If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.  Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.