Find Property Records in Gainesville

Gainesville property records are maintained by the Alachua County Property Appraiser, which holds ownership information, assessed values, taxable values, exemptions, legal descriptions, and sales history for all parcels within city limits. As the county seat of Alachua County and the largest city in north-central Florida, Gainesville has a diverse property base that includes residential homes, university-area rentals, commercial parcels, and agricultural land near the city fringe. This page explains how to search property records online, apply for a homestead exemption, and find building and permit records through the city.

Alachua County Property Appraiser

The Alachua County Property Appraiser (ACPA) is the primary office for Gainesville property records. Located at 515 N Main Street, Suite 200, Gainesville FL 32601, the office handles property valuations, ownership records, exemption applications, and parcel data for every taxable property in Alachua County. Phone number is 352-374-5230. The full website is at acpafl.org.

The ACPA provides online search tools where you can look up any Gainesville parcel by owner name, address, or parcel ID. Once you find a property, the record shows current ownership, mailing address, assessed and taxable values, exemptions, legal description, land use code, building data, and recent sales. The database is a good starting point for most property research needs in Gainesville.

The Alachua County Property Appraiser's website is the main online resource for searching Gainesville property records.

Start your search at acpafl.org to find ownership, value, and exemption data for any Gainesville parcel.

Online Property Search

The ACPA's dedicated property search tool is at acpafl.org/search. You can search by owner name, property address, or parcel identification number. The tool returns a list of matching parcels; click any result to see the full record.

The ACPA property search page lets you look up any Gainesville parcel directly by address, owner, or ID number.

Search Gainesville parcels directly at acpafl.org/search.

Each parcel record includes ownership information, the legal description of the land, lot size, building square footage, year built, construction type, taxable and assessed values, and a list of all sales on record. For most research needs, this free online search is all you need.

Homestead Exemption in Gainesville

Florida's homestead exemption is available to Gainesville homeowners who use their property as their primary residence. The exemption reduces assessed value by up to $50,000 for tax purposes. The first $25,000 applies to all tax levies; the second $25,000 applies only to non-school taxes.

You must apply by March 1 of the tax year. Applications filed after March 1 do not take effect until the next year. To apply, visit the ACPA exemptions page at acpafl.org/exemptions or stop by the office at 515 N Main Street, Suite 200. The exemptions page lists eligibility rules and required documents for each exemption type.

Florida's Save Our Homes provision limits annual increases in a homestead property's assessed value to 3% or the CPI, whichever is lower. Gainesville's real estate market has seen value growth in recent years, so the cap can provide real savings for long-term homeowners. When a homestead property is sold, the cap resets to market value for the new owner.

Other exemptions available through the ACPA include senior, disability, veteran, widow and widower, and first responder exemptions. Each type has specific requirements. Contact the office or check the exemptions page for documentation details.

City of Gainesville Building Department

The City of Gainesville Building Department handles permits, inspections, and code enforcement for properties within city limits. The office is at 306 NE 6th Avenue, Gainesville FL 32601, phone 352-334-5050. Information and online services are at gainesvillefl.gov/departments/building-department.

Building permits are public records. You can search for past permits on a property to see whether renovations, additions, or repairs were properly permitted and inspected. This is useful when you are buying a home, since unpermitted work may not meet code and can be expensive to resolve after the fact. The building department can tell you whether open permits or violations remain on any Gainesville property.

For general city services and public records requests, the City of Gainesville main office is at 200 E University Avenue, Gainesville FL 32601, phone 352-334-5000. The city website is at gainesvillefl.gov.

Florida Law and Public Access to Records

Property assessments in Florida are governed by Chapter 192 and Chapter 193 of the Florida Statutes. Chapter 192 sets the general rules for property taxation in the state. Chapter 193 governs how county property appraisers conduct annual assessments, set values, and maintain records. These chapters are the legal basis for how the Alachua County PA operates.

Access to property records in Florida is protected under Chapter 119, the Florida Public Records Law. Under this law, assessment data, ownership information, and most property records are open to any member of the public upon request. Recorded documents like deeds and liens are held by the Alachua County Clerk of Courts; fees for certified copies are set by Chapter 28.

Nearby Cities

Gainesville is the dominant city in north-central Florida. No other Florida cities over 100,000 population are located nearby.