Palm Beach County Public Records: Court, Property, Deeds & Sheriff Records
Palm Beach County public records are spread across separate government systems. Court cases and recorded deeds are maintained by the Clerk, parcel records by the Property Appraiser, property-tax payments by the Constitutional Tax Collector, Sheriff reports by PBSO, and birth or death certificates by Florida Health.
Use the record finder below to reach the correct official source first. A case number, parcel control number, instrument number or report number will usually give you a cleaner result than a broad name search.
Which Palm Beach County Office Has the Record?
Palm Beach County is large enough that name-only searching can create false matches. Start with the office that owns the record, then use the strongest identifier available.
| Record | Official source | Best starting detail |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, criminal or traffic court case | Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller | Case number; otherwise party name |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, judgment or plat | Clerk Official Records | Instrument number, book/page, name or PCN |
| Property owner, parcel or assessed value | Palm Beach County Property Appraiser | PCN, owner name or address |
| Property-tax bill or payment | Constitutional Tax Collector | Property/account information and tax year |
| PBSO police, accident or audio/video record | Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Central Records | Report number, date and location |
| Birth or death certificate | Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County | Full name, event date, ID and eligibility information |
Search Palm Beach County Court Records
The Palm Beach County Clerk’s eCaseView system provides free public viewing of civil, criminal and traffic case information and available documents. It can show court dates, charges, sentences, complaints and parties.
- Choose Court Records, not Official Records.
- Open eCaseView.
- Use the case number first when you know it.
- Otherwise search the party name and verify the correct case.
- Check case type, filing information, court dates and documents.
Document-image coverage matters
The Clerk states that eCaseView document images are generally viewable from late 2008, with some earlier documents available case by case. Older court records may require a separate copy or records-research request.
eCaseView maintenance window
The Clerk currently states that eCaseView is unavailable from 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. for routine maintenance. If the portal appears unavailable during that period, retry outside the maintenance window.
Request Palm Beach County Sheriff Records
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Central Records Division handles PBSO criminal and informational reports, accident reports, audio/video reproductions, local background checks and police clearance letters.
- Use the online GovQA route when practical.
- Describe the exact report or media you need.
- Add the incident/report number when available.
- Include the date, location and involved names if needed to identify the record.
- Track the request through the online system.
PBSO states that you are not required to identify yourself, explain why you want the record or put your request in writing to obtain public records from the Sheriff’s Office.
Search Palm Beach County Property Records
The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s PAPA system is the main public source for property owner display, Parcel Control Number (PCN), assessed value, exemptions, sales data, legal description and GIS information.
- Search by owner name, property address or PCN.
- Use the PCN whenever you already have it.
- Open the correct parcel and verify the municipality and legal description.
- Review values, sales and exemptions as needed.
- Save the PCN before moving to Clerk or tax records.
Advanced property search
PAPA also supports searches by subdivision, book/page, municipality, ZIP code, market-value range, property-use type, range-township-section and legal description.
The Property Appraiser reports more than half a million parcels in its GIS system, each assigned a unique PCN. The parcel map can be especially useful when an address is incomplete or formatted differently from what you expected.
Search Palm Beach County Deeds, Liens and Mortgages
The Clerk’s Official Records include deeds, mortgages, liens, court judgments, marriage licenses, plats and tax deeds.
- Open the Official Records search.
- Use an instrument number or book/page reference when available.
- Otherwise search by indexed name or other supported property information.
- Open the document image and verify the legal description and parties.
- Use the Clerk’s certified-copy service if an official copy is required.
How far back do online Official Records go?
The Clerk states that digital Official Records images are available back to 1968. Marriage-license listings go back to 1909, while plat and right-of-way maps extend into the late 1800s.
Older or unavailable documents
If the document image is not online, the Clerk’s Records Service Center can assist with Official Records research and copy requests. Having an exact name and approximate recording year helps staff narrow the search.
Check Palm Beach County Property Taxes
The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser determines assessed value. The Constitutional Tax Collector Serving Palm Beach County mails and collects the property-tax bill.
- Open the property-tax payment or account route.
- Confirm the correct property and tax year.
- Review the amount due and payment status.
- Check the current payment method and any convenience fee.
- Save the official payment confirmation.
