Pinellas County Property Records Search

Pinellas County property records are managed by Property Appraiser Mike Twitty, MAI, CFA, with offices in Clearwater. The office maintains parcel data for all of Pinellas County and makes most records available online and by request.

Pinellas County Property Appraiser

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's main office is at 315 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Clearwater, FL 33756. The office also operates a North County location at Northside Square, 29269 US Hwy 19 N, Clearwater, FL 33761. The main phone number is (727) 464-3207, and the fax is (727) 464-2788. The public records liaison for the office is Alex Luca, reachable at the same number. The appraiser's website is at pcpao.gov.

Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida. It is a peninsula bounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, which means the county is essentially built out with no room to expand. The Property Appraiser's office handles a large and complex tax roll covering residential, commercial, and waterfront properties across dozens of municipalities.

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's website at pcpao.gov is the main hub for parcel searches, exemption applications, appeals information, and office contact details.

Contact and Appointments

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's office handles several types of questions. For general questions, comments, or to report a website error, use the main contact form at pcpao.gov/contact. For questions about a specific parcel or assessed value, you can request to speak with your area appraiser, the staff member assigned to your neighborhood or property type.

For tangible personal property accounts covering business furniture, fixtures, signs, and equipment, the office handles these separately from real property. Contact the office by phone or through the website to reach the right person for your account.

You can schedule a virtual appointment with your area appraiser through the contact page. Virtual meetings are available Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM, except on holidays. Meetings are set in 30-minute blocks. This option is useful if you want to discuss your assessment without taking time off to come in person.

The contact page at pcpao.gov lets you reach the right department by question type, schedule a virtual meeting with your area appraiser, or find the office's mailing address and hours.

Homestead Exemption Status and Filing

Pinellas County homeowners can check their current exemption status online at pcpao.gov/homestead_exemption_status. This tool lets you verify whether your homestead exemption is active without calling or visiting the office. If your exemption is missing or was denied, you can find out through this page and then take steps to correct it.

The exemption status page at pcpao.gov lets Pinellas County homeowners quickly confirm whether their homestead exemption is on file and active for the current tax year.

To apply for homestead exemption, you must own and occupy the property as your primary residence on January 1 of the tax year. The deadline to file is March 1. You can apply online, in person at either office location, or by submitting documentation by mail. Additional supporting documents can be emailed to hx@pcpao.gov. This includes items like a Florida driver's license, voter registration card, vehicle registration, or other proof that the property is your permanent home.

If you qualify for homestead, you are entitled to the standard $50,000 reduction in assessed value. Beyond that, additional exemptions are available for seniors with limited income, veterans with service-connected disabilities, surviving spouses of military members killed in action, and people with total and permanent disabilities. Each exemption has its own eligibility requirements and documentation. Contact the office to find out which ones apply to you.

Online Parcel Search and Legacy Site

The current Pinellas County Property Appraiser website at pcpao.gov offers parcel search, map tools, exemption information, and virtual appointments. For users who prefer the older search interface, the legacy site remains available at legacy.pcpao.org. Some long-time users find the legacy site easier to navigate for specific lookup tasks.

The legacy search site at legacy.pcpao.org provides an alternate interface for looking up Pinellas County parcel data, assessed values, and ownership records using the older system format.

Both the current and legacy sites pull from the same underlying parcel database. Whichever one you use, you will find the same owner of record, assessed value, exemptions, and sale history for any given parcel. The difference is mainly in how you search and how the results are displayed.

Assessment Process and Appeals

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser values all real property in the county as of January 1 each year. Florida law requires a physical inspection of each property at least every five years, done through on-site visits or aerial photography. Between inspections, the office uses building permits and sales data to update values.

TRIM notices go out in August showing your proposed assessed value and estimated tax. If you think your value is wrong, start with an informal review through the Property Appraiser's office. You can also file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board before the deadline on your TRIM notice. The VAB is independent and can lower your assessment if you present sufficient evidence.

The Save Our Homes cap limits assessed value increases to 3% per year or the CPI change for homesteaded properties. The 10% cap applies to non-homestead properties. These limits mean assessed values in Pinellas County often run well below current market prices for properties that have been owned for many years.

State law governs all of this. Chapter 192 covers property tax definitions and rules. Chapter 193 governs the assessment process. Chapter 119 covers your right to access public records. Recorded documents at the Clerk's office fall under Chapter 28.

Cities in Pinellas County

Pinellas County has three cities with populations over 100,000. Each has its own property records page with specific courthouse and filing information.

Nearby Counties

Pinellas County is connected to its neighbors by bridges and borders Tampa Bay. Each neighboring county has its own property appraiser.