Cape Coral Civil Court Records

Civil court records for Cape Coral are filed and stored by the Lee County Clerk of Court. You can search records online or visit the clerk's office in Fort Myers.

Lee County Clerk of Court

Cape Coral is the largest city in Lee County, but it does not have its own civil court. All civil court records in Cape Coral go through the Lee County Clerk of Court. Kevin C. Karnes serves as clerk. His office handles all civil filings, court documents, and judgments for every city in Lee County, including Cape Coral.

The main clerk's office is at the Lee County Justice Center in Fort Myers. Cape Coral residents can reach the clerk by phone or go in person. The Lee County Clerk website provides online access to civil court records and other court services.

The Lee County Clerk's online portal lets you search for civil court records from anywhere. You can look up cases by name or case number through the website.

The site also has forms and fee information for civil cases in Cape Coral.

How to Search Cape Coral Civil Court Records

There are two main ways to look up civil court records for Cape Coral. The Lee County Clerk's website has a case search tool. You can search by party name or case number. The tool covers all civil cases filed in Lee County, so it picks up every case from Cape Coral.

The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is another option. This statewide system connects to all 67 county clerks in Florida. You can use it to find Cape Coral civil court records and file new cases online. It is free to create an account.

Cape Coral is a big city with over 233,000 people, so a lot of civil cases flow through Lee County each year. The online tools make it easy to check on any of them without driving to Fort Myers.

The Cape Coral city website provides general city services. For civil court records, you need to go through the Lee County Clerk.

For in-person searches, visit the Lee County Justice Center at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Fort Myers. That is about a 30-minute drive from Cape Coral. Staff can help you find civil court records and make copies. Plain copies cost a small fee. Certified copies cost more but may be needed for legal proceedings.

Civil Court Structure for Cape Coral

Cape Coral is in the 20th Judicial Circuit. This circuit covers Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties. Civil cases from Cape Coral are assigned to one of two court levels based on the amount of money at stake.

Circuit Court handles civil cases with claims over $30,000. These include contract disputes, personal injury cases, and real property actions. Family law, probate, and guardianship cases go to Circuit Court too. County Court takes cases up to $30,000. Small claims up to $8,000 are part of County Court. Eviction cases also go to County Court in Lee County.

If you are not sure which court handles your Cape Coral civil case, call the clerk's office at (239) 533-5000. They can tell you where to file.

Lee County Civil Court Records

Since all Cape Coral civil court records are handled at the county level, visit our Lee County civil court records page for more details. That page covers the clerk's office, court procedures, fees, and all the ways to search for civil records in Lee County.

Cape Coral and Fort Myers both fall under the same clerk. The Lee County Clerk serves all cities in the county for civil court matters.

Public Records Law and Cape Coral Civil Court Records

Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes makes most government records public. This includes civil court records in Cape Coral. You do not need to be a party in a case to look at the file. Anyone can ask to see a public civil court record, and the clerk must provide access within a reasonable time.

Some items are exempt. Social security numbers and bank account numbers must stay out of public files. Court records sealed by a judge are not available. But the vast majority of civil court records in Cape Coral are open for public viewing.

Confidential Information in Cape Coral Civil Court Records

People who file civil court papers must follow rules about private data. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 requires filers to use the Notice of Confidential Information form. This keeps social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive details out of the public record for Cape Coral civil court cases.

If private data ends up in a public file, anyone can ask the clerk to redact it. There is no charge. Submit the request form with the case number, document title, and page number. The clerk will remove the data from the public version of the Cape Coral civil court record.

Self-Help Resources for Cape Coral Civil Cases

The Florida Courts self-help page has forms and guides for people who want to handle civil court matters without a lawyer. Small claims, evictions, and other common case types have form packets you can use. These forms work for Cape Coral civil cases filed through the Lee County Clerk.

DIY Florida is a free tool in the E-Filing Portal. It walks you through questions and fills out court forms for you. Over 20 form types are available. Once the forms are done, you file them through the portal to the Lee County clerk's office. Standard filing fees still apply for Cape Coral civil court cases.

The E-Filing Portal help desk is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern at (850) 577-4609. Training videos on the portal show how to create an account, submit documents, and pay fees for civil cases in Cape Coral.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Cape Coral. Each city handles civil court records through its own county clerk. Check where your case should be filed based on the address of the dispute.