Track Down Free Pasco County Divorce Records (Resource)

Search free Pasco County divorce records to reveal someone’s marital status, obtain documentation to re-marry or for official purposes such as settling legal matters. These documents are accessible for public consumption due to Florida’s Sunshine Laws and the overarching federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Anyone seeking divorce records in Pasco County, Florida, can do so through online search tools and official agencies at the county and state levels. This resource provides the steps for each lookup method to expedite the process.

How Do I Find Pasco County Divorce Records for Free?

In the state of Florida, divorce proceedings at the county level occur at the district courts—therefore, citizens who need to view dissolution records will do so at the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller.¹ Florida’s Sunshine Law obligates the court to provide access to court documents, including divorce records, to the citizens.²

The Pasco County Clerk provides several ways for citizens to view divorce records; they may do so online, via mail, phone, and in-person visits. The most convenient way to view dissolution records would be to employ the Pasco County Online Court Records Search Tool to view electronic data. The portal provides free public access and access for attorneys.

Users can either search for records by person or by case search. To find dissolution records using this divorce index, select “Domestic Relations/ Family (DR)” as the case type.

Requestors can locate records using several fields, including names of the parties, case date, date of birth (DOB), and social security number (SSN). The case search feature makes it possible to find bulk records by year, case type and sequence numbers.

In addition, patrons may elect to view paper files of divorce proceedings at two record centers in the county— Dade City and New Port Richey.⁴ It is possible to call ahead for files if case numbers are known; patrons should arrive at these centers between 9 AM to 11 AM or 2 PM to 4 PM when it is least busy. Contact details for these centers appear below.⁵

East Pasco Records Retention Office
McDonald St., No. 38319
Dade City, Florida 33525

Telephone: 352.521.4489

Mailing Address:
Box 38053 Live Oak Ave.
Dade City, Florida 33523-3805

Jack Albert Records Retention Office
Suite 8902 Government Dr.
New Port Richey, Florida 34654-5555

Telephone: 727.847.8962

Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 338
New Port Richey, Florida 34656-0338

Moreover, interested parties can order certified copies of divorce records through mail for online documents and those that are older and not available electronically. When using this form, patrons may choose to order certified or non-certified copies. Certified copies are official documents that can be used for identity and other official purposes. Non-certified documents are informational copies that cannot serve as identification.

Charges for acquiring these divorce records can be found in this fee schedule.⁷ Patrons can make payment via bank, business or personal check and money order. Mail the request to the address below.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller
Office of Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq.,
Official Records Department
38053 Live Oak Ave.
Dade City, Florida 33523-3805

Lastly, patrons may call 352.521.4408 or 727.847.8086 to request certified copies of divorce records and may make payment via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express).

For questions about divorce records in Pasco County, contact the County Circuit Court by calling 352.521.4489 or 727.847.8962.⁸

Retrieve Pasco County Divorce or Dissolution Records Through Cities

Locating divorce records from county sources as seen earlier gives requestors a broader search scope since it covers all the cities and towns; this is helpful if the location of the separation is still being determined. In some instances, patrons may turn to local official channels found in cities to find public divorce records.

Since these public agencies tend to serve smaller populations, acquiring records from them may be less time-consuming. They may also provide additional search tools, such as online indexes.

The top five most populated cities in Pasco County will serve as examples for locating records at the local level. These are New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Zephyrhills and Land O Lakes.

When searching for divorce records in Port Richey, the city advises requesters to turn to the county to search for vital records, including divorce and marriage documents, as this data is not part of the city’s archives.⁹ The same applies to all the other cities; residents in these cities will need to contact the Pasco County Clerk. See the section above for more details on how to obtain divorce records at the county level. Interested parties can seek certified and non-certified copies of divorce records from the county sources

It should be noted some cities may fall under the jurisdiction of two counties, as is the case of Lutz, which is in Pasco and Hillsborough Counties.¹⁰

Citizens may also get in touch with state agencies, i.e., the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, which has custody of divorce documents recorded from all counties, cities, and towns in the state. This is delved into below.

How To Search Divorce Records at the State Level via the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics

Patrons who need to search for divorce records in Pasco County or dissolution documents from other counties in the state can contact the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics.¹¹ This state agency has dissolution records from every county in Florida from June 6, 1927 and issues divorce certificates for the same.

Interested persons can request divorce records through the Bureau of Vital Statistics by mail and in person; they may also request them online through an authorized party vendor, VitalChek. To order divorce records by mail, download and print the Dissolution of Florida Marriages request form and include all relevant information, such as the document’s party and requestor’s information.

Each certificate costs $5.00, and any additional copies needed are $4.00. Requestors will pay a search fee of $2.00 if the year of divorce is unknown, with a maximum of $50.00. If the order needs to be rushed, a $10.00 fee will apply—shipping and handling is $1.00.

Citizens can pay through money order or check payable to the “Vital Statistics” and requests should be sent to the mailing address of the Vital Statistics Office.

Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, Florida 32231-0042

Interested persons can also visit the lobby of the Vital Statistics Office Monday to Friday between 8 AM to 4:30 PM. Citizens can make payments via credit card, cash or money order.

Expect to receive certificates in three to five business days. Older records before 1970 will take longer to process.

Moreover, citizens may request dissolution certificates online through VitalChek.¹³ The Bureau of Vital Statistics has approved this vendor, and the documents they issue are official, like those from the state agency.

Additional convenient charges will apply. Interested individuals may also call the vendor at 1.877.550.7330 to order documents.

Call the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics at 904.359.6900 or email [email protected] for questions and inquiries.

Who Can Look Up a Person’s Divorce Records in Pasco County Florida?

In Florida, divorce records are generated as part of court documents deemed as public information by the state’s Sunshine Laws. Due to this, divorce records in Pasco County are freely accessible to members of the public; moreover, anyone can request certified copies of dissolution certificates without being an authorized person.

Both certified and non-certified copies of divorce records are available at the county level as seen earlier. These are available to all members of the public.

Typically, in many states, dissolution records may be available for public consumption, but the ability to request divorce decrees is limited to eligible persons—these include parties to the case, immediate family members, and legal representatives. There is a marked difference between divorce records and dissolution decrees.

Decrees are issued and approved by the Pasco County Circuit Court judges after couples file divorce papers with the clerk.¹⁴ These documents have detailed information of the separation such as division of property and alimony if applicable; only the Circuit Courts in Florida issue these documents as they are the custodians of said records.

On the other hand, divorce records are summarized versions of decrees, including pertinent information such as parties’ names, locations, and event dates. The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics issues certified copies of dissolution certificates based on these records, and they can be used to conduct official business at state and federal agencies.¹⁵

It should be noted since common-law unions are outlawed in Florida, it is not possible to search for common law divorce records at state and county agencies.

Finally, interested persons can contact third-party vendors to obtain divorce records from Pasco County and the rest of Florida. State agencies do not authorize these vendors; hence, their documents cannot serve official purposes. However, using them can make the search easier, particularly if the location and year of the event are unknown or if privacy is a priority for the requestor.

This resource provides valuable information and lookup tools to equip searchers with knowledge to aid them in obtaining Pasco County divorce records at little to no cost.