The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller maintains court records for Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit and provides a large range of court, recording and county services. Readers commonly use the office to search civil, criminal, traffic, family or probate cases, view docket entries, print court documents, buy certified copies, search Official Records or locate the right Tampa-area service center. Hillsborough’s primary online court-record system is HOVER, which provides access to many court indexes, dockets and non-confidential document images. The Clerk also operates a separate Official Records search. This guide follows the practical path a reader needs: current contact details, locations, case-search steps, copy requests and the difference between court and recorded documents.
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court Quick Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Office | Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller |
| Main customer-service courthouse | Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 |
| Main phone | 813-276-8100 |
| Main courthouse hours | Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Online court search | HOVER – Hillsborough Online Viewing of Electronic Records |
| Official Records | Separate Hillsborough Official Records search |
| Official website | hillsclerk.com |
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court Address and Phone Number
The main customer-service location is the Edgecomb Courthouse at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602. The Clerk’s main phone number is 813-276-8100. Customer service at Edgecomb is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Other Clerk services operate at the Pat Collier Frank Courthouse, Plant City Courthouse and Brandon Regional Service Center. Recording and tax-deed services may be routed differently from ordinary court customer service, so checking the official service-location page before visiting can prevent an unnecessary trip.
Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts Locations
| Location | Address | Phone | Hours |
| Edgecomb Courthouse | 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 | 813-276-8100 | M-F 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Pat Collier Frank Courthouse | 419 Pierce Street, Tampa, FL 33602 | 813-276-8100 | M-F 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Plant City Courthouse | 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 1071, Plant City, FL 33563 | 813-276-8100 | M-F 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Brandon Regional Service Center | 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110, Brandon, FL 33511 | 813-276-8100 | M-F 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
The services available at each Hillsborough location differ. Passports, recording, restraining orders and specialized case services are not necessarily offered at every counter.
How to Search Hillsborough County Court Records and Cases
HOVER is the official Hillsborough court-record search. It supports searches by case number, Uniform Case Number, citation number, party or business name, date range, court type and case type. It also includes court-hearing lookup and selected public data.
- Go to hillsclerk.com and select Search Court Records Online (HOVER).
- Choose the search method that matches the information you have, such as case number, citation number or party name.
- Use date range, court type and case type to narrow a broad name search.
- Open the matching case to review docket information and any non-confidential document images available to your access level.
Anonymous users can perform limited searches, while registered access is required for certain restricted case types or document images, including some Family Law, Probate and Juvenile records. Florida electronic-access standards continue to protect confidential and sealed material.
How to Request Copies of Court Records
Hillsborough allows users to view and print non-certified court documents through HOVER at no charge when images are available. Eligible documents can also be ordered as electronically certified copies. If the needed document is not imaged or cannot be viewed, the Clerk provides an online Request Copies of Court Documents form that asks for the case number, case style, document name and filing date so staff can calculate the cost.
| Method | Useful when |
| Online | The document is viewable in HOVER and you need a free uncertified printout or eligible electronic certification |
| In person | You need counter assistance, file review or a record/service that is not available electronically |
| Request form/Mail | The document is not imaged or viewable and the Clerk must locate it and calculate copying costs |
Other Services Available Through the Clerk
The Clerk handles civil, criminal, family, probate, guardianship, juvenile, traffic and mental-health matters, restraining orders, jury services, Official Records, tax deeds, passports at selected locations, county financial functions and public-record services. Many fines, filings and records tasks can be handled online.
Court Records vs. Official Records
HOVER is for court cases and court documents. Hillsborough maintains a separate Official Records search for recorded instruments. A deed, mortgage, lien or other recorded document may therefore be absent from HOVER even though it exists in the county’s Official Records database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I need an account to search HOVER?
Not for basic public searching. Anonymous users can perform limited searches, but registration is needed for access to certain restricted case types or images.
Q. Can I print Hillsborough court documents without paying?
Yes, when a non-confidential document image is available in HOVER, the Clerk says non-certified copies can be viewed and printed at no charge.
Q. What should I do if the document I need is not imaged in HOVER?
Use the Clerk’s Request Copies of Court Documents form. Provide the case number, case style, document name and filing date if known.
Q. Should I search a deed in HOVER?
No. HOVER is the court-record system. Deeds and similar recorded instruments belong in Hillsborough’s separate Official Records search.
Q. Why can one person see a document that another public user cannot?
Electronic access depends on the user category and case type under Florida access standards. Registered users and attorneys of record can have different permitted access from anonymous users.
