The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller runs the court files, official land records, marriage licenses, traffic payments and jury service for the county, with its main office at 205 North Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach and branch offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach, Belle Glade and Royal Palm Beach. Most of what people come in for, including case lookups, deed searches and ticket payments, can be done free or cheaply online through the Clerk’s website, mypalmbeachclerk.com. We use these offices ourselves, so this guide covers which branch to pick, what each task costs and where to confirm the details that change.
Quick steps: find a Palm Beach County court record
- Go to the Clerk’s website and open the case search (eCaseView).
- Search by party name or case number.
- Open the docket to see filings and hearing dates.
- View or download non-confidential documents on screen.
- Order certified copies if a lender, agency or court asks for them.
- Visit a branch only if the record is sealed, older or needs an in-person request.
What you need
- Government photo ID for any in-person service
- Case number or exact party name for record searches
- Citation number for traffic payments
- Debit or credit card (online and counter payments carry a service fee)
- Birth certificates or passports and Social Security numbers for a marriage license
Which office handles what
The Clerk’s office is one agency with one website, but the counters are spread across the county so we do not all have to drive to downtown West Palm Beach. Every branch handles the everyday jobs: case filings, copies, traffic citations and marriage licenses. Some specialised services, like passport acceptance and the self-help center, are concentrated at the main courthouse.
| Office | Address | Area served | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Courthouse | 205 N Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach | Central county, downtown | All court divisions, official records, jury, self-help |
| North County Courthouse | 3188 PGA Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens | Jupiter, Juno, Gardens, Riviera | Traffic, civil, family filings, marriage licenses |
| South County Courthouse | 200 W Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach | Boca, Delray, Boynton | Traffic, civil, family filings, marriage licenses |
| West County Courthouse | 2950 State Road 15, Belle Glade | Glades communities | Court filings, traffic, copies |
| Midwestern Communities Service Center | 200 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach | Wellington, Royal Palm, Loxahatchee | Traffic, copies, selected filings |
Hours follow a weekday daytime pattern and offices close on county holidays. Services offered at each branch shift over time, so check the Locations page on the Clerk’s site before driving to a branch for anything unusual. If the question is really about a Broward case, our broward county clerk of courts guide covers that system, which has its own website and search tools.
Local tip
The North County and South County branches handle the same routine filings as downtown with far shorter lines. Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens both have free surface parking right outside the door.
Searching court records online
Case lookups are free. The Clerk’s eCaseView system covers circuit and county cases: civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and small claims. We can search by name, case number or citation number, read the docket and open many documents on screen. Some document types require a free registered account, and confidential records (juvenile, adoption, some family files) never appear online.
A few practical notes from using it regularly:
- Spelling matters. Search by last name only if a first name returns nothing.
- Criminal cases show charges, hearing dates and disposition, but not police reports.
- Probate and guardianship files are heavily restricted, so expect to visit the counter.
- Document images on screen are uncertified. Certified copies cost extra and come from the Clerk.
Copies made at the counter or requested by mail run $1 per page under Florida statute, plus $2 per instrument to certify a document; electronically certified copies ordered online from the Clerk cost $8 per document, which combines the $2 statutory fee with a $6 service fee. Certification is what courts, lenders, immigration offices and some employers actually want, so ask before paying for plain copies.
Good to know
Third-party “court record” websites charge for information the Clerk publishes free. Any text or email claiming you owe a court fine and demanding gift cards or a wire transfer is a scam. The Clerk takes payments only through its own site, by mail or at a counter.
Official records: deeds, mortgages and liens
The Clerk is also the county recorder. Deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens, plats and marriage records for Palm Beach County are recorded here, not at the Property Appraiser. The Official Records search on the Clerk’s website lets us look up a document by name, document type or book and page, and view images of most recorded instruments at no charge.
Recording fees are set statewide: $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page of a document. Deeds also carry Florida documentary stamp tax at 70 cents per $100 of the sale price, and mortgages carry doc stamps plus intangible tax. Title companies normally handle this, but if we record a quitclaim deed ourselves, the counter staff will calculate the total.
Anyone who owns property in the county should sign up for the Clerk’s free property fraud alert. It emails you when a document is recorded under your name, which is the fastest warning that someone has filed a fake deed.
Traffic tickets and traffic school
A Palm Beach County citation gives us 30 days from the date it was issued to act. There are three choices, and the Clerk’s ePay system handles the first two online with the citation number.
| Option | What it means | Points on licence |
|---|---|---|
| Pay the fine | Admit the violation, pay in full | Yes, points assessed |
| Elect traffic school | Pay a reduced fine (18% off) and complete a basic driver improvement course | No points if course is completed on time |
| Request a hearing | Contest the ticket before a hearing officer or judge | Decided at hearing |
Traffic school can be elected once every 12 months and no more than five times in a lifetime. After electing it, you have a deadline set by the Clerk to finish the state-approved course and submit the certificate. The course itself is paid separately to the provider. Miss the deadline or the 30-day window and the Clerk reports to the state, which can suspend the licence and add a reinstatement fee. Criminal traffic charges (DUI, driving while suspended) cannot be paid online and require a court appearance.
