Palm Beach County is an area in the SouthEast of Florida. The county was established in 1909 (even though its boundaries as they are known today were only established in 1963) and today is the third-most populous county in the State.
In this article, we are going to tell you about Palm Beach County Public Records and other records.
Palm Beach is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which has registered an amazing growth in the last century until it became, in 2004, Florida’s wealthiest county.
Real-estate development and agriculture are the largest industries in the county.
Palm Beach County is governed by a commission consisting of seven members (each one representing a district).
One of the commissioners is also the County Mayor while another one is the Vice Mayor.
How can I get access to Palm Beach Public Records?
In accordance with Florida law, public records are made accessible by the Palm Beach County Board of County COmmissioners to all citizens making proper requests.
Official public records are therefore available for personal viewing and copying. Each category of records is available at a different department.
The Public Affairs Department is the central point of contact: If you don’t know which department to contact, you can start from the Public Affairs Department and they’ll put you in touch with the right department.
In any case, this is where you can find all the different types of records available:
- Birth and death certificates: Palm Beach County Health Department
- Court records: Clerk & Comptroller Palm Beach County;
- Criminal and correctional facility records: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; ● DVD of county government meetings: PBC TV Channel 20;
- Permits, surveys, code documents: Planning, Zoning, & Building Department; ● Property records: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser;
- School district: School District of Palm Beach County;
- State attorney: State Attorney’s Office;
- Tax Information: Palm Beach County Tax collector.
Once you’ve identified the right department, you can make your request for the public record by contacting the department by email or mailing the Palm Beach County Public Affairs Department.
Florida Law establishes that email addresses are public records; so, if you don’t want your email address to be released in response to a public record request, avoid sending emails to this entity.
Can I search for Public Records online?
The quickest way of searching through public records is through the online platforms that the departments put at your disposal.
On the web platform, uncertified public records are available for free and you’re also free to print them. You can search for official public records and court records as well.
When you search for a public record, you need to provide some information to help the staff members or the computer system find the record you’re looking for.
In particular, to search through the public records, the following information is needed:
- complete names of the parties
- date of the recording (optional, but it can help narrow down the search)
- (If you’re searching for a property public record) the legal description of the property. Can I get printed copies of the public records I request?
Yes, you can ask for a copy of the records you’re requesting. In this case, however, a fee may be applied (and it’ll depend on the number of pages requested).
Also, the time required to get your copies can vary depending on your request. I
What are Palm Beach County Public Records?
Palm Beach County Records, in accordance with the Florida Public Records Law, are all documents made or received in connection with official business with any agencies.
All citizens can access court records – after making a proper request – but some information can be exempt from view.
It can also happen that this information is exempt while the rest of the official document remains public.
Criminal Records
Palm Beach Count criminal records are also public unless they are specifically restricted by law.
In all the other cases, the records are kept by government authorities and available for viewing and copying.
How can I request Court and Criminal Records in Palm Beach?
The departments of reference for requesting court and criminal records are the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Clerk & Comptroller Palm Beach County.
There is more than one division available in the country, and you can easily find the closest one to you if you want to make your request in person.
Also, sometimes the court or criminal records are available in the office closest to the area where the record originates in the first place.
So, sometimes, it’s not your location that dictates where to look for a record, but the availability of the record itself.
However, you can also make your request by emailing the proper departments or by browsing the online database.
When you search for court and criminal records in person and you request a printed copy, you need to pay a fee that covers the printing costs.
It amounts to 15 cents per page. Records are also available in electronic format through CDs or DVDs. In this case, each CD costs 39 cents, while each DVD costs 42 cents.
The Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller, where court records are available, also accepts mail requests. This is the slowest method at your disposal, but it’s still available.
Are court and criminal records in Palm Beach County public?
As we’ve mentioned, all citizens who make proper requests can get access to criminal or court records.
Both court and criminal records are public according to the Florida Public Records Law (unless where it’s specified by law).
Where it’s specified by law, documents – or parts of them – are confidential. Only attorneys working on specific cases can get access to those confidential documents.
Read: New Jersey Public Records – Everything you need to know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the phone number for Palm Beach County?
You can visit them at 810 Datura Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. And you can contact them at 561-355-4700.
Where is probate court in Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach Probate Judge Phillips is the probate judge for Palm Beach South County Probate Court which is located at 200 West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach Florida. Palm Beach County was founded in 1909.
Amit Gupta is the founder of PublicRecordsSearch.org. Amit has spent half a decade learning about and working in the background screening industry. After completing his high school certification, Amit decided to focus on helping others make informed decisions by creating PublicRecordsSearch.org.