Search St. Johns County, FL Property Records

St. Johns County, Florida, maintains a structured system for managing property information. Multiple county offices work together to establish ownership history, track assessed values, and document property characteristics. Zoning and building-related records are generally managed at the municipal level through separate local departments.

Current property data shows the county's housing landscape. The median home value is $429,100.00, while the median rent is at $1,529.00. Households report a median income of $99,184.50, with property owners typically carrying a median real estate tax obligation of 0.82%.

St. Johns County, FL, makes property records available through both digital and traditional channels. The right method depends on the type of record being requested and the urgency of the request.

For online searches, two official government tools are available. The Official Records Search covers recorded instruments, including deeds, judgments, and mortgages. Meanwhile, the Real Property Search provides assessed values, ownership history, and parcel details.

Beyond these platforms, PropertyChecker can serve as an alternative for users seeking broader property data from a single platform. It may also help locate related records such as lien filings, foreclosure indicators, nearby property comparisons, and possible owner contact information drawn from various public datasets.

Those preferring traditional methods have options as well. In-person visits to county offices allow direct access to records that may not be available digitally. Written mail requests are accepted, and some offices also accommodate email inquiries for eligible document types.

A search works best when key identifying details are ready in advance. Property address, owner name, or parcel number each serves as a useful starting point. Searches lacking sufficient identifiers may return limited or unclear results.

Public access to certain records is restricted by Florida statutes. Confidential documents are most of the time withheld from general inquiry. Some older or specialized records remain exclusively available through in-person requests. Fees and processing timelines apply and may differ depending on the requested record and the office custodian.

Property Ownership and Title Information

The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller Recording Division maintains ownership and title records at its office and through the Official Records Search portal. Individuals can locate warranty and quitclaim deeds and other transfer documents from these resources, which establish a property's chain of title.

Judgments, mortgages, and liens are also searchable through the database, which may carry significant title implications. A recorded judgment may cloud the title, an active mortgage signals an existing financial claim, and a lien may prevent a clean transfer of ownership until it is resolved.

Property Sales and Transaction History

The St. Johns County Property Appraiser maintains property sales and transaction history through its Real Property Search system. This tool can provide records covering sale dates, transaction amounts, and the names of the parties involved in each transfer. It also features a Sales Search that lets users filter results by various sales criteria.

In addition, property appraisers may be consulted for market valuations. PropertyChecker may also serve as an alternative resource by compiling transaction records together with other publicly available property details on a single platform. It may display property profile summaries that combine prior sales activity and nearby market data for easier comparison.

Property Tax Assessment and Payment Records

Those seeking property tax assessment records in St. Johns County may begin with the County Property Appraiser’s office.

Each year, property tax assessors evaluate individual parcels and assign assessed values accordingly. Property owners then receive a Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice, which details the proposed assessed value, applicable exemptions, and projected tax amounts before final billing. The information from the notice is also accessible online through the Real Property Search.

When an assessed value is disputed, property owners may formally contest it by filing a petition with the St. Johns County Value Adjustment Board.

For tax bills and payment records, the St. Johns County Tax Collector handles this separately. Current and historical tax bills, payment history, and delinquent account status are viewable and payable through the Property Tax Search portal.

Property Characteristics and Parcel Details

Property owners can conduct a property parcel search at the Real Property Search portal to review property characteristics and parcel details. Each parcel in St. John County carries a parcel number that can be used to conduct searches. If this number is unknown, individuals can enter the owner's name, address, or legal information as an alternative.

The portal may provide details such as lot dimensions, building square footage, year built, construction type, and land use classification. It could also include structural information, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and total room count.

Zoning, Land Use, and Planning Records

The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Division serves as the custodian of zoning classifications, land use designations, and planning records for unincorporated areas of the county.

Records accessible through this office include rezoning petitions, conditional use approvals, variance records, and overlay district information. The Land Development Code and St. Johns County Comprehensive Plan are also retrievable through this division, which outline the county's long-term land use framework.

