Palm Beach County Court Records
Every case filed in Palm Beach County Court is documented by the clerk's office. This allows individuals to access court records even after the case has been resolved. Court records are vital for case identification and legal and personal purposes. For instance, a law enforcement officer may request court records for investigative purposes. All Palm Beach County court cases are generated according to the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration provisions. Palm Beach County courts are divided into:
Are Court Records Public in Palm Beach County?
Yes, The Florida Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows for the dissemination of court records to members of the public. Therefore, Palm Beach County residents can request to inspect or obtain copies of court records from the courts where a case was handled. However, unless a record is categorized as part of Palm Beach County Public Records, it may be restricted from public disclosure.
What Do Palm Beach County Court Records Contain?
The components of Palm Beach County court records differ per case type and court type. The information in court records helps track cases and allows people to access court proceedings' details. Generally, requesters can retrieve the following information from Palm County court records:
- Party names (first, last and middle)
- Party type
- Party association
- Case number
- Court type
- Case type
- Arrest date
- File date
- Case style
- Case status
- Division name
Where to Conduct a Palm Beach County Case Lookup
A record seeker can conduct a Palm Beach County case lookup at:
- The Supreme Court of Florida
- District Courts of Appeal
- Fourth District Court
- Fifteenth Circuit Court
How to Conduct a Palm Beach County Court Case Search
A requester can conduct a Palm Beach County case records search online or in person at the court where the case was filed. The Palm Beach County Circuit Court has an e CaseView portal that can be used to search and view civil, criminal, and traffic cases. There is no charge for this service. Case records retrieved via the e CaseView portal are not certified. Certified copies of court records can be obtained online through E-Certify for $8 per document. A 3.5% payment processing fee applies to cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay transactions. Alternatively, requesters can visit The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller to access case records. Basic information about the case must be provided to facilitate the search. The Clerk’s office is located at:
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
301 N. Olive Avenue,
9th Floor,
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 355-2983
Email: publicrecords@mypalmbeachclerk.com
Palm Beach County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records are official documents that contain non-criminal lawsuits of individuals or businesses for claims lesser or greater than $50,000. Civil cases involving claims of $50,000 or less are handled by the Palm Beach County Civil Courts. In contrast, Civil cases involving claims exceeding $50,000 are handled by the Palm Beach County Circuit Civil Court. Examples of cases handled by Palm Beach County Civil Courts are:
- Appeals
- Small claims
- Guardianship
- Probate of estates
- Product liability
- Eminent Domain
- Landlord/Tenant cases
- Professional Malpractice
- Contracts and Indebtedness
- Marriage licenses and ceremonies
- Real Property/Mortgage Foreclosures
- Negligence (i.e., Automobile/Slip-and-Fall incidents and others)
Requesters can get civil court records electronically or manually at the County or Circuit Civil Court’s office. Online requests can be made via the e CaseView portal. The requester must set the court type to either County Civil or Circuit Civil to access only civil court case information. Interested persons can get certified copies of civil court records online through E-Certify for a fee. Civil court case records can be obtained in person at the courthouse during business hours. Inquirers must be able to provide the case party’s name or case number to facilitate the search. Be willing to pay for copies of court records, but inspection of such records might be available for free.
Palm Beach County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records are legal documents that contain felony and misdemeanor cases filed with the criminal court. The Palm County criminal court is divided into two:
- Circuit Criminal Court: Maintains records of all felony cases like homicide, forgery, drugs, burglary, child abuse, and sex offenses.
- County Criminal Court: Maintain records of cases like infractions, parking tickets, and county and municipal ordinances and misdemeanors.
Most criminal court case records can be viewed or printed for free e CaseView portal. Certified copies are available for $8 per document via the E-Certify tool. Alternatively, requesters can visit the Palm County Criminal Court or Circuit Criminal Court to access criminal court records. The name or case number of the subject of the record will be required to facilitate the search. Inspection of court records may be available for free, but copies may be available at a small cost.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Individuals can get court records online for free via the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s e CaseView tool. Scroll down on the Clerk’s website and click the “Search Court Records” link to locate this tool. Requesters can either log in as registered users or continue as guests to access court records. Guests can conduct a search by name, citation number, case number, court type, offense date, or case type. Registered users have additional search criteria like arrest date, incident number, date of birth, booking number, and driver’s license number. Individuals interested in becoming registered users must submit a registration form by email at ecaseviewid@mypalmbeachclerk.com. A username and password will be sent to the applicant within 3 to 5 business days. Contact the Clerk’s office for more information on how to find court records on a person online.
Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:
- The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
- The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.
While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.
Courts in Palm Beach County
Below are the addresses of all the courts in Palm Beach County:
Palm Beach Main Courthouse
205 N. Dixie Hwy.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 355-2996
Midwestern Communities Service Center
200 Civic Center Way, Suite 500
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Phone: (561) 784-1271
North County Courthouse
3188 PGA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Phone: (561) 355-2996 (criminial); (561) 624-6650 (civil)
South County Courthouse
200 W. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach, FL 33444
West County Courthouse
2950 State Road 15 Room S-100
Belle Glade, FL 33430
