Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Lake Wales, Florida, in Polk County, has about 18,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Lake Wales is in the deed records of the Clerk of Court and its taxable value is set by the Property Appraiser; what is built on it is a matter for the city. This guide says who keeps each record and where the page for each office is.
This guide covers deeds, assessed values, city permits and records, evictions and court cases, records requests, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Lake Wales public records, Polk County property records, Lake Wales arrest records, Lake Wales warrants, Lake Wales inmate search, Lake Wales criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Lake Wales
Deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land in Lake Wales are recorded by the Clerk of Court, which indexes them by name and sells copies.
SearchSystems opened and checked the Clerk of Court's page at polkclerkfl.gov/184/Official-Records (page title: Official Records | Polk County Clerk, FL), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Lake Wales
What a parcel in Lake Wales is taxed on is the business of the Property Appraiser, which also keeps the parcel maps. Under Save Our Homes a homesteaded property's assessed value can rise no more than 3 percent a year, and other property no more than 10 percent, until it is sold.
SearchSystems opened and checked the Property Appraiser's page at polkflpa.gov/CamaSearch.aspx?cookie_test=true (page title: Property Search), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Permits and City Records in Lake Wales
Building permits, zoning and code cases are the city's own. For Lake Wales, SearchSystems opened and checked the city hall page at lakewalesfl.gov/148/City-Administration (page title: City Administration | Lake Wales, FL), phone 863-678-4182, Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Lake Wales
Court cases about land from Lake Wales, evictions among them, are filed in the County Court or the Polk County Circuit Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at polkclerkfl.gov/297/Court-Records.
Asking a County Office for a Record
Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) a county office must answer a request promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests. The county records request page SearchSystems verified is at polkfl.gov/about/public-records-request (page title: Public Records Request | Polk County, Florida).
More Official Property and Land Records Pages for Polk County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Polk County and Florida. These property pages and recorded document pages from its Polk County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Home, Polk County Tax Collector (polktaxes.com)
- Register (apps.polkcountyclerk.net)
- Search & Pay Local Business Taxes (polktaxes.com)
- Records, Polk County Clerk, FL (polkclerkfl.gov)
- Search Criminal & Traffic Records (polkclerkfl.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Lake Wales?
The Clerk of Court, at polkclerkfl.gov/184/Official-Records. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Lake Wales are filed there, and the Property Appraiser (polkflpa.gov/CamaSearch.aspx?cookie_test=true) has the assessment records.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Lake Wales?
The Property Appraiser, whose page SearchSystems verified is at polkflpa.gov/CamaSearch.aspx?cookie_test=true.
Where are evictions from Lake Wales filed?
In the County Court. The file is public unless the court seals it.
How is property assessed in Florida?
Under Save Our Homes a homesteaded property's assessed value can rise no more than 3 percent a year, and other property no more than 10 percent, until it is sold.
Is this the official Lake Wales website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.