Florida Free Recording of Military Discharges

Section 28.222(3)(d) of the Florida Statutes makes the clerk of the circuit court, as county recorder, record "that portion of a certificate of discharge, separation, or service which indicates the character of discharge" of any citizen of the state. "Each certificate shall be recorded without cost to the veteran"; the board of county commissioners pays the clerk the ordinary recording charge instead. The words reach any character of discharge, not only an honorable one. Privacy. Section 28.2221(5)(a) bars a county recorder from placing an image or copy of a military discharge on a publicly available website. Anyone may ask the recorder in writing to remove one that is displayed, naming the book and page or instrument number, and no fee may be charged for the removal. The record stays in the Official Records and can still be inspected and copied at the clerk's office. Copies. The statute makes the recording free but does not waive the clerk's copy and certification charges under section 28.24. A recorded copy is useful when the original is lost, but the National Archives remains the source of the original record.