Protecting Court Records

A court record is a document or pieces of information relating to a court case. If the information you want to protect (redact) is stored in a court record, the Clerk & Comptroller has authority to protect your document under the following:

• Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.420 and 2.425 outline the information Clerks must designate as confidential automatically or through the motion-and-order process.
• Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.140 outlines the information Clerks must designate as confidential in felony cases.
• Administrative Order No. 2021-021 PA/PI-CIR, ordered by the Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, further clarifies the information outlined in the two rules above and adds additional protections for cases in the Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pasco and Pinellas counties).

To report a document or portion of a document designated as confidential to the Clerk & Comptroller's Office for review, complete a Notice of Confidential Information.

To access all available printable forms, visit the Confidentiality of Court Records Forms page.

Effective July 1, 2021, as the result of Florida Supreme Court amendment (SC20-1765) to Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, it is the sole responsibility of the filer to notify the Clerk of Courts of confidential information in certain civil court filings. 

Visit the Confidential Information in Civil Cases page to learn more. 

Sensitive Information in Court Documents (Records)

The Office of Clerk & Comptroller is authorized to redact information designated as confidential by rule or law only. If the information of concern does not meet this statutory definition, it may be considered sensitive information.

The Clerk & Comptroller’s Office does not have statutory authority to redact (obscure with a black box) these sensitive items. To request protections of sensitive information in court documents, Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 prescribes motions (requests for court action) a party or interested person may take if (s)he is concerned a court document should be deemed confidential or should be sealed.