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Use the Official Records search when the target is a recorded instrument, narrow by party/instrument/document/date, and use a court or county request system when the record family is different.
What belongs in Hillsborough County Official Records
| Target | Use | Useful locator |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded instrument | Clerk Official Records search | Party, instrument type, document or book-page number |
| Court case | Court case system | Case number and court |
| County administrative file | Responsible county office | Department, subject and dates |
“Official Records” has a specific Hillsborough County meaning
The Hillsborough Clerk uses “Official Records” for the recording system that contains recorded instruments. That term should not be expanded to mean every public file in Hillsborough County.
A deed or another recorded instrument belongs in the Official Records search. A court case or county administrative file follows a different source even if the same person or property appears in both.
Keep the Hillsborough Clerk source and document reference attached to recorded-instrument results. If the record family changes, begin a separate search trail rather than treating the Official Records result as universal.
A Hillsborough recorded-instrument lookup
1
Confirm the target is recordedUse Official Records when the requested product is a recorded instrument maintained by the Hillsborough Clerk.2
Search with recording fieldsNarrow by party, instrument type, document or book-page reference and recording date when available.3
Leave the system when the family changesUse a court or county request system for records outside the Official Records recording collection.4
Retain the document referenceSave the Hillsborough source, recording identifier and lookup date with the result.Evidence to keep from a Hillsborough Official Records result
System
Hillsborough Clerk official records
Shows that the recorded-instrument collection was searched.
Document
Recording reference
Keep the document, book-page or instrument identifier.
Date
Recording and lookup dates
Preserve both the source date field and when the search was performed.
Recorded-instrument context changes a Hillsborough name match
Two people can share a name across Hillsborough systems, and the same property can appear in both recorded instruments and other county records. An Official Records match becomes stronger when the recording date, instrument type and document reference agree with the transaction being researched.
If those fields do not fit, changing to a court or county-administration source is more useful than repeatedly broadening the party-name search inside Official Records.