Bradford County Property Records Search

Bradford County property records are public documents that detail ownership, assessed value, exemption status, and recorded instruments for all real estate in this north-central Florida county. The property appraiser in Starke maintains the assessment records, while the clerk of court keeps deed filings, mortgages, and other instruments that affect title. Searching these records gives you a clear picture of the ownership and tax history for any parcel in Bradford County.

Bradford County Property Appraiser

The Bradford County Property Appraiser's office is located at 945 N Temple Avenue in Starke, Florida 32091. The main phone number is 904-966-6216. The office handles property assessments, homestead and other exemption processing, and the annual preparation of the county tax roll. You can find the appraiser's information through the Bradford County government website at bradfordcountyfl.gov.

Bradford County is one of Florida's smaller counties, with most of its land in rural residential, agricultural, and forested use. The property appraiser assesses all real property at just value each year as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 193. For a small county, the office serves a community where many parcels are large tracts rather than subdivided lots, which means assessment work often involves comparing sales of similar rural properties to establish fair market values.

The Florida Department of Revenue provides a statewide directory of county property appraisers at floridarevenue.com, which can be useful if you need an alternate contact or want to verify the current office holder for Bradford County.

The DOR local officials page lists current contact information for every county property appraiser in Florida, including Bradford.

How to Search Bradford County Property Records

Bradford County's online search capacity is more limited than larger Florida counties. The county government website links to the property appraiser's resources, and basic parcel lookups are available online. You can search by owner name, address, or parcel identification number. The results show assessed value, ownership, and basic parcel information for the current tax year.

For detailed records, in-person visits to the property appraiser at 945 N Temple Avenue in Starke are often the most productive. Staff can pull up records that may not be fully accessible through the online system and can answer questions about agricultural classifications, exemptions, and appeal procedures. Call ahead at 904-966-6216 to confirm office hours before you visit.

Deed records and other instruments affecting title to Bradford County real estate are maintained at the Bradford County Clerk of Circuit Court. Florida's Chapter 119 Public Records Law makes these documents public. The clerk records and indexes them under the framework established by Chapter 28. To find a deed, mortgage, or lien affecting a Bradford County property, contact the clerk's office directly.

Note: Because Bradford County is small, some older records may exist only in paper form at the courthouse. If you are researching title going back more than a few decades, a title company or attorney familiar with Bradford County records can help navigate the older books.

What Bradford County Property Records Show

Each parcel record in Bradford County includes the owner's name and mailing address, the property address (if one is assigned), the parcel identification number, and the legal description. The legal description is critical for title purposes because it defines the exact boundaries of the parcel as recorded in the deed.

The value section shows the just value (market value as determined by the appraiser), the assessed value after any applicable cap, and the taxable value after all exemptions are deducted. These three numbers are often different, and knowing how they relate to each other helps you understand what you are actually paying taxes on versus what the market says the property is worth.

Bradford County has a significant amount of land under agricultural classification. Under Florida law, land actively used for farming, ranching, or timber production can be assessed at a lower rate based on its agricultural value rather than its market value. Records for these parcels show both the just value and the agricultural assessed value, and you can see the difference the classification makes in the taxable amount. Under Chapter 192, every parcel in the county must be on the tax roll regardless of classification type.

Sales data, improvement details, and land data are also part of the record. For rural parcels, the land data may include acreage, soil type classification, or timber stand information, depending on how the appraiser has categorized the land.

Homestead Exemption in Bradford County

Bradford County homeowners who live in their home as their permanent primary residence can claim Florida's homestead exemption. The exemption is worth up to $50,000 in reduced taxable value. The first $25,000 applies to taxes from all authorities. The second $25,000 applies to assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and exempts only non-school taxes.

You must apply by March 1 to get the exemption for that tax year. Applications go to the Bradford County Property Appraiser at 945 N Temple Avenue, Starke. Documents needed include a Florida ID or driver's license showing your address, proof that you own the property, and your Social Security number. First-time applicants and people who have recently moved should apply as early as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

Once the homestead exemption is in place, the Save Our Homes cap under Florida Statutes Section 193.155 limits how much your assessed value can increase each year. The cap is 3% or the prior year's change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. In a rural county like Bradford where market values tend to be stable, this cap may not create as large a gap as it does in faster-moving markets. But it still provides important protection against sudden value spikes that could otherwise push taxes up sharply in a single year.

Other exemptions available in Bradford County include the senior exemption for residents aged 65 and older with limited income, the veteran's exemption, the disability exemption, and the widow/widower exemption. Each has specific eligibility criteria. The property appraiser's office can tell you which ones you may qualify for and what documents to bring.

Bradford County Property Tax Process

Bradford County follows Florida's standard property tax calendar. The property appraiser certifies the tax roll by August 1. TRIM notices go out to all property owners in August. These notices show the proposed assessed value, the proposed millage rates from each taxing authority, and the dates of public hearings where those rates can be discussed and voted on.

If you disagree with the proposed assessed value, you have the right to challenge it. Start by calling or visiting the property appraiser's office. Many disputes can be resolved informally if the appraiser agrees the value is off. If not, you can file a petition with the Bradford County Value Adjustment Board. The VAB reviews evidence from both the property owner and the appraiser and issues a ruling. Petition deadlines are printed on the TRIM notice.

Tax bills go out in November from the county tax collector. Discounts for early payment run through February: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February. Full payment is due March 31. Taxes that go unpaid after April 1 become delinquent, and the county will issue a tax certificate against the property. Owners have a limited window to pay up before the certificate process leads to a tax deed sale.

For detailed guidance on the full property tax process in Florida, the Florida DOR taxpayer information page covers each step from assessment through payment and dispute resolution. This information applies to Bradford County and all other counties in the state.

Official Records at the Bradford County Clerk

The Bradford County Clerk of Circuit Court records, indexes, and maintains all instruments that legally affect real property in the county. Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, judgment liens, mechanic's liens, and lis pendens notices all go through the clerk's office. Once recorded, each document becomes part of the public record and is available for anyone to search and copy.

Florida's Chapter 28 governs the clerk's recording and indexing duties. The clerk must maintain a grantor-grantee index that allows title researchers to trace ownership forward and backward through the record. The Chapter 119 Public Records Law means these records are open to the public, and copies can be obtained for a fee.

For a small county like Bradford, the clerk's office in Starke handles all of this with a limited staff. If you need certified copies or have a complex search request, calling ahead to let the office know what you need will help them prepare and reduce your wait time. Copies of recorded documents can typically be obtained same-day if the material is in the digital system. Older paper records may take longer to locate and reproduce.

The statewide Florida Department of Revenue property page provides additional context on how recorded instruments fit into the overall property tax and ownership tracking system used across all Florida counties.

Cities in Bradford County

Bradford County includes Starke, Hampton, Lawtey, and Brooker as incorporated municipalities. None meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Starke, the county seat, is the largest city in Bradford County.

Nearby Counties

Bradford County shares borders with five other Florida counties. Each county maintains its own property records through an independently elected property appraiser and clerk of court.