The Martin County Clerk and Comptroller’s office is issuing a notice to the public about a recent change in the filing of court records with regard to the redaction of confidential information. In accordance with a recent amendment by the Florida Supreme Court, to Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, “the clerk shall not be required to identify and designate information as confidential,” in circuit civil, county civil and small claims court documents.
Effective July 1, 2021, filers will be solely responsible for ensuring any confidential information contained in filings in these cases is appropriately redacted or identified for redaction.
“It is important that anyone filing documents into civil cases, including the legal community and pro se litigants, is aware of this fundamental shift in way confidential information is protected,” said Clerk Timmann. “I am committed to doing my part to assist in notifying our filers of their new responsibility.”
All filers, including attorneys and self-represented litigants, will be required to:
- File a Notice of Confidential Information in circuit civil, county civil and small claims court cases when filing documents with Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, or other non-public information;
- Identify the precise location(s) of confidential information within the document, including each page number on which it appears; and
- Identify the type of confidential information or provision that applies to the identified information.
The amended rule affects small claims court filings and circuit and county court civil cases, except for Jimmy Ryce civil commitments, cases stemming from sexual assault, and medical malpractice filings. View the Florida Supreme Court’s amendment to Rule 2.420 online.
For more information on the rule change, please visit Florida Clerks Confidential Rule Change.
The Martin Clerk's Notice of Confidentiality Form (PDF) is available online on our Forms page.
