Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Manatee County, Florida, has about 458,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Manatee County Circuit Court and the County Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Manatee County public records, Manatee County arrest records, Manatee County warrants, Manatee County inmate search, Manatee County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Manatee County
Court cases from Manatee County are filed in the Manatee County Circuit Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $50,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters.
Below it, the County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $50,000.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court's family division, and the file stays with the court clerk.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller keep the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119).
Looking Up a Case from Manatee County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at records.manateeclerk.com/CourtRecords/Search (page title: Search Court Records | Manatee County Clerk), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Florida has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The Florida court page SearchSystems verified is at flcourts.gov.
What Reaches the Court from Manatee County
Bradenton reported 1,657 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the State Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Manatee County Circuit Court or the County Court.
The State Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mymanatee.org/departments/county-attorneys-office/legal-representat... (page title: Legal Representation), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Manatee County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Manatee County criminal records, Manatee County divorce records, Manatee County traffic tickets, Manatee County DUI and Manatee County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Manatee County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Manatee County and Florida. These court pages from its Manatee County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Online Searches (manateeclerk.com)
Cities in Manatee County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Manatee County Circuit Court or the County Court.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Manatee County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Manatee County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at records.manateeclerk.com/CourtRecords/Search.
Which court hears felonies in Manatee County?
The Manatee County Circuit Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $50,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters. The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $50,000.
Who keeps the court records in Manatee County?
The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Florida?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Manatee County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.