Florida Dept of Business and Professional Regulation

*Regulates one million professionals and businesses in 200 licensee categories *Interested persons may check on-line or call for information on a business or licensed person's complaint history, or to make a complaint *1 in 16 Floridians, ranging from electricians to real estate agents, from cosmetologists to professional boxers are licensed *Other regulated areas: hotels, restaurants, alcohol and tobacco retailers, condominiums and mobile home parks

Services: Consumer Complaints, Licensing/Certification/Accreditation

Florida Dept of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Svs

*Consumer Services Helpline, aids with problems or questions consumer has about insurance, institutions and related services *Refers caller to proper office if needed *Does not assist with Worker's Compensation claims and does not handle State Employee Accident and Health Group Coverage complaints *Pamphlets and brochures on different types of insurance available on-line providing relevant information, offer shopping tips free to public *Toll-Free line available 8am-5pm regarding insurance issues *When a storm/hurricane impacts Florida, the toll-free line usually is open extended hours to answer storm related insurance questions

Services: Consumer Complaints, Disaster Relief Services, General Benefits Assistance

Florida Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

*Office consists of official records of birth, death, fetal death, marriage and dissolution of marriage *Birth records less than 100 years old (and in some cases older) and death records less than 50 years old are available *Persons who call the main number and extension will be guided through the various options, all the steps such as where to find request forms on the website, as well as approximately how long each option will take and the exact prices *Persons wanting expedited service will need to pay for overnight shipping *The office does not accept email requests *Note that every county has a vital statistics office within at least one of their local Dept of Health locations, where persons may request birth and death certificates originating from any county in Florida

Services: Birth Certificates, Records/Licenses/Permits

Florida Dept of Health, Medical Quality Assurance

*Regulates health care practitioners in Florida, determining that all meet minimum competency requirements *Through 22 boards and 6 councils regulates activities of 200-plus license types in 41 health care professions and 8 types of facilities *Receives and analyzes complaints and reports involving potential misconduct of a practitioner and initiates investigations when appropriate *Callers can access public records and check medical licenses online

Services: Consumer Complaints, Records/Licenses/Permits

Florida DHSMV, County Driver License Offices

*In Leon County, driving tests for Florida licenses may be obtained by walk in only at the Southside Service Center at 3477 S Monroe St, 32301 *Three other Leon County tax office locations provide license renewals, updates, and payment of fees: Lake Jackson Service Center at 3840 N Monroe St, Ste 102, 32303; Metro & Services Center at 1276 Metropolitan Blvd, Ste 102, 32312; and the Neil Kirkman Service Center at 2900 Apalachee Pkwy, B-133, 32399 *Offices in surrounding Big Bend Counties: *Franklin County at 33 Market St, Ste 202, Apalachicola, 32320; Carabelle Courthouse Annex, 912 NW Ave A, Carabelle, 32322 *Gadsden County at 16 S Calhoun Street, 32351 *Jefferson County at 500 W Walnut St, Monticello, 32344 *Liberty County at 10818 NW SR 20, Bristol, 32321 *Madison County at 229 SW Pinckney St, Madison, 32340 *Taylor County at 2275 US 19 N, Perry, 32347 *Wakulla County at 202 Ochlockonee St, Crawfordville, 32327

Services: Records/Licenses/Permits, Tax Collection Agencies, Traffic School

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

*Handles licenses and permits relating to fish and wildlife *Law Enforcement: report boating and wildlife violations and emergencies, toll-free 24/7 *Freshwater Fisheries: information about freshwater fish and regulations *Marine Fisheries Management: information about saltwater fish and regulations *Hunting and Game Management: quota and hunting information, game and non-game wildlife information *Hunter Safety Course for licensing and Youth Hunting Safety Program for ages 12-17 *Boating safety courses

Services: Boating Safety Education, Hunting Safety Education, Records/Licenses/Permits, Wildlife Conservation

Florida Free Legal Answers

*On-line legal advice clinic offering low-income Floridians answers to legal questions on-line free of charge; matches participants with lawyers who can answer questions on a wide range of issues including family matters (divorce, child support, adoption, domestic violence, name change); landlord/tenant; bankruptcy, consumer; education, employment, workers compensation, wills and estate planning but does NOT answer questions on criminal law *Ask a specific question about a noncriminal legal issue; receive an email when the question receives a response or log back in, see the response and ask more questions if necessary; volunteer lawyers can submit a single response or have a dialogue with the user through the site *The volunteer lawyers cannot call or represent the questioner in court; information provided by the users is confidential and volulnteer lawyers will not write letters, make phone calls, file documents or attend court proceedings

Services: Bankruptcy Assistance, Child Support Assistance/Enforcement, Community Legal Clinics, Divorce Assistance, Domestic/Family Violence Legal Services, General Legal Aid, Landlord/Tenant Assistance, Probate Assistance

Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators System

*Public information available about sexual predators and sexual offenders living in communities around the state *Toll-free number and online searchable database available at https://offender.

Services: Offender Registries/Community Notification

Franklin County Clerk of the Circuit Court

*Records legal documents (liens, licenses, child support, mortgages, marriages, adoptions, etc), and authorizes declaration of domicile and residency affidavits *Temporary injunction may assist victims of domestic violence by filing a "Petition for Injunction for Protection against Domestic Violence" with Family Law Division *Tax deed sales bidding procedures involve Clerk of the Court when agency conducts sale of public auction; deed sales advertised in legal advertisements in local newspaper *Annex office located in Carrabelle at 912 NW Ave A, 32322 (Thursdays only, 8:15AM-11:30PM and 12:30PM-4:45PM)

Services: Court Filing Offices, Public Officials Offices, Records/Licenses/Permits

Franklin County Tax Collector

*Responsible for collection of ad valorem taxes and other taxes set at local level, including those by special levying districts, state agencies, and county commissions *Issues state motor vehicle licenses and processes applications for titles on automobiles, trucks, mobile homes, and boats; sells state hunting and fishing licenses *Acts as agent of several state departments: Department of Revenue, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Fresh Water Fish Commission

Services: Tax Collection Agencies