A title search answers one question: does the seller actually have clear, transferable ownership of the property, free of liens, judgments, or competing claims? Every Florida county’s land records are public, and the core tools to check them yourself cost nothing — but it helps to know which office holds what, and where a self-guided search reaches its limits.
Step 1: Confirm the county and find its record-search tools
Property records are organized by county, so the first step is simply knowing which county the property sits in. RefPages’ County Records directory links directly to each of Florida’s 67 counties’ Property Appraiser and Clerk of Court search tools, so you don’t have to hunt for the right portal.
Step 2: Search the Property Appraiser’s record for the parcel
Start with the county Property Appraiser. Searching by owner name or address returns:
- The current owner of record
- The parcel’s legal description and parcel ID (folio number) — you’ll need this for the next step
- Assessed and taxable value, and whether a homestead exemption is on file
- A sales history showing prior deed transfers with their recording dates
This confirms who the county currently believes owns the property, and gives you the parcel ID that makes the Clerk of Court search far more precise than a name search alone.
Step 3: Search the Clerk of Court’s official records for the deed and mortgage history
The Clerk of Court’s official records index (sometimes called the Official Records Search or O.R. Search) is where the actual legal documents live — the county’s copy of every recorded deed, mortgage, satisfaction, lien, and judgment. Search by the current owner’s name, and work backward:
- Confirm the most recent deed matches the Property Appraiser’s listed owner
- Note any open (unreleased) mortgages recorded against the property
- Check for a Satisfaction of Mortgage or Release for any older mortgage that should have been paid off — if one is missing, see our guide on tracking down the right department to get it released
- Look for recorded liens: construction/mechanic’s liens, homeowners’ association liens, code enforcement liens, or judgment liens
Most clerks’ systems let you search by grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) name, document type, and date range. Pull each deed in the chain back a few transfers to get a feel for how the property has changed hands.
Step 4: Check for judgment and lien records specifically
A general document search sometimes misses judgment liens, which don’t always index under the property owner’s name in an obvious way. Most clerks maintain a separate judgment lien search or civil case search — search the current owner’s full legal name (and close variations) to check for unsatisfied civil judgments, since a recorded judgment against the owner can attach to their real property statewide.
Step 5: Check for open building permits
An open (unfinished or uninspected) permit can complicate a sale or an insurance claim later. RefPages’ Building Permit Departments directory links to each jurisdiction’s permit search tool and contact information, so you can check whether work was done on the property with a permit that was never closed out.
Step 6: Check probate records if a prior owner is deceased
If the chain of title shows a transfer through an estate — or if you’re researching a property where the owner may have passed away — that transfer typically runs through the county’s probate records rather than a standard deed. See our guide to Florida probate real estate for how that process works and where those records are held.
Where a DIY search stops short
A self-guided search is genuinely useful for spotting obvious red flags before you invest in a professional one. It is not a substitute for a title company’s search and title insurance, for a few concrete reasons:
- Name-variation risk. Judgments and liens are indexed by name, and a search that misses a middle initial, a maiden name, or a common-name collision can miss a real lien.
- No underwriting. A title company’s search is paired with underwriting judgment about what’s actually a defect versus a stale, unenforceable claim — not just a list of recorded documents.
- No insurance. If something is missed, a title insurance policy protects the buyer and lender financially. A DIY search offers no such protection.
For an actual purchase, a DIY search is a good first look — treat it as due diligence before you engage a title company or real estate attorney, not as a replacement for one.