Lee County residents in Lehigh Acres no longer have to drive all the way to Fort Myers for a marriage license or to file an eviction. The Lee County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office has opened a new branch inside the East Lee County Government Complex at 600 Homestead Road South, bringing most of the services available downtown directly into the heart of one of the region’s fastest-growing communities.
Clerk Kevin Karnes and his team held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening, according to the Lehigh Acres Citizen. As reported by gulfcoastnewsnow.com, the new East Branch will handle all of the clerk’s services for the most part, matching what residents could previously only get in downtown Fort Myers.
What Services Are Available in Lehigh Acres Now
The East Branch covers court and official-records functions including traffic tickets, evictions, injunctions for protection, and marriage licenses and ceremonies, per the Lee County Clerk and Comptroller's announcement. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and officials recommend making an appointment ahead of time to avoid long waits, the station’s report notes.
The Clerk’s office had described the planned facility as more than 6,200 square feet, with 12 customer-service windows and a dedicated wedding room where couples can marry in front of family and friends. A private room was also planned for domestic violence victims filing for injunctions, the same account states. A Lee County Board of County Commissioners agenda item from May 2025 described a construction contract with Gilbane Building Company to renovate approximately 6,300 square feet for the project, carrying a cost of $2,665,870.
Karnes Points to Lehigh Acres' Rapid Growth
Karnes connected the new office directly to the area’s expansion. “Lehigh has grown significantly by 30% since I’ve been appointed clerk,” he told gulfcoastnewsnow.com, adding that the fast pace of growth makes it important to have services closer to residents’ homes. In a separate statement posted by the Lee County Clerk and Comptroller, Karnes called Lehigh Acres one of the fastest-growing communities in Southwest Florida.
The new location is meant to complement, not replace, the clerk’s existing footprint. The Lee County Clerk and Comptroller’s announcement states that the East Lee County office will complement the main downtown Fort Myers location and the Cape Coral satellite office. Karnes also noted the branch will reach beyond Lehigh Acres itself, saying it will serve those in south Lee County who can come up on State Road 82.
A Rare Expansion for the Clerk's Office
Karnes framed the opening as a notably uncommon move for county government. He described it as one of the first satellite offices the clerk's office has opened in the past 50 years, according to gulfcoastnewsnow.com. Plans for the East Lee County office began in 2023, reflecting a multi-year effort to bring the project to reality.
Beyond the new branch, the Lee County Clerk also serves as county recorder, clerk of the board of county commissioners, and the county’s chief financial officer, treasurer and auditor. Under the Florida Constitution, the clerk of the circuit court is established as a public trustee responsible for safeguarding public records and public funds. Karnes is elected by and accountable to Lee County residents, a structure that underpins the push to bring services into fast-growing pockets of the county like Lehigh Acres.
