Broward County Real Estate Resources
Whether you’re closing on a home, resolving a boundary dispute, or fighting a title defect, real estate matters in Broward County almost always touch a government office at some point: the Clerk of Courts, the Property Appraiser, the Building Department, or all three. Below is a curated guide to the official Broward County resources our clients and their real estate transactions most often rely on. If you run into a problem with any of these agencies, a clouded title, a permit dispute, a boundary disagreement, or a contested foreclosure, contact our office for help.
Courts & Public Records
- Broward County Clerk of the Circuit & County Courts, case search, court records, filings: browardclerk.org
- Case Search (civil, family, probate, criminal, traffic dockets): browardclerk.org/web2
- Official Records Search, deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, judgments: officialrecords.broward.org
- Records Request Information: browardclerk.org/GeneralInformation/RecordsRequest
- 17th Judicial Circuit Court: 17th.flcourts.org
- Broward County Bar Association / Lawyer Referral Service: browardbar.org
Official Records is where title issues start and end. Every deed, mortgage, lien, satisfaction, and judgment affecting a Broward property is indexed here. A clean title search almost always begins with this database.
Property Appraiser & Tax Records
- Broward County Property Appraiser (BCPA): bcpa.net
- Property Search Portal: web.bcpa.net/BcpaClient
- Homestead Exemption Online Filing: bcpa.net/onlinehomestead.asp
Tax Collector & County Recording
- Broward County Tax Collector: browardtax.org
- Records, Taxes & Treasury Division (recording, tourist tax, tax deed sales): broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury
- Tax Deed Auctions: broward.deedauction.net
- Value Adjustment Board (property tax assessment appeals): administered through Records, Taxes & Treasury
Note: in Broward County, recording of deeds and other instruments is handled by the Records, Taxes & Treasury Division under the Board of County Commissioners, not the Clerk of Courts, which is the arrangement in most other Florida counties. This distinction matters when you’re tracking down a document’s custodian.
Building, Permitting & Zoning
- Broward County Building Code Division (unincorporated BMSD): broward.org/Building/BuildingPermits
- ePermits OneStop (county and participating cities): broward.org/ePermits
- Planning & Development Management Division (impact fees, concurrency, environmental review): broward.org/Building/BuildingPermits
- Broward Board of Rules & Appeals (construction code appeals, contractor licensing disputes): bcbora.org
Many Broward cities, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, and others, issue their own permits rather than routing through the county. Before assuming jurisdiction, confirm whether your property sits in unincorporated Broward or inside a municipality with its own building department.
Licensing & Professional Verification
- Florida DBPR License Search (contractors, real estate agents/brokers, appraisers, community association managers): myfloridalicense.com
- Florida Board of Professional Surveyors & Mappers: fdacs.gov/psm
- Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), verify entities tied to a title chain: search.sunbiz.org
MLS & Real Estate Associations
- Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors (owns BeachesMLS): see the Florida Realtors local association directory for current contact information
- MIAMI Association of Realtors (data-sharing partner across South Florida MLS): miamirealtors.com
This page is provided for general informational purposes and links to third-party government websites that J. Hughes Legal does not control. Always confirm current information directly with the relevant agency. If you’re dealing with a title dispute, boundary issue, permitting conflict, or other real estate matter in Broward County, schedule a consultation with our office.