Anna Maria, Florida Public Records

The Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases, civil cases involving amounts over $30,000, family law matters including divorce and custody, probate and estate administration, juvenile dependency and delinquency, and appeals from County Court. The County Court, also located at the Manatee Avenue courthouse, has jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations, civil cases involving $30,000 or less, small claims disputes up to $8,000, and landlord-tenant eviction proceedings. Court records for both Circuit and County Courts are searchable online through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal and the Manatee County Clerk of Court's website at manateeclerk.com, where users can search by case number, party name, or attorney. The online portal provides access to dockets, case summaries, judgments, and in many cases scanned documents. Certified copies of court records can be obtained from the Clerk of Court's office for a fee of $2.00 for the first page and $0.15 for each additional page, plus a $2.00 certification fee per document. Regular copies cost $0.15 per page. Filing fees vary by case type: civil complaint filings range from $45 for small claims to $395 for circuit civil cases over $50,000. Traffic citations can be paid online, and many court services are accessible remotely through the clerk's website.

The database displays property characteristics, assessed values, sales history, exemptions (such as homestead and Save Our Homes), millage rates, aerial photography, and tax assessment history going back multiple years. The Property Appraiser's interactive GIS mapping system allows users to view parcel boundaries, zoning, flood zones, and surrounding properties. Official records of real property transactions, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, declarations of condominium, lis pendens, and other recorded instruments, are maintained by the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Official Records Division, at 1115 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941-749-1800). The Clerk's website at manateeclerk.com provides free online access to the Official Records database, searchable by document type, book and page, party name, or date range, with digitized images of recorded documents typically available from the mid-1980s forward. Older records may require in-person research or special request. Recording fees for documents are set by Florida Statutes, typically $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page. Property records are public under Florida's broad public records law with limited exceptions for certain confidential personal information.

The hospitality sector dominates with waterfront restaurants and resorts including The Waterfront Restaurant, The Sandbar Restaurant, and numerous boutique hotels and inns along Pine Avenue and Gulf Drive. The City of Anna Maria government employs approximately 25-30 full-time staff including police, public works, and administrative personnel. Small businesses including surf shops, art galleries, charter fishing operations, kayak and paddleboard rental companies, and specialty retail stores provide additional employment. The median household income for Anna Maria is estimated at approximately $65,000-$75,000, though the city's small year-round population and high percentage of seasonal residents and vacation properties make precise economic data difficult to establish. Recent development has been constrained by the city's strict building height limitations (three stories maximum), lot coverage restrictions, and community resistance to high-density development, preserving the Old Florida character that attracts visitors. The 2019 replacement of the Anna Maria City Pier, a $5.9 million project, enhanced the city's primary public amenity. Anna Maria's economy benefits from proximity to larger employment centers in Bradenton and Sarasota while maintaining its distinct identity as a low-key beach community. Property values have increased substantially over the past decade, with waterfront homes frequently exceeding $2-3 million, creating affordability challenges for local workers and contributing to workforce housing concerns across the island.

The Anna Maria Police Department, located at 10005 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, FL 34216 (phone: 941-708-6130, website: cityofannamaria.com/police), provides full-service law enforcement for the City of Anna Maria. The department responds to calls for service, conducts criminal investigations, and maintains records of incidents, arrests, and reports within city limits. To request police reports or incident records, residents can visit the police department during business hours or submit a written public records request to the department's records custodian. Copies of non-exempt reports are typically available for a nominal fee per page as authorized under Florida Statutes. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 600 301 Boulevard West, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941-747-3011, www.manateesheriff.com), provides law enforcement services to unincorporated areas of Manatee County and operates the Manatee County Jail. For arrests and jail bookings involving Anna Maria residents or incidents occurring in the broader county, the Sheriff's Office maintains an online inmate search portal at manateesheriff.com/inmate-search where the public can search current inmates by name, booking number, or booking date. The search displays mugshots, charges, bond amounts, booking dates, and projected release dates. All law enforcement records in Florida are subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes (the Florida Public Records Act), which requires agencies to provide access to public records promptly upon request. Certain records, such as active criminal intelligence information and records that could jeopardize ongoing investigations, are exempt under Florida Statutes Section 119.071. Requesters should submit written requests identifying the specific records sought, and agencies must respond within a reasonable timeframe, typically charging only for copying costs unless extensive research is required.

