Durant, Florida Public Records

Durant, Hillsborough County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Tampa Police Department, Plant City Police Department, and Temple Terrace Police Department. Each department has jurisdiction over its respective city or area, and they often coordinate on major crimes and public safety initiatives to ensure comprehensive coverage across the county.

The Hillsborough County Jail, officially known as the Falkenburg Road Jail, is the primary detention facility in the county. The booking process involves fingerprinting, photographing, and recording personal information of the arrested individuals. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office website, allowing residents to find information about inmates. Visitation rules are specific to the facility, with scheduled times and guidelines that must be adhered to. The bond and bail process follows Florida state law, allowing for the release of inmates under certain conditions.

Durant residents are served by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in and for Hillsborough County, which handles all felony criminal cases, civil cases exceeding $30,000, family law matters including divorce and child custody, probate and guardianship cases, and appeals from county court. The Circuit Court is located at the Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 276-8100. The Hillsborough County Court (county-level court) handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, civil disputes up to $30,000, evictions, and small claims cases (disputes up to $8,000). The County Court is also located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 272-6000. The Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Court, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 276-8100, website www.hillsclerk.com, serves as the official record keeper for all court proceedings. Florida offers a statewide online court records portal through the Hillsborough Clerk's website at https://core.hillsclerk.com, where the public can search civil, criminal, traffic, probate, and family court cases by name, case number, or date range at no charge, though viewing documents may require payment. Certified copies of court documents cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page as of 2025. The Clerk's office also provides case dockets, judgment information, and archived case files dating back decades. Small claims filings cost $55-$305 depending on claim amount, while civil complaint filings range from $300-$450. Marriage license applications are also processed through the Clerk's office at the same downtown Tampa location, with a fee of $86 ($61 if couples complete premarital counseling).

The criminal records ecosystem in Hillsborough County includes records of felonies, misdemeanors, traffic violations, and the sex offender registry. These records are maintained by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Residents can run a background check through the Florida Bureau of Investigation, which provides comprehensive criminal history information. The process is facilitated by Florida's public records laws, ensuring accessibility to these records for various purposes.

Arrest records in Hillsborough County are maintained by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request these records through the Sheriff's Office, either online or in person. An arrest record typically includes the individual's personal information, details of the arrest, charges filed, and the arresting officer's name. Florida's public records law, known as the Sunshine Law, ensures transparency and access to these records for the public.

Property and land records for Durant are maintained by Hillsborough County agencies located in Tampa. The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's Office, located at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 18th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 272-6100, website www.hcpafl.org, is responsible for assessing the value of all real property in the county for taxation purposes. The Property Appraiser's website offers a comprehensive online search tool at www.hcpafl.org/Property-Search where residents can search by property address, owner name, parcel number, or subdivision to view current assessed values, property characteristics (square footage, year built, lot size), exemptions claimed (homestead, senior, veteran, etc.), sales history, aerial photography, and neighborhood comparisons. All property data is freely accessible without registration or fees. The Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Official Records Recorder for the county and maintains all recorded documents including warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, mortgages, satisfactions of mortgage, liens (tax liens, mechanic's liens, judgment liens), easements, plats, and restrictive covenants. The Official Records Division is located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 276-8100, website www.hillsclerk.com. The Clerk's Official Records database is searchable online at https://officialrecords.hillsclerk.com, where users can search by name, document type, book and page, or recording date. Document images dating back to the early 1900s are viewable online at no charge, though certified copies cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. Recording fees for new documents are $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page. Hillsborough County also maintains a GIS (Geographic Information System) parcel viewer at www.hcpafl.org/GIS-Mapping that displays property boundaries, zoning, flood zones, and aerial imagery overlaid with ownership data, providing a visual supplement to the textual property records.

Durant's economy is characterized by its position as a residential community within the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area, with most residents commuting to employment centers in Tampa, Brandon, and Plant City. The local economy reflects a transition from the area's historical agricultural base—particularly citrus groves and strawberry farming that dominated eastern Hillsborough County for much of the 20th century—to suburban residential development and service-sector employment. Major employers accessible to Durant residents include Tampa General Hospital, BayCare Health System, Publix Super Markets (with distribution facilities in the region), Amazon fulfillment centers in nearby Ruskin and Lakeland, and the Hillsborough County Public Schools system, which operates schools serving the Durant area including Mulrennan Middle School. The proximity to Interstate 4 and State Road 60 provides residents with reasonable access to manufacturing and logistics jobs in the I-4 corridor. Median household income in the Durant area ZIP code (33567) is estimated at approximately $55,000-$65,000, slightly below the Hillsborough County median of around $65,000 but reflecting the community's mix of established homeowners and younger families. Recent economic development has focused on residential construction, with several new subdivisions developed in the 2010s and early 2020s attracting families seeking more affordable housing than is available in central Tampa or Brandon. The area retains some agricultural character, with cattle ranching, plant nurseries, and small-scale farming operations still present, though these have diminished as land values have risen. Durant's economy benefits from Hillsborough County's overall economic strength, driven by the Port of Tampa, MacDill Air Force Base, the University of South Florida, tourism, healthcare, finance, and professional services sectors concentrated in the greater Tampa metropolitan area.