Marriage licenses
Any branch issues a marriage license, and both partners must appear together with valid photo ID. Divorced applicants need the date the last marriage ended. The standard fee is $86. Couples who complete a state-registered premarital course (at least four hours) pay $61 and skip the three-day waiting period that applies to Florida residents. Non-residents have no waiting period either way.
The license is valid for 60 days, and a ceremony can be performed at the counter by a deputy clerk for an additional fee. Certified copies of the completed license, which you need for name changes and insurance, come from the Official Records side after the officiant returns it.
Jury service, domestic violence and the self-help center
Jury summonses are issued by the Clerk and most jurors report to the main courthouse in West Palm Beach, though some panels sit at the branch courthouses. Jurors who are not paid by an employer receive $15 a day for the first three days and $30 a day after that, under Florida law. Postponements and excusal requests go through the jury section of the Clerk’s website, not the judge.
Petitions for domestic violence, dating violence, repeat violence and stalking injunctions are filed free, and the Clerk’s domestic violence intake staff help complete the paperwork. The office promotes this service heavily every October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but the intake desk operates year-round at the main courthouse and by appointment at branches.
The Self Service Center at the main courthouse sells approved family law and civil forms and offers appointment-based help with completing them. Staff cannot give legal advice, but they will tell you which form fits and where to file it. Need the same thing for a Miami-Dade case? Our miami dade clerk of courts guide explains that county’s separate offices and self-help resources.
Property tax appeals and the Comptroller side
The “Comptroller” in the title matters more than most residents realise. The same office pays the county’s bills, invests county funds, audits spending and keeps the official minutes of the Board of County Commissioners. It also serves as clerk to the Value Adjustment Board, the body that hears property assessment challenges.
If we disagree with the assessed value on an August TRIM notice from the Property Appraiser, the petition goes to the Clerk’s VAB section, with a filing fee charged per parcel (the current amount is posted on the Clerk’s VAB page). The deadline falls 25 days after the TRIM notices are mailed, usually in mid-September, and the exact date is published on the Clerk’s VAB page each year.
Foreclosure and tax deed sales
Both run as online auctions rather than courthouse-step sales. Foreclosure sales and tax deed sales are hosted on auction platforms linked from the Clerk’s website, with the sale calendar, deposit rules and bidding instructions posted there. Bidders register in advance and post a deposit, and the winning bidder pays the balance on a tight deadline. Lists of surplus funds and unclaimed money also sit on the Clerk’s site, and the office never charges to claim them.
Getting to the main courthouse
The Main Courthouse sits on North Dixie Highway between Banyan Boulevard and 3rd Street, two blocks west of Clematis Street. Everyone passes through security screening, and weapons, including pocket knives, are not allowed in the building. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before any hearing.
Parking options we actually use:
- The county parking garage beside the courthouse (paid, fills by mid-morning on busy court days).
- Metered street spaces and private lots around Clematis Street.
- Brightline’s West Palm Beach station on Evernia Street and the Tri-Rail station on Tamarind Avenue, both a short walk.
- Palm Tran routes along Dixie Highway and Clematis Street stop within a block.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Case not found online | Name spelling, or case is confidential | Try last name only, then call or visit the division |
| Ticket not showing in ePay | Citation not yet received from the agency | Wait a few days, keep the 30-day deadline in mind |
| Licence suspended after ticket | Missed deadline or incomplete traffic school | Pay through the Clerk, then reinstate with FLHSMV |
| Deed rejected for recording | Missing witnesses, notary or address block | Correct and re-sign, then resubmit with fees |
| Copies not accepted by an agency | Plain copies instead of certified | Order certified copies with the $2 seal |
| Hearing date changed | Court reset it | Check the docket in eCaseView, not old paperwork |
When to get help
Call the Clerk’s main line, 561-355-2996, for which division holds a file or what a fee totals. Ask a librarian or the Self Service Center for forms. Hire an attorney, or contact Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, when a filing affects custody, a home or a criminal record. Clerk staff cannot tell you what to file.
FAQ
Is the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts the same as the Palm Beach Clerk of Court?
Yes. The official title is Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County, often shortened to PBC Clerk of Court or Palm Beach Clerk of Courts. All of these names refer to the same office and the same website.
Can I look up someone’s criminal record for free?
You can search Palm Beach County court cases free through eCaseView. For a statewide criminal history, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs a separate paid search.
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Delray Beach or Boca Raton?
Online through the Clerk’s ePay system, by mail, or at the South County Courthouse at 200 West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Any branch accepts payment on any county citation.
Does the Clerk handle divorces and name changes?
The Clerk files the paperwork and keeps the records, but a judge decides the case. Forms are available at the Self Service Center and online through the Florida Courts self-help pages.
What are the Clerk’s office hours?
Branches operate on a weekday daytime schedule and close on county holidays. Hours occasionally differ by branch and by service, so confirm on the Locations page of the Clerk’s website before visiting.
