Franklin County, Florida Clerk of Court and Comptroller
Michele Maxwell, Clerk of the Courts for Franklin County Florida is a duly elected Constitutional Officer as mandated by Article V, Section 16 of the Constitution of the State of Florida. The electorate of Franklin County elects the Clerk to a four-year term. Maxwell was elected to the Office of the Clerk in November 2020.
Pursuant to provisions of the Florida Constitutions, which have governed the people for over 150 years, the role of the Clerk of Courts has been established in three main areas;
- Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts
- Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, including serving as accountant, auditor, and custodian of county funds.
- County Recorder
Within these areas, the Clerk of Court as an elected public trustee sets in place at the county level a system of “checks and balances” which has been proven to serve the public well.
News & Announcements
Upcoming Updates for Official Records Effective January 1, 2024
Florida Statute 695.26(5) Requirements for Recording Instruments Affecting Real Property takes effect on January 1, 2024. The Franklin County Clerk’s office will not record an instrument by which title to real property or interest is conveyed, assigned, encumbered or disposed of unless:
- The names of each witness are legibly printed, typewritten or stamped immediately beneath the signature of the witness.
- The post office address of each witness is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped on each instrument.
These statutory requirements will be strictly enforced.
Florida Statute 695.26(b) Requirements for Recording Instruments Affecting Real Property. Starting January 1, 2024, the name and post office address of the natural person who prepared the instrument or under whose supervision it was prepared must be legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument. This statutory requirement will be strictly enforced starting January 1, 2024. We will no longer accept only a company name at the top; it must reflect a “natural person” as the preparer.
Florida Statute 117.05 Use of Notary Commission. Starting January 1, 2024, all requests for documents to be recorded in Official Records that require a notary must meet the Notary Public-State of Florida requirements if a Florida notary has executed the Notary Act. Please review this statute in full; samples of the jurat or certificate of acknowledgment are referenced in this statute and must contain all elements.
Common errors include: Missing location of the notarial act performed, missing indication of how the act was performed in person or online, missing specific type of identification used to identify the signer, missing or illegible stamp. After January 1, 2024, we will no longer accept notarized documents that fail to meet the statutory requirements.
NEW: Property Fraud Alerts
What is Property Fraud? Property and mortgage fraud is the fastest growing white-collar crime in the United States, according to the FBI. Scammers file fake deeds, making it appear as if they own homes that are not actually theirs. These scammers then trick people into giving them money to rent or buy those homes.
Property Fraud Alert is a free service to help you protect your property from fraud by monitoring the documents being recorded in the Official Records of the Franklin County Clerk of Court.
By signing up for FREE property fraud alerts, you will receive notification by email or telephone whenever a document is recorded in Franklin County using your name or your business’s name. If you receive an alert about activity not initiated by you, this early notification can provide valuable time to stop criminals in their tracks. Reviewing your property records is an important way to protect yourself from fraud.
Learn more about the new FREE Property Fraud Alert service
NEW: All Official Records in Franklin County are now available online
The Honorable Michele Maxwell, the Clerk of Circuit Court, and Comptroller of Franklin County Florida, is pleased to announce that all official records in Franklin County are now available online. You are now able to go to my website and search the public records at your convenience.
The Clerk is proud to be able to provide our constituents with this website to search index books, view, and purchase document records. The purpose of this website is to better serve you, our customers, by using internet-based technology and support. This website is designed to provide you with 24-hour internet based remote access to our official records as an alternative to in-person courthouse access.
This site offers access to the following official record series for search and online purchase; the documents will appear distorted until they are purchased and downloaded.
- Official Records, From 1953 To 1986
- Real Estate Conveyances, From 1874 To 1953
This website represents one of my many goals to improve public access through technology and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve you as your Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller of Franklin County.
The Honorable Michele Maxwell
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller,
Franklin County, Florida
