About the County Recorder's Office

As County Recorder, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller accepts documents which are numbered and placed in the Official Records of the County. Upon payment of statutory fees, the Clerk and Comptroller will record a variety of instruments such as deeds, leases, bills of sale, agreements, mortgages, judgments, claims of lien, satisfactions, certificates of discharge from military service, and any other instruments, required or authorized to be recorded by law.

Recording

The recorder collects statutory document tax and other filing fees for recorded and e-recorded filings on behalf of the State of Florida. Click on the links below for more information about recording a document in the Official Records.

• Recording Fees
• Recording Requirements
• Preparing Your Document for Recording

Notice: Injunction for the Protection of a Minor

Any affected person has a right to request that a County Recorder or Clerk of the Circuit Court add information to a publicly available website if that information involves the identity of a respondent against whom a final judgment for an injunction for protection of a minor under Florida Statutes 741.30, 784.046 or 784.0485 is entered, unless the respondent is a minor.

To request that language regarding an "injunction for the protection of a minor" verbiage be added to the Clerk and Comptroller's Official Records website, please submit your request in writing and include the case number assigned to the Final Judgment for Injunction for the Protection of a Minor.

To make a request, please contact the Clerk and Comptroller's office by mail or in person at:

Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller
2000 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34237

OR

By email at: clkinfo@sarasotaclerkandcomptroller.com

OR

By FAX: (941) 861-7707

There is no fee for this service.

E-Recording

e-Recording is the process of submitting, receiving, and processing documents via the Internet through a third-party vendor. Documents that have traditionally been delivered or mailed to the Recorder's office by runner, express mail, or courier services can now be processed with e-Recording, simplifying and accelerating all aspects of the recording process. The most commonly e-Recorded documents are Deeds, Mortgages, Assignments of Mortgages, and Satisfactions of Mortgages. Learn more about e-Recording including guidelines, providers, and payment options.

Notice of Commencement (NOC)

The Clerk and Comptroller offers the following services for Notices of Commencement. Please review the process below.

Submitting Your Notice of Commencement for Recording 

Those in need of a building permit who want to record a Notice of Commencement, your options are as follows:

• Electronically file your Notice of Commencement - Pay by credit card
• Mail your Notice of Commencement - Pay by check
  Sarasota County Clerk and Comptroller
  Attn: Recording Office
  P.O. Box 3079
  Sarasota, FL 34230-3079
• Notice of Commencements cannot be accepted by email.

Fees to Record a Notice of Commencement

• The fee to record a Notice of Commencement is determined by the number of pages in the document, and the number of names on the document.
• Checks should be made payable to: Sarasota County Clerk and Comptroller

View the complete Recording fee schedule.

Verifying Recorded Notice of Commencement

To see whether your Notice of Commencement has been recorded, search the Sarasota County Official Records by name. Allow 1-2 business days for processing.

Certified Copies

• Sent to the Building Department - The Recording Office will send a certified copy of your NOC to the appropriate building department, via electronic means, within 1-2 business days to eliminate any additional delay.
• Returned to You - Your original Notice of Commencement, and a certified copy, will also be mailed to you after recording.

If you prefer to have your certified copy mailed to you, please advise at the time you are sending your recordable document to the office.

About Notice of Commencement

A Notice of Commencement (NOC) is a notarized statement filed with the Clerk and Comptroller, authorizing and detailing work to be performed, the location's legal description, and name and address of individual requesting work.

• Check first with your city or town for instructions on filing your Notice of Commencement (NOC).
  • City of North Port
  • City of Sarasota
  • City of Venice
  • County of Sarasota
  • Town of Long Boat Key
• Forms can be obtained online or from office supply stores that carry legal forms. 
• The Notice of Commencement must be signed by the owner and no one else is authorized to sign in his stead. 
• A certified copy of the Notice of Commencement is required to be posted on the job site.
• View fees to record a Notice of Commencement

Declaration of Domicile

A Declaration of Domicile is a sworn statement that you are a bona fide resident and maintain a place of abode in Sarasota County.

• A Declaration of Domicile is not an application for Homestead Exemption. Contact the Property Appraiser's office at (941) 861-8200 for more information on Homestead Exemption. 
• View and print a Declaration of Domicile form.
• View fees to record a Declaration of Domicile.