Public records requests — Sebastian, Florida

A request for City of Sebastian records goes to the City Clerk, the city's official Records Custodian, by email, phone, mail or in person at Sebastian City Hall, 1225 Main Street.

All general City of Sebastian public records requests must be directed to the City Clerk, who serves as the official Records Custodian, according to the city's Public Records Search page. The email address for City Hall requests is CityHallPublicRecordsRequest@cityofsebastian.org and the phone number is 772-388-8215. Requests can also be mailed to the City of Sebastian at 1225 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958, or handed in at City Hall, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closes daily from noon to 1:00 p.m.

No form or reason is required in Sebastian. The same city page states that requesters are not required to provide a reason, and that requests may be submitted anonymously, which follows Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. The Clerk's office also posts a printable Public Records Requests form for those who prefer paper, and the Clerk's page lists records management and public records requests among the duties of the office, alongside elections, council minutes and the sale of cemetery lots.

The Sebastian City Clerk holds general administration records, while the Sebastian Police Department and Indian River County keep their own law enforcement, fire and 911 records.

The split is written into the city Code. Section 2-2 of the Sebastian Code of Ordinances designates the city clerk as the city's records management liaison officer, exclusive of law enforcement records, and requires the clerk to keep and maintain all official documents for the city. Police records follow a separate path to the Records Section at 1201 Main Street, which the Sebastian Police Department says responds to requests for incident reports and calls for service in accordance with Chapter 119. Its records email is not monitored around the clock, only on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding city holidays.

Crash reports have their own rule. A request for a traffic crash report through the Sebastian Police Department requires a completed Sworn Statement Traffic Crash Report form, and anyone representing a person involved in the crash must add proof of representation; the same reports can be bought online from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fire reports and EMS transport reports from Sebastian calls are county records, requested from Indian River County Fire Rescue, while CAD data and 911 call information sit with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office.

Most Sebastian records requests cost nothing beyond copies, because the city charges no labor fee for any request that takes a quarter hour or less of staff time.

The schedule comes from the City of Sebastian Records Management Policies and Procedures Manual 2019, adopted by the City Council as Resolution R-19-05 on April 10, 2019. It states that there will be no special service charge for requests requiring one-quarter (1/4) hour or less in actual labor, and that time beyond a quarter hour is billed. For larger jobs a reasonable deposit may be collected prior to the cost actually being incurred, and any money collected above the actual cost is returned to the requester.

The city schedule sits inside state limits. Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes authorizes up to 15 cents per one-sided copy for duplicated copies of not more than 14 inches by 8 1/2 inches, and allows an agency to charge up to $1 per copy for a certified copy of a public record, plus a reasonable special service charge when a request requires extensive use of information technology or staff. Sebastian's Public Records Search page adds that requesters are told of any costs before work begins.

Under the Sebastian records manual, the city's Records Management Liaison Officer acknowledges a request within 24 hours, and records follow in a reasonable time based on the size of the request.

The 2019 manual states that the RMLO will acknowledge receipt of the public records request within 24 hours. Department heads gather what they hold and forward it to the City Clerk's office, which compiles the response and applies any redactions; a department with no matching records is expected to say so. After weighing the extent and nature of the request, the Clerk may send an estimate of cost and time of completion.

Florida law does not set a fixed number of days. The city's Public Records Search page says Sebastian provides records in a reasonable time frame depending on the nature and volume of the request, and that a cost estimate is given in advance when extensive staff time or resources are needed. Some records may be exempt from disclosure or redacted under state or federal law, and the Sebastian Police Department notes it may redact its reports where required.

Many permanent Sebastian records, including council minutes, ordinances and resolutions, can be searched without registration in the city's Laserfiche WebLink portal at weblink.cityofsebastian.org.

The Public Records Search page lists the kinds of City of Sebastian records available: City Council meeting minutes and agendas, ordinances, resolutions and municipal codes, city contracts, policies and financial reports, land development, zoning and permitting records, and inspection and code enforcement documentation. The online portal offers many of these at any hour, and no registration is required to search or view documents.

Paper still matters at City Hall. The 2019 manual explains that the city scans records into Laserfiche, but that although permanent records such as minutes, ordinances, and resolutions have been scanned, paper originals will not be destroyed and they are housed in the vault of City Hall on Main Street. That vault is the reason an older Sebastian ordinance or council journal can still be produced as an original if a certified copy is requested.

Yes, email sent to City of Sebastian offices is a public record under Florida law, including the sender's email address.

Every page of the City of Sebastian website carries the notice that under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records, and that anyone who does not want an address released in response to a public records request should contact the office by phone or in writing instead (see the city Human Resources page footer, for example). The Public Records Search page repeats the point for records requests themselves and suggests making a request in person or by phone at City Hall for those who want to keep an address private.

The rule reaches job seekers and board applicants too: the City of Sebastian FAQ warns that employment applications are subject to disclosure under the Florida Public Records Act. Under Section 119.07, a custodian of public records or a person having custody of public records may designate another officer or employee to permit inspection, which is how requests in Sebastian are spread between the Clerk at City Hall and department records staff.

Last verified: October 10, 2026, on the City of Sebastian website.