Important annual dates
The Tax Collector states that bills are mailed by November 1 and property taxes are payable from November 1 through March 31. Unpaid property taxes become delinquent April 1.
| Payment month | Early-payment discount |
|---|---|
| November | 4% |
| December | 3% |
| January | 2% |
| February | 1% |
| March | No early-payment discount |
The Tax Collector currently lists eCheck payments as free and a 2.4% convenience fee, with a $2 minimum, for online credit/debit-card transactions.
Palm Beach County Birth and Death Certificates
The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County is the local source for birth and death certificates. Florida Health stated in September 2025 that DOH-Palm Beach is the only entity in Palm Beach County providing birth and death certificates to county residents.
- Choose the certificate type you need.
- Review eligibility rules.
- Prepare valid photo identification.
- Complete the appropriate application.
- Use the official in-person, mail or authorized online route.
Florida birth certificates can be ordered through Florida Health online, by mail or in person. VitalChek is the online vendor authorized by the Florida Department of Health.
Submit a Palm Beach County Public Records Request
Palm Beach County’s Public Affairs office routes Board of County Commissioners department requests, but several constitutional offices maintain their own public records.
- Check the list of record types and custodians first.
- Do not send a Clerk or Sheriff record request to general County Public Affairs.
- Identify the county department that likely created the record.
- Give a focused date range and subject.
- Use the contact route shown for that office.
The county’s routing page specifically directs court records, marriage licenses, lawsuits, probate, wills, tax deeds and similar Clerk records to the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller.
When a Palm Beach County Search Returns Nothing
| Problem | Try next |
|---|---|
| Court case does not appear | Try the case number, check spelling and confirm the case is actually in Palm Beach County. |
| Court document is older than online image coverage | Use the Clerk’s copy/research request process. |
| Property address fails | Search by owner, PCN or broader address terms in PAPA. |
| Parcel found but deed is missing | Move from PAPA to Clerk Official Records and search owner/book-page information. |
| Sheriff report cannot be located | Confirm PBSO—not a municipal police department—created the report. |
| Online document is not accepted | Ask the official custodian for the correct certified copy. |
Palm Beach County Public Records Offices
301 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Use for court records, Official Records, certified documents, marriage licenses and other Clerk-maintained records.
301 N. Olive Avenue, 5th Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Main switchboard: 561-355-2866
301 N. Olive Avenue, 3rd Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 561-355-2264
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:15 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
2195 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406
PBSO general line: 561-688-3000
Main Vital Statistics location: 800 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Downtown West Palm Beach government area
The Clerk, Property Appraiser and Tax Collector all have services connected to the Governmental Center at 301 North Olive Avenue. Confirm the floor, office and whether an appointment is required before visiting.
Before You Rely on a Public Record
- Confirm the record belongs to the correct person, property or case.
- Do not treat an arrest or allegation as proof of conviction.
- Use the recorded document—not only an index—when legal ownership or liens matter.
- Respect confidential, sealed, exempt and redacted records.
- Request certification when the recipient requires an official copy.
Palm Beach County Public Records FAQs
1. Where do I search Palm Beach County court records?
Use the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Search Records page and select Court Records. eCaseView provides free public access to civil, criminal and traffic case information.
2. How far back are court document images available online?
The Clerk states that eCaseView document images are generally available from late 2008, with earlier documents available on a case-by-case basis.
3. Where do I search Palm Beach County deeds and liens?
Use the Clerk’s Official Records system for deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, plats, marriage licenses and other recorded instruments.
4. How far back do Palm Beach County Official Records images go?
The Clerk states that digital Official Records images date back to 1968. Marriage-license listings go back to 1909, and plat/right-of-way maps extend into the late 1800s.
5. How do I find the owner of a Palm Beach County property?
Use the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s PAPA system. Search by owner name, property address or Parcel Control Number.
6. Is the Property Appraiser record the same as the deed?
No. PAPA is primarily an appraisal and parcel-information system. Recorded deeds are maintained by the Clerk through Official Records.
7. When do Palm Beach County property taxes become delinquent?
The Constitutional Tax Collector states that property taxes become delinquent on April 1.
8. Where do I request a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s report?
Use the PBSO Public Records Request system. The Sheriff’s Office recommends its online GovQA process because it allows you to track the request and download responsive records when completed.
9. Where do I get a Palm Beach County birth or death certificate?
Use the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County. Its Vital Statistics offices provide local birth- and death-certificate services subject to identification and eligibility requirements.
10. Why might a Palm Beach County record not appear online?
The record may be older than the portal’s image coverage, maintained by another agency, indexed under different information, recently filed, confidential, sealed, exempt or unavailable through remote public access.