Court records in Hernando County, Florida, are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and can be accessed through online tools, official court portals, and the clerk's office. HernandoCourt.us can help you find publicly available court record information for Hernando County. Additional access points include the Hernando County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, the Florida Courts website, and the Hernando County Sheriff's Office records portal.
Hernando Court System Overview
Hernando County is part of Florida's 5th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Citrus, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties. The circuit court and county court both operate out of the Hernando County Courthouse in Brooksville. The circuit court handles felonies, major civil disputes, family law, probate, and juvenile matters, while the county court covers misdemeanors, small claims, traffic infractions, and lower-value civil cases. Appeals from Hernando County circuit court decisions go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. The chief judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit oversees administrative operations across all five counties.
Courts Serving Hernando
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Hernando County Circuit Court (5th Judicial Circuit) | 20 N. Main Street, Brooksville, FL 34601 | (352) 754-4201 |
| Hernando County Court | 20 N. Main Street, Brooksville, FL 34601 | (352) 754-4201 |
| U.S. District Court – Middle District of Florida (Ocala Division) | 401 SE 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471 | (352) 369-4860 |
Hernando County falls within the Middle District of Florida for federal cases, with the nearest federal courthouse located in Ocala. Federal bankruptcy cases for this area are also handled through the Middle District. There are no separate municipal courts in Hernando County; all local cases are processed through the county and circuit courts.
What Types of Cases Hernando Courts Hear
Hernando County's circuit and county courts handle a broad range of case types:
- Criminal: Felonies, misdemeanors, criminal traffic offenses, DUI
- Civil: Civil litigation (all dollar amounts), small claims
- Family Law: Divorce, custody, child support, paternity, domestic violence injunctions
- Probate: Decedent estates, guardianships, trusts
- Juvenile: Delinquency proceedings, dependency (child protective) cases, adoptions
- Traffic: Non-criminal traffic infractions, suspended license hearings
- Appeals: Appeals from county court to circuit court
District Court Cases in Hernando
The Hernando County Circuit Court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000, family law matters, probate, juvenile proceedings, and appeals from county court. Felony cases typically begin with an arrest and first appearance in county court before being filed by the State Attorney and assigned to a circuit judge. Civil cases are initiated by filing a complaint with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Cases are assigned to judges through the circuit's case assignment system. The circuit court also handles petitions for injunctions, post-conviction motions, and certain appeals from administrative agencies.
Magistrate Court Cases in Hernando
In Florida's court structure, the county court functions as the limited-jurisdiction trial court — similar to what other states call a magistrate court. Hernando County Court hears:
- Misdemeanor criminal cases (maximum penalty of one year)
- Non-criminal traffic infractions
- DUI arraignments and hearings
- Civil disputes involving $50,000 or less
- Small claims cases up to $8,000
- County ordinance violations
County court judges preside over first appearances and set bond for all criminal defendants, including felony arrestees before their cases transfer to circuit court. Small claims cases follow a simplified procedure with mandatory pre-trial mediation in most instances.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Hernando
Family Law: Divorce, custody, child support, paternity, and domestic violence injunction cases are handled by the circuit court division. Parties can file petitions through the clerk's office. Self-represented litigants may use Florida Supreme Court–approved family law forms available on the Florida Courts website.
Probate: The circuit court's probate division handles decedent estates, formal and summary administration, guardianships of minors and incapacitated adults, and trust disputes. Guardianship cases require background checks and court-appointed examining committees.
Juvenile: Juvenile delinquency and dependency (child protective) cases are heard in the circuit court's juvenile division. Juvenile court records are confidential under Florida law (Chapter 985 and Chapter 39, Florida Statutes). Adoption proceedings are also handled in circuit court and are sealed upon finalization.
How Cases Move Through the Hernando Court System
- Filing / Initiation: Criminal cases begin with an arrest or information filed by the State Attorney. Civil cases start when a plaintiff files a complaint or petition with the clerk. Family and probate cases are initiated by petition.
- Case Assignment: The clerk assigns a case number and the case is routed to a judge based on the circuit's division and assignment procedures.
- Initial Hearing: Criminal defendants appear for arraignment. Civil cases receive a scheduling order or case management conference date.
- Pre-Trial Phase: Both sides exchange discovery, file motions, and may participate in mediation. In criminal cases, plea negotiations occur during this stage.
- Trial or Resolution: Cases proceed to jury or bench trial, or resolve through plea agreement, settlement, dismissal, or default judgment.
- Post-Judgment: Criminal cases move to sentencing. Civil judgments may be enforced or appealed. Appeals from county court go to circuit court; appeals from circuit court go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Hernando
The 5th Judicial Circuit is administered by the chief judge, supported by a trial court administrator whose office coordinates operations across all five counties. Local administrative orders and rules for the 5th Judicial Circuit are published through the Florida Courts system and govern scheduling, case management, and courtroom procedures in Hernando County.
Public access: Under Florida's broad public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, most court records are open to the public. Exceptions include juvenile records, sealed or expunged records, certain family law financial documents, and records made confidential by court order or statute. You can request copies of court records through the Clerk of the Circuit Court in person or by written request.
Attending hearings: Most Hernando County hearings are open to the public. Some proceedings are available remotely through the Florida Virtual Courtroom Directory, which lists available virtual hearing links for the 5th Judicial Circuit. Check with the clerk or the assigned judge's office for specific hearing access instructions.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Hernando
- Court case search: The Hernando County Clerk of Circuit Court provides an online case search tool for looking up circuit and county court dockets, case status, and filings.
- Appellate case search: The Florida Appellate Case Information System (ACIS) offers access to appellate dockets and documents for cases appealed from Hernando County.
- Arrest records: The Hernando County Sheriff's Office public records inquiry lets you search arrests made by the Sheriff's Office. A separate daily arrest report is also available.
- Inmate search: Use the Hernando County inmate search to look up individuals currently held in the county detention center.
- Local warrants: The Sheriff's Office publishes a searchable local warrants report online.
- Sheriff's Office records requests: Incident reports, offense reports, and other law enforcement records can be requested through the HCSO Public Records Unit.
- Property records: The Hernando County Property Appraiser's search tool provides ownership, assessment, and tax information for properties in the county.
- Voter records: Voter registration information is public in Florida. Use the Hernando County Voter Lookup Tool to search records or contact the Supervisor of Elections for public records requests.
- Vital records: Birth and death certificates are available through the Florida Department of Health in Hernando County.
- Florida sex offender registry: Search the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sexual offender/predator database at FDLE's offender search.
- Florida DOC inmate search: Look up state prison inmates through the Florida Department of Corrections offender search.
- Court forms and self-help: Florida Supreme Court–approved forms for family law, small claims, and other common filings are available on the Florida Courts website.