For properties located within incorporated municipalities, zoning and planning records are maintained by the respective city governments. For example, the City of St. Augustine’s Planning and Zoning Department manages these records for properties within its jurisdiction.

Legal Documents Affecting Property

Legal documents affecting property in St. Johns County are recorded and maintained by the County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the County Comptroller Recording Division.

Commonly recorded instruments include warranty and quitclaim deeds, mortgages, satisfactions of mortgage, lis pendens, judgments, and easements. These are searchable through the Official Records Search portal.

Beyond recorded instruments, other court divisions within the Clerk's office maintain property-related records. The Civil Division holds case filings involving property disputes and claims. Meanwhile, the Probate Division maintains records tied to estate proceedings that may result in property transfers.

Building Permits, Inspections, and Construction Records

Property owners can use the Building Services portal offered by the St. Johns County Building Department to review permit, inspection, and construction documents tied to properties located in unincorporated areas of the county.

Records retrievable through this system often include permit status, inspection history, certificate of occupancy status, and contractor licensing information. Additional records covering code enforcement and development review may be requested by emailing the department's record management official at publicrecordsbldg@sjcfl.us.

Properties within incorporated municipalities fall outside this department's jurisdiction. Each city maintains its own building department independently, which can be contacted for these records. The City of St. Augustine Beach, for example, handles building permits, inspections, and construction records for properties within its limits through its own Building Department.

Maps and Visual Property Data

Maps and visual property data for St. Johns County are accessible through the County iMap. The county covers nearly 229,000 parcels, with each entry showing land area, parcel boundaries, and related spatial details.

The iMap tool offers layered mapping features, including aerial imagery, flood zone boundaries, zoning overlays, fire zones, school locations, and municipal boundaries. Users can search by address, parcel number, or street name and toggle map layers based on their specific research needs.

Displayed here are charts summarizing the county's tax rates, accompanied by insights into median home values, income figures, and rent rates.

Median Rent

$1,529.00

Florida	$1,114.00
National	$840.25

• +37.3 %
  vs Florida
• +82.0 %
  vs National

Median Home Value

$429,100.00

Florida	$213,800.00
National	$173,750.00

• +100.7 %
  vs Florida
• +147.0 %
  vs National

Median Household Income

$99,184.50

Florida	$63,213.00
National	$65,108.00

• +56.9 %
  vs Florida
• +52.3 %
  vs National

Median Property Tax Rate

0.82%

Florida	0.75%
National	0.74%

• +9.3%
  vs Florida
• +10.8 %
  vs National

Unemployment Rate

2.94%

Florida	2.61%
National	2.87%

• +12.6 %
  vs Florida
• +2.4 %
  vs National

Renter Occupied Housing

15.57%

Florida	21.62%
National	21.81%

• -28.0 %
  vs Florida
• -28.6 %
  vs National

The Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller's Recording Division holds the registrar of deeds function for the county. This division records and maintains property instruments, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, judgments, and satisfaction filings, with holdings spanning several decades of recorded activity.

Beyond serving as a records repository, this division's filings guide data management in other county offices. Recorded ownership transfers are used by the Property Appraiser to update assessment and valuation records. Easements and recorded encumbrances on file may also affect zoning and land use decisions administered by separate county departments.

Individuals can view these documents online via the Official Records Search portal. Alternatively, record seekers may visit the Recording Division's main office at the St. Johns County Courthouse or its Julington Creek Annex and Ponte Vedra Annex locations, both of which require an appointment.

Fees may apply for document copies. Since the recording fees published online do not disclose copy fees, interested parties are encouraged to contact the division directly at (904) 819-3600 for details.

St. Johns County contains two incorporated cities. Each city has its own local government responsible for maintaining certain records related to planning, zoning regulations, and building activities within its jurisdiction.

The two municipalities are listed below, along with links to their official websites.

• St. Augustine
• St. Augustine Beach