West Palm Beach Court Records

West Palm Beach court records are managed by the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller. As the county seat, this is where the main courthouse sits and where all court filings for Palm Beach County are processed and stored.

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller

All court records in West Palm Beach go through the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller. The clerk runs both circuit and county court operations from the main courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. This same office serves every city in Palm Beach County, from Boca Raton to Jupiter.

The main office sits at 205 North Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. You can call 561-355-2996 for help. The clerk handles civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic court records. Under Florida Statute Chapter 119, these are public records. Anyone can ask to view them unless a judge has sealed the case or the law makes it confidential.

The Florida Courts website provides general information about court structure and public access rules across the state, including Palm Beach County.

West Palm Beach is the largest city in Palm Beach County by area and serves as the hub for county government. The courthouse complex here houses circuit judges, county judges, and the clerk's main office. Most in-person court business for Palm Beach County happens right here.

Search Court Records in West Palm Beach

The eCaseView portal is the main tool for looking up court records in West Palm Beach. You can search by name, case number, or date range. The system covers civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit.

Basic searches are free. No account is needed to check a case status or look up a hearing date. The portal shows docket entries, party names, and filing dates for most West Palm Beach cases. You can also view some document images online.

Palm Beach County is one of the largest counties in the state. The court system here handles a huge volume of filings each year. If your search turns up too many results, try using a middle name or a narrower date range to cut down the list.

Under Florida Statute 119.0714, the clerk strips social security numbers and bank account info from public view. You don't have to file a request for this protection. It happens automatically. Sealed cases will not show up in search results at all. West Palm Beach residents can run searches from any phone or computer at any time of day.

West Palm Beach Official Records

The Official Records Search is separate from the court records tool. It covers deeds, liens, mortgages, and recorded judgments in Palm Beach County. If you need a property record or a recorded lien, this is where to look.

You can search by name, instrument number, or book and page. The system goes back many years for West Palm Beach records. Some older documents may only be available in person at the clerk's office.

The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers website connects all 67 county clerks across the state and provides links to each clerk's online tools.

The Clerk Cart Reports page gives you access to monthly and yearly court activity reports for Palm Beach County. These reports show case filing trends and workload data. Certified copies of any official record cost $1 per page. You can order them online or pick them up at the West Palm Beach courthouse.

Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in West Palm Beach go through the 15th Judicial Circuit Court. Felony cases land at the circuit level. Misdemeanors stay in county court. The Palm Beach County Clerk stores all criminal records for both.

You can look up charges, case status, and hearing dates through eCaseView. Arrest records and booking info come from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, not the clerk. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs a separate statewide criminal history check if you need a full background search.

West Palm Beach sees a high volume of criminal filings. The court holds first appearances within 24 hours of arrest. Under Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, criminal court records stay open to the public unless a judge orders them sealed. Juvenile records are not part of the standard public search.

Civil and Family Cases

Civil cases in West Palm Beach include contract disputes, foreclosures, personal injury claims, and small claims. Circuit court takes cases over $50,000. County court handles small claims up to $8,000. Both show up in the same eCaseView search.

Family court records cover divorce, child custody, paternity, and domestic violence cases. Some family records are confidential by law. Dependency and child abuse cases have tight restrictions on access. The clerk follows state law on what stays public and what gets shielded.

West Palm Beach residents can file court documents through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. E-filing is mandatory for most case types in Florida. The portal runs around the clock. Filing fees still apply, and credit card processing runs about 3.95%.

More Resources for West Palm Beach

The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers site links all 67 county clerks in one place. You can pay fines, search records, or check jury info from there. The Florida Courts Help center has free self-help forms and guides for people who need to file on their own.

For online payments, MyFloridaCounty.com lets you pay court fees without visiting the courthouse. You get a receipt right away. Many West Palm Beach residents use this to save time.

Under Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC 16-14, the clerk can post public court document images online. Not every document makes it to the web portal, though. Some older or complex filings still need an in-person visit. The Palm Beach County page has more detail on county-wide court services and all the cities the clerk serves.

Palm Beach County is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit. The circuit also covers only Palm Beach County, unlike some circuits that span multiple counties. This means the West Palm Beach courthouse is the central hub for all circuit and county court matters in the area.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near West Palm Beach in southeast Florida. Court records for cities in Palm Beach County go through the same clerk's office.