Panama City, Florida Public Records

The Bay County Courthouse at 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401, houses the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Court (phone: 850-747-5141, website: https://www.14thjudicialcircuit.org), which handles all felony criminal cases, civil cases over $15,000, family law (divorce, custody, adoption), probate and guardianship, and juvenile dependency. Bay County Court (phone: 850-747-5141), also at 300 East 4th Street, handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic infractions, small claims up to $8,000, and civil disputes under $15,000. The Bay County Clerk of Court (phone: 850-763-9061, website: https://www.bayclerk.com) maintains all court records and provides public access. Florida's online court records portal at https://www.14thjudicialcircuit.org/case-information allows searches by name, case number, or party for most civil, criminal, family, and probate cases dating back several years; some sealed or confidential records are excluded. Certified copies of court documents cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page; non-certified copies are $0.15 per page. Traffic case research fees are $2.00 per case.

The Florida Bureau of Investigation also offers resources for Bay County residents seeking detailed background checks, ensuring access to comprehensive criminal records for various purposes, including employment and legal proceedings.

The Bay County Clerk of Court, Recording Division, at 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-763-9061, website: https://www.bayclerk.com), serves as the official recorder of deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plats, military discharges, and other instruments affecting real property. Official records dating back to the 1800s are indexed and available; documents from approximately 1990 forward can be searched and viewed free online at https://www.bayclerk.com/services/official-records. Users can search by name (grantor/grantee), document type, date range, or legal description. Document images are viewable at no charge; certified copies cost $2.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. The Bay County GIS property mapping system is integrated with the Property Appraiser's parcel viewer, providing interactive maps showing lot boundaries, flood zones, zoning, and aerial imagery.

Healthcare is the second-largest employment sector, led by Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (formerly Bay Medical Sacred Heart) with over 1,800 employees, and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. Eastern Shipbuilding Group, located at the Port of Panama City, is a major maritime employer building offshore patrol cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard, providing hundreds of manufacturing jobs. The Port of Panama City handles bulk cargo, petroleum products, and is Florida's deepest port. Education employment includes Bay District Schools (the county school system headquartered in Panama City) and Gulf Coast State College. Tourism, while more concentrated in neighboring Panama City Beach, contributes significantly through restaurants, retail, and service industries. The median household income in Panama City is approximately $42,000, below the Florida average, reflecting the city's working-class and military character. Major recent developments include downtown Panama City's redevelopment, new commercial construction along 23rd Street, and ongoing Hurricane Michael recovery projects. The city's economy is closely intertwined with Bay County's broader economic base of defense, healthcare, construction, and seasonal tourism.

The Panama City Police Department, located at 1308 East 15th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-872-3100, website: https://www.pcgov.org/government/departments/police-department), serves the incorporated city limits and handles local patrol, criminal investigations, and traffic enforcement. Residents can request police reports, incident logs, and crash reports in person at headquarters or by submitting written requests under Florida's public records law; the department typically charges $0.15 per page for copies. The Bay County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 3421 State Road 77, Panama City, FL 32405 (phone: 850-747-4700, website: https://www.baycountyso.com), provides law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Bay County, operates the Bay County Jail, and handles countywide warrants and civil process. To search for arrests and jail bookings, visit the Bay County Sheriff's Office Inmate Search at https://bailbondsnetwork.com/inmates/fl/bay-county/, which displays current inmates, mugshots, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and expected release dates; the database is updated regularly. All law enforcement records requests in Florida are governed by Florida Statutes Chapter 119 (Florida's Public Records Law), which presumes all government records are public unless specifically exempted; agencies must respond to requests promptly and may charge reasonable copying fees. Active criminal intelligence, ongoing investigation records, and certain victim information may be temporarily exempt until cases close.

Online ordering is available through VitalChek at https://www.vitalchek.com for an additional service fee; processing typically takes 2-3 weeks by mail or 3-5 business days for expedited. The Bay County Health Department at 597 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-872-4455) can process vital record requests for births and deaths that occurred in Bay County. Marriage licenses are issued by the Bay County Clerk of Court, Marriage License Division, 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-763-9061, website: https://www.bayclerk.com/services/marriage-licenses). The license fee is $93.50, reduced to $61.00 if both parties complete a premarital preparation course. There is no waiting period in Florida if both parties are Florida residents and have completed the course; otherwise, a three-day waiting period applies. Marriage records dating back to Bay County's founding are maintained by the Clerk. Divorce records are filed with the Clerk of Court as court cases and are searchable through the court records system; certified copies cost $2.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page. Only parties to the marriage, attorneys of record, or persons with court orders can obtain certified copies of divorce decrees.

The city maintains a searchable database of licensed businesses. Bay County also requires business tax receipts for businesses in unincorporated areas and certain professions; contact the Bay County Tax Collector at 840 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-248-8514, website: https://www.baytaxcollector.com). Fictitious name registrations (DBA – Doing Business As) are filed with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations; registration costs $50.00 and can be completed online at https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/. The same Division of Corporations portal allows free searches of Florida corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and trademarks by entity name, officer name, registered agent, or document number; records show entity status (active/inactive), formation date, principal address, registered agent, and annual report filing status. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) lien searches and filings are also managed by the Florida Department of State at https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/other-services/uccl/; searches cost $5.00 online. For commercial property tax information and assessed values, use the Bay County Property Appraiser's online database at https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=1046&LayerID=20768&PageTypeID=4&PageID=9542, searching by business name or property address to view current assessments and tax history.

Panama City voters are served by the Bay County Supervisor of Elections, located at 830 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 (phone: 850-784-6100, website: https://www.bayelections.com). Florida residents can register to vote online at https://registertovoter.flgov.com or by submitting paper applications; the registration deadline is 29 days before any election. Voters must provide a Florida driver license number or Florida ID card number; if neither is available, the last four digits of a Social Security number. Panama City holds municipal elections for Mayor and City Commission seats; the city uses a commission-manager government with five commissioners elected citywide to staggered four-year terms. Panama City's next municipal elections are scheduled for 2025 and 2027 for various commission seats; municipal elections are nonpartisan and held in the spring, separate from state and federal elections. Candidate qualifying and local ballot measures are posted on the city's website at https://www.pcgov.org. Panama City residents find their assigned polling places by using the Bay County Supervisor of Elections' precinct finder at https://www.bayelections.com/Voters/Precinct-Finder or by calling 850-784-6100 with their residential address. Florida public records law makes extensive election data accessible: voter registration lists (with addresses and party affiliation but excluding Social Security numbers and birth dates) are available for purchase; campaign finance reports for all candidates and political committees are searchable at https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/campaign-finance/; candidate qualifying documents and local precinct results are published by the Supervisor of Elections. In the November 2024 presidential election, Bay County reported approximately 78,000 voters cast ballots from about 125,000 registered voters, representing roughly 62% turnout; Bay County favored Republican candidates by significant margins. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature Florida's gubernatorial race (Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited), all Florida Cabinet positions (Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture), one U.S. Senate seat (Senator Marco Rubio's seat is up), Florida's 2nd Congressional District (covering Bay County), Florida State Senate District 2, Florida House District 5, and Bay County constitutional offices including Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of Court. Absentee ballots (vote-by-mail) in Florida can be requested online through the Supervisor of Elections website, by phone, mail, or in person; requests are valid through the end of the calendar year of the second subsequent general election. Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office by 7:00 PM on Election Day to be counted.