Birth certificates can be ordered online through the VitalChek service at www.flhealthcerts.com for a fee of $9 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered simultaneously, plus applicable VitalChek processing and shipping fees (typically $12-15 for online orders). In-person requests can be made at the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County office at 1702 67th Drive East, Bradenton, FL 34203 (941-748-0747), where standard processing takes approximately 7-10 business days. Death certificates follow the same ordering process and fee structure, available online or in person. Only eligible individuals can order vital records: the registrant (if of legal age), parent or legal guardian, spouse, adult child or grandchild, or legal representative with proper documentation. Marriage licenses are issued by the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court at 1115 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941-749-1800), with a fee of $86 for couples who complete a premarital preparation course (four-hour course requirement) or $93.50 without the course. The marriage license is valid for 60 days from issuance. Divorce decrees and records of dissolution are court records maintained by the Clerk of Court and are searchable through the online case search system. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.15 per additional page plus a $2.00 certification fee. Birth records in Florida are confidential for 100 years except to authorized individuals; death records are confidential for 50 years.

For businesses operating in unincorporated Manatee County or those requiring county-level permits, the Manatee County Tax Collector's Office at 1051 301 Boulevard West, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941-741-3900, www.taxcollector.com) issues local business tax receipts. Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA) in Florida are filed with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, and can be searched online at dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz. The state database allows free searches of fictitious names, corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other business entities, displaying registered agent information, principal address, officers and directors, status (active/inactive), filing dates, and annual report compliance. All Florida business entities must register with the Division of Corporations and file annual reports; fees for LLC formation are $125 plus a $25 registered agent fee, with $138.75 annual report fees. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements and lien searches are filed with and searchable through the Florida Department of State UCC records system at dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/search. Commercial property tax assessments for Anna Maria businesses can be researched through the Manatee County Property Appraiser's website at manateepao.com, where property owners can view assessed values, exemptions, and appeal deadlines. Business owners operating from commercial locations should verify zoning compliance with the Anna Maria Building Department at City Hall.

Anna Maria voters are served by the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections, located at 600 301 Boulevard West, Suite 108, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941-741-3823, www.votemanatee.gov). This office administers all federal, state, county, and municipal elections for Anna Maria residents, including voter registration, early voting, vote-by-mail ballots, and election night results. Florida residents can register to vote online through the Florida Division of Elections at registertovoteflorida.gov, by mail using a voter registration application, or in person at the Supervisor of Elections office, the Manatee County Tax Collector, or any Florida driver license office. Registration deadlines are 29 days before any election. To register, applicants must be U.S. citizens, Florida residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and provide a Florida driver license number or last four digits of their Social Security number. Anna Maria holds municipal elections for mayor and city commission seats; the city has a five-member commission including the mayor, all elected citywide. Municipal elections are held on the first Tuesday in March in even-numbered years, with the next Anna Maria municipal election scheduled for March 2026. Candidate qualifying typically occurs in December preceding the March election. Municipal election information, including candidate filings and local ballot measures, is posted on the city website at cityofannamaria.com and coordinated through the County Supervisor of Elections. Anna Maria residents can find their assigned polling place by visiting votemanatee.gov and using the Precinct Finder tool, which requires entering a residential address. The city typically has one or two polling locations within its small geographic area, often at the Anna Maria Community Center at 407 Magnolia Avenue. Florida's public records law ensures broad access to election records including voter registration rolls (with certain personal information redacted under Florida Statutes Section 119.071), campaign finance reports filed with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections and the Florida Division of Elections, candidate qualifying documents, and precinct-level election results. These records are searchable online at votemanatee.gov and dos.myflorida.gov/elections. In the November 2024 presidential election, Manatee County reported approximately 67% voter turnout with over 180,000 ballots cast from approximately 270,000 registered voters. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Anna Maria and Manatee County voters will decide several key races: Florida voters will elect a U.S. Senator (Class III seat currently held by Marco Rubio is up in 2028, but Class I seat is up in 2024, so 2026 will feature gubernatorial and cabinet races), all Florida Cabinet positions (Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture), Florida House and Senate seats representing Anna Maria (currently House District 69 and Senate District 27), Manatee County constitutional officers including Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of Circuit Court, and Manatee County Commission seats. Specific local ballot measures and referenda will be determined in 2025-2026. Florida offers no-excuse vote-by-mail balloting; Anna Maria residents can request a mail ballot online at votemanatee.gov or by contacting the Supervisor of Elections office. Mail ballot requests are valid through the end of the second general election following the request (approximately two years) unless the voter requests cancellation or fails to vote by mail in two consecutive general elections. Early voting is available at designated locations throughout Manatee County, typically 10-14 days before Election Day including weekends, with hours and locations posted at votemanatee.gov before each election.