County Recorder

Official Records

As County Recorder, the Clerk maintains the official records of the county. These are maintained by our Official Records department. This department also oversees marriage and wedding services, new passport applications and passport photos, tax deed sales, and more.

County records dating back to 1957 can be viewed in our online database. If you need older records, you can submit a request through our online system. Historical deeds dating back to 1861 are also available online. 

There are more than 350 types of records in our database. These county records include:

  • Final court judgments, like divorce decrees
  • Polk County property records, like deeds, mortgages, notices of commencement, liens, plats, etc.
  • Homeowners Association (HOA) documents, when required to be recorded 
  • Marriage licenses 
  • And more

Notice of the Right of Any Affected Party to Request Removal of Certain Chapter 119 Information or Records

Any person has a right to request that a county recorder remove, from a publicly available Internet website, information made exempt from inspection or copying under s. 119.071, F.S., or an image or copy of a public record, including an official record, if that image or copy is of a military discharge; death certificate, or a court file, record or paper relating to matters or cases governed by the Florida Rules of Family Law, the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, or the Florida Probate Rules. However, grantor, grantee or party names may not be removed from the Official Records index unless the grantor, grantee or party name includes the street address, such as in a Trust or LLC. Requests must be notarized, state the statutory basis for removal, and confirm the individual’s eligibility for the exemption. To make a request, contact the clerk’s office by mail at PO Box 9000, Drawer CC-8, Bartow, FL 33831-9000 or in person at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, Florida 33830 or by email at clerkbutterfield@polk-county.net. Fax copies cannot be accepted. 

Notice of the Right of Any Affected Party to Request the Addition of Information to a Publicly Available Internet Website

Any affected person has a right to request that a county recorder or clerk of the court add information to a publicly available Internet website if that information involves the identity of a respondent against whom a final judgment for an injunction for the protection of a minor under s. 741.30, s. 784.046, or s. 784.0485, F.S., is entered, unless the respondent is a minor. The request must be in writing and contain the case number. To make a request, contact the clerk’s office by mail at PO Box 9000, Drawer CC-8, Bartow, FL 33831-9000 or in person at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, Florida 33830 or by email at clerkbutterfield@polk-county.net. Fax copies cannot be accepted.