Residents and contractors in St. Johns County no longer need to drive between multiple government buildings to file a deed, pull a permit and record a Notice of Commencement.

New center combines county and clerk offices

The county's new Public Service Center at 4040 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine combines county permitting with St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller services under one roof. The Clerk's Office began serving residents at the location on Aug. 3, and the county formally announced the opening Thursday.

What services the center now handles

The center handles recording services for deeds, Notices of Commencement, plats and planned unit development maps. It also processes marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies, passport applications, Value Adjustment Board applications and public records searches.

Multi-stop errands become a single visit

Before the consolidation, someone recording a Notice of Commencement might have needed to visit the county's Permit Center, then travel to the courthouse and then return to the Government Complex, according to the county. That multi-stop trip is now a single visit with service kiosks directing residents to the right window.

Expansion doubled size of 1999 building

The building sits on the Lewis Speedway campus, just across the parking lot from the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center. The campus expansion was approved in 2024 at $13.5 million for 34,000 square feet, roughly doubling the size of the permit building that opened in 1999 and adding 245 parking spaces, St. Johns Community reported.

Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller Brandon J. Patty called the center a major investment in serving the community in a July 27 press release announcing the Clerk's Office would begin operations at the new location. Board of County Commissioners Chair Clay Murphy appeared alongside Patty in a county-produced video showcasing the facility.

Court functions remain at judicial center

Court operations, including jury duty, child support assistance, restraining order petitions and traffic ticket payments, remain at the Watson Judicial Center at 4010 Lewis Speedway.

Residents in the Julington Creek area can still access marriage license services at the Julington Creek Annex, 725 Flora Branch Blvd., open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment.

A marriage license costs $86, or $61 if both parties complete a premarital course. Ceremonies performed by the Clerk cost $30.

Hours differ between the two buildings

The Public Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The neighboring Permit Center keeps slightly different hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Residents unsure which building handles their errand can call Customer Care Clerks at (904) 819-3600.