Is there a lien on my property?
Pick the county the property is in and get a step-by-step search of that county's official records: whose names to search, which documents to look for, and how a release shows up. It runs in your browser, and nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
Florida · 9 counties · general information
Code liens are recorded in the official records of the county the property is in.
Choose the county, and a step-by-step search of its official records appears here.
Tick what you found, and what to do with it appears here.
How this works
When a Florida code enforcement case ends in an order imposing a fine, a certified copy of that order can be recorded in the county's public records, and once recorded it is a lien (Chapter 162, Florida Statutes). Those records are public and searchable online. The guide links the official records search for your county and walks through the search: the names, the date range, the document types, and the release.
The official records only show what has been recorded. They don't show whether anything is owed today, or a case that is still open, so the guide also links the county's code case searches and explains the lien search letters some cities issue.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is general information about how code enforcement usually works in Florida, not legal advice. Your notice, your city or county’s code and the code office named on the notice are what count. For legal questions, talk to a Florida attorney.
Questions people ask
- How do I check if there's a code enforcement lien on my property in Florida?
- Search the official records of the county the property is in, by the owner's name as it appears on the deed, and look for liens and orders recorded by a city or the county. Under Chapter 162 of the Florida Statutes, a certified copy of an order imposing a fine can be recorded in the public records, and once recorded it is a lien. In most counties the Clerk keeps those records; in some, another county office does. The tool names the right one.
- Why search by name and not just by address?
- Florida official records are mostly indexed by the names of the people and organizations on each document. And under s. 162.09(3), Florida Statutes, a recorded order imposing a fine is a lien against the land where the violation is and on other real or personal property the violator owns, so a name search is the most reliable way to find it. If the search also offers a parcel or legal description search, run that too.
- What does a release of a code lien look like?
- It's a separate document recorded after the lien, usually called a satisfaction of lien or release of lien. Chapter 162 lets the local government that holds the lien execute a satisfaction or release. It usually refers back to the lien by its book and page or instrument number. A partial release may cover only part of a lien, so read what it says.
- What is a municipal lien search?
- Some Florida cities issue a letter on a property, sometimes called a lien letter, that can show things the official records don't, such as open code cases, unrecorded fines, open permits or unpaid city utility bills, depending on the city. People usually request one before a sale or refinance, often through their title company.
- Will fixing the violation remove the lien?
- Not by itself, and nobody can promise what a city or county will decide. Correcting the violation is usually the first thing the office wants to see. After that, ask the code office named on the lien about its process for a release, a reduction or a payoff. For legal questions, talk to a Florida attorney.
- Can you run the lien search for me?
- No. 360 Home Improvements is a licensed contractor, not a title company or a law firm. A title company or a Florida attorney can run a full title and lien search. We fix the violation behind a lien and pull the building permit when the work needs one; electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning work goes to our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull that trade's permit.
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Have 360 Home Improvements look at it
360 Home Improvements is a licensed Florida contractor: Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1267336 · Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1335340. Tell us what the notice says and request a free estimate for the work it calls for.