Durant, Florida is an unincorporated community and does not maintain its own municipal police department. Law enforcement services for Durant are provided exclusively by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), which operates the East District Office serving this area. The HCSO East District Office is located at 308 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563, and can be reached at (813) 247-0330. The main Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office headquarters is at 2008 E. 8th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605, phone (813) 247-8000, with the website at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us. Residents of Durant can request police reports, incident reports, and crash reports through the HCSO Records Section by visiting in person, calling (813) 247-8520, or submitting requests online through the HCSO website. Florida's public records law is governed by Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, which grants citizens the right to inspect and copy most government records with limited exemptions for active investigations and certain personal information. For arrest records and jail bookings, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office maintains an online Inmate Information Search at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/en/inmate-booking-search, which provides real-time data on individuals currently detained at the Orient Road Jail (2410 Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33619) and the Falkenburg Road Jail (4100 Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619). The inmate search tool displays booking photos (mugshots), charges filed, bond amounts, booking dates and times, physical descriptions, and projected release dates. Records requests under Florida Statutes Chapter 119 must be fulfilled promptly, with most non-exempt records provided within a few business days, though requesters may be charged for copying costs and research time exceeding 15 minutes.

Vital records for Durant residents are managed at both the county and state levels. Birth and death certificates are issued by the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, located at 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202, phone (904) 359-6900, with additional service available through the Hillsborough County Health Department at 1105 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 307-8000. Birth certificates cost $9.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record ordered simultaneously; death certificates cost $5.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional. Florida law restricts access to birth records for 100 years and death records for 50 years; only the registrant (if of legal age), immediate family members, legal representatives, or others with a direct and tangible interest may obtain certified copies upon presentation of valid photo identification. Online ordering is available through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com, though convenience fees of approximately $10-$15 apply, and processing times range from 2-3 weeks for standard mail delivery to 2-4 business days for expedited service. Marriage licenses are issued by the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 276-8100. Both parties must appear in person with valid government-issued photo identification and Social Security numbers; if either party has been previously married, documentation of dissolution (divorce decree or death certificate) is required. The marriage license fee is $86, reduced to $61 if the couple completes a premarital preparation course from a registered provider. There is a mandatory three-day waiting period between issuance and the effective date of the license unless the couple completes the premarital course, which waives the waiting period. Marriage licenses are valid for 60 days. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and are searchable through the online court records portal at https://core.hillsclerk.com. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. Vital records in Florida have been maintained since statewide registration began in 1917, though some county records exist from earlier dates.

Durant, being an unincorporated community, does not issue its own municipal business licenses. Business owners operating in Durant must comply with Hillsborough County and State of Florida requirements. The Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602, phone (813) 635-5200, website www.hillstax.org, administers local business tax receipts (formerly called occupational licenses) required for most businesses operating in unincorporated Hillsborough County. Fees vary based on business type and classification, ranging from approximately $50 to several hundred dollars annually, with renewals due by September 30 each year. Business owners can search existing business tax receipts and pay renewals online through the Tax Collector's website. Fictitious name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA filings) for Hillsborough County are filed with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, and can be searched at https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/search. The Sunbiz database provides free public access to all Florida business entities including corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and fictitious names. Users can search by entity name, officer name, registered agent, or document number to view entity status (active, inactive, dissolved), registration date, principal address, registered agent information, annual report filing status, and officers/managers. New business entity registrations and annual reports are filed through the same portal, with filing fees ranging from $25 for fictitious names to $70-$125 for corporations and LLCs. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) lien searches for secured transactions and personal property liens are also conducted through the Florida Department of State's UCC database at https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/ucc-search. Commercial property tax information is accessible through the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's website at www.hcpafl.org, where business owners can search by property address or parcel number to view assessed values, millage rates, and estimated tax obligations. Professional and occupational licenses (contractors, cosmetologists, real estate agents, health professionals) are regulated by various Florida state agencies, with databases searchable through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at www.myfloridalicense.com.

Durant residents are served by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, located at 2514 N. Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619, phone (813) 744-5900, website www.votehillsborough.gov. This office administers all federal, state, county, and special district elections for Durant voters, including voter registration, early voting, absentee/mail-in ballots, and Election Day operations. Florida residents can register to vote online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov, by mail using a voter registration application, or in person at the Supervisor of Elections office, driver license offices, public libraries, and other designated sites. Voter registration deadlines are 29 days before each election; Florida requires voters to be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, legal residents of Florida and Hillsborough County, and not adjudicated mentally incapacitated or convicted of a felony without restoration of civil rights. Since Durant is an unincorporated community without municipal government, residents do not vote in city council or mayoral elections; instead, they participate in Hillsborough County Commission races (seven single-member districts elected to four-year staggered terms), school board elections, constitutional offices (sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, clerk of court), state legislative races (Florida House and Senate), statewide executive offices (governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, chief financial officer), and federal elections (U.S. House, U.S. Senate, President). Durant voters can find their assigned polling place, view sample ballots, and check registration status at www.votehillsborough.gov by entering their address or name and date of birth. Florida offers no-excuse vote-by-mail; any registered voter can request a mail ballot through the Supervisor of Elections website, by phone, or in writing, with ballot requests valid through the end of the calendar year in which two general elections have occurred. In the November 2024 presidential election, Hillsborough County recorded approximately 62% voter turnout among registered voters, with over 500,000 ballots cast countywide. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Durant and Hillsborough County voters will decide several significant races: Florida does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 (next Senate race is 2028), but voters will elect a Governor (Ron DeSantis is term-limited; open seat race), all five statewide Cabinet positions (Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Agriculture Commissioner), all 40 Florida Senate seats (following redistricting), all 120 Florida House seats, the U.S. House of Representatives seat for Florida's 15th Congressional District (which includes Durant), Hillsborough County Commission seats for Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 (on the regular rotation), Hillsborough County Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, and various judgeships and school board positions. Candidate filings and campaign finance reports are publicly accessible through the Florida Division of Elections at https://dos.myflorida.com/elections and the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website. Election results by precinct, including historical data, are published at www.votehillsborough.gov after each election is certified.