A CFN, or Clerk’s File Number, is the consecutive serial number that a Florida county Clerk of the Circuit Court assigns to every document entered into the county’s Official Records. In real property records, the CFN is how a deed, mortgage, lien, satisfaction, or judgment is permanently identified and located. Once the clerk stamps that number on a document, it is considered recorded, and its place in the number sequence fixes its legal priority against any later filing.
What the Number Is and Where It Comes From
Florida law makes each county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court the county recorder, responsible for maintaining a single series of records called the Official Records.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 28.222 – Clerk to Be County Recorder When a document is filed for recording, the clerk assigns it the next number in that series and logs the filing number, the date and hour of filing, the type of instrument, and the parties involved. That assigned number is the CFN.
Older recorded documents may be identified instead by a Book and Page reference, from the era when clerks bound recordings into physical volumes. Most Florida counties now use the CFN as the primary identifier, with the Book and Page often shown alongside it for continuity.
Why the CFN Matters for Property
The sequence of CFN numbers is the official order of recording, and that order controls priority between competing claims against the same property. A document with a lower CFN generally has priority over one with a higher number in the same series. Under Florida Statute 695.11, an instrument is deemed recorded from the moment the clerk affixes that consecutive number, and from that point forward it provides notice to the public.2Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 695.11 – Instruments Deemed to Be Recorded From Time of Filing
In practice, this is what title examiners are tracing. If two mortgages are recorded against the same parcel, the one with the earlier CFN generally takes priority. If a judgment lien attaches between a seller’s acquisition and sale, its CFN pins down exactly when it entered the chain. Title companies, lenders, and real estate attorneys read the CFN sequence to confirm clear title before a closing can proceed, and a missing or unexpected entry in that sequence can hold a transaction up.
Where You’ll See a CFN
If you have the physical recorded document, the CFN is usually stamped or printed near the top of the first page, together with the recording date and often a Book and Page reference. Title companies typically carry CFN numbers over onto the settlement statement and the title commitment, so each referenced deed, mortgage, assignment, or satisfaction can be traced back to the exact filing.
Recorded instruments that generally carry a CFN include deeds and other property transfers, mortgages and their assignments or satisfactions, notices or claims of lien, notices of lis pendens, certified copies of judgments, and federal tax lien notices.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 28.222 – Clerk to Be County Recorder Essentially, anything required or authorized by law to be entered in the Official Records receives its own CFN at the moment of acceptance.
How to Look Up a CFN
Most Florida counties offer free online Official Records search portals through the Clerk of Court’s website. You can search by party name, document type, date range, or the CFN itself. Martin County’s portal, for instance, returns results showing each document’s Book/Page and Clerk File Number.3Martin County Clerk. Records Search Hernando County’s system labels the document number as the Clerk’s File Number or CFN.4Hernando County Clerk. Search Official Records Other Florida counties offer similar tools.
You can also visit or call the clerk’s office. Staff can search by name, date, or document type and give you the matching CFN.
Getting a Copy Once You Have the Number
With the CFN in hand, you can request a copy of the recorded document from the clerk. Florida sets these fees statewide: photocopies of standard-sized documents are $1.00 per page, with certification an additional $2.00. Oversized pages (larger than 14 by 8½ inches) are $5.00 per page.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 28.24 – Service Charges by Clerk of the Circuit Court Many counties also let you view and download document images online at no charge; certified copies still require the fee.
CFN Compared With a Court Case Number
A CFN and a court case number are not the same thing, and it is worth keeping them straight. A court case number identifies a lawsuit or criminal proceeding within the court system and follows a uniform format with the year filed, a case-type code (such as CA for circuit civil or CF for circuit felony), and a sequential number. A CFN is simply the next consecutive number in that county’s Official Records series.
The two can appear together. When a court judgment is recorded against property, the judgment keeps its original case number from the court file, and the clerk also assigns it a separate CFN when it enters the Official Records. If someone asks for the CFN on a recorded deed, mortgage, or judgment, they want the Official Records number, not the case number.
Recording a New Document
If you need to record a document and have a CFN assigned, you file it with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the property is located. Recording fees for standard-sized documents start at $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page, with an extra $1.00 per name for indexing when a document names more than four parties.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 28.24 – Service Charges by Clerk of the Circuit Court Most Florida counties now accept electronic recording through approved vendors. Whether you file in person or electronically, the clerk assigns the CFN at the moment of acceptance, and the document is treated as legally recorded from that point.2Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 695.11 – Instruments Deemed to Be Recorded From Time of Filing