Brandon J. Patty 
St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller

4010 Lewis Speedway
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Tel: (904) 819-3600

E-Certify FAQ

1How do I order an electronic copy?
Please click here for step-by-step instructions on how to order an electronic certified copy, or click the "Purchase Electronic Certified Documents" link in the menu to your left.
2How much do electronic certified documents cost?
The statutory fees are:
  • $2 for certification per document
The service fee is $6.

For example, the total cost for a one-page document will be $8; $2 for the certification and $6 for the service fee.
3What are the benefits of electronic certified documents?
Electronic certified documents can be purchased online anytime, anywhere, 24-hours a day. It is fast, easy and convenient. Electronic certified documents are more secure and environmentally friendly in comparison to paper certified documents.
4Who is the signing authority for electronic certified documents?
The signing authority is the Clerk of Courts. The digital signature bearing the identity and authority of the Clerk is used to sign the document electronically.
5Is it legal to use electronic certified documents?
Yes, State Statutes concerning electronic signature explicitly endorse the use of electronic signatures built with advanced cryptographic technology.
6Can I order electronic certified documents online and access them now?
Yes, court records and official records that are viewable online can be purchased through clerkecertify.com. After the purchase is complete, you will receive an email with your certified documents attached. The email will typically be sent within minutes of purchase.
7Do electronic certified documents have a wet seal?
No, electronic certified documents do not have a wet seal. Instead, a digitally-signed certificate from the Clerk of Courts is used on each electronic certified document.
8Will electronic certified documents be accepted by other agencies?
Yes, however you should check with the agency to confirm whether they will accept an electronic version of the document or if a paper copy is required. If so, you can print a paper copy of the electronic certified document. Read more about verifying electronic certified documents.
9Can I reuse the electronic certified documents I purchased?
Yes, one of the benefits of using electronically certified documents is you can reprint and reuse them as many times as you would like.
10How long are electronic certified documents available for download?
It is recommended you download and save the electronic certified documents as soon as possible after purchasing. However, the document will be available to download for 30 days after the purchase date.
11Do electronic certified documents expire?
No. Electronic certified documents are valid from the time they are created and do not expire. Each electronic certified document has a unique tracking number and is digitally signed by the Clerk of Courts. Electronic certified documents can be verified at any time. Read more about verifying electronic certified documents.
12How can I tell if an electronic certified document is authentic?
There are several ways to verify a certified document is authentic. Read more on Verifying Certified Documents.
13Can I open an electronic certified document in a software other than Adobe Reader?
Yes. You can open an electronic certified PDF document in any other compatible software. However, the availability and confirmation of the authenticity and authorship of the document will be subject to the capabilities of the reader software.
14What technology is used to ensure that the documents are tamper-proof and valid forever?
Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify is the product of thorough and rigorous engineering processes. Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify uses advanced cryptographic techniques to protect the documents. Its base standard uses the 2048-bit RSA key (a.k.a. asymmetric cryptography) for validating identity (signing) and ensuring that the document content is protected against any tampering. Just how hard is to “break” an 2048-bit RSA key based certificate like those provided by Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify? It is estimated that standard desktop computing power would take 4,294,967,296 x 1.5 million years to break a Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify 2048-bit SSL certificate. The digital signature hardware is an FIPS 140-2 level 2 cryptographic hardware that is in compliance with U.S. government computer security standard used to approve cryptographic modules. When a document is digitally signed using Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify, the system embeds sufficient information within the document to indicate the long term validity of the document for years to come.
15What technology is used to ensure the validity and legal effect of the electronic certificates generated by Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify?
Uniform Electronic Transaction Act provides the basic framework under which electronic signatures are valid in lieu of a manual signature. Florida statute 668.50(9)(a) provides that an electronic record or electronic signature has the same legal effect and enforceability as a manual signature. The state provides that the act of a person may be shown in any manner, including a showing of the efficacy of any security procedure applied to determine the person to which the electronic record or electronic signature was attributable. Section 668.50(2)(n) defines the term "security procedure". Section 668.003(3) defines the term "digital signature", which is the technology used by Triedata’s Clerk E-Certify to create the documents.
St. Johns County Clerk of Court