Palm Beach County Superior Court Case Search

There are no superior courts in Palm Beach County, Florida. Instead, the county’s 4th District Court of Appeal and the 15th District Circuit Courts are custodians of records typically found in superior courts. These courts create and provide access to court documents, such as case files, dockets, orders, indictments, judgments, opinions, and exhibits.

Local residents may request or search for these court records to find information about court events. To search superior court records, inquirers must use access options provided by the courts. Note that the courts may withhold documents whose disclosure is not in the public interest.

What kinds of cases have been heard in Palm Beach Superior Court?

The Palm Beach County’s district court of appeal and the circuit court generally oversee cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of county courts. For instance, the circuit court hears major court cases under the following categories:

• Criminal cases: juvenile, felonies, and felony preliminary hearings.
• Civil court cases: general civil (unlimited), civil equity, complex commercial, real estate and boundary, protection and restraining orders, and agency administrative appeals.
• Family law cases: adoption, divorce, child custody, paternity, parental rights termination, child neglect and abuse, juvenile delinquency, and domestic violence protection orders.
• Probate cases: name changes, wills and estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.
• Mental health cases like involuntary commitments.

In contrast, the district court of appeal handles all cases concerning the issuance of all writs, including writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, and common law certiorari.

Note: In Palm Beach County, the 15th District Circuit Court has an appellate division for handling appeals from lower courts.

Palm Beach County Superior Court

Palm Beach County’s appellate court system consists of the 4th District Court of Common Appeals and the 15th District Circuit Court. However, the district circuit court functions as both an appellate and trial court. It generally hears cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of lower courts. At the same time, it oversees appeals concerning judgments or orders from the lower courts. The district court of appeals, in contrast, only hears appeals when the case is considered to be of public importance.

Residents may use these courts to resolve disputes and protect their rights. The courts also ensure fairness by reviewing appeals from lower courts. That being said, residents can find these courts at the following locations:

Palm Beach County’s 4th District Court of Appeals
110 South Tamarind Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 242-2000

Circuit Courts in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County Circuit Court
Main Courthouse
205 North Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 355-2996

South County Courthouse
200 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Phone: (561) 274-1588 (Civil)
Phone: (561) 355-2996 (Criminal)

North County Courthouse
3188 PGA Boulevard
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Phone: (561) 624-6650 (Civil)
Phone: (561) 355-2996 (Criminal)

West County Courthouse
2950 State Road 15
Room S-100
Belle Glade, FL 33430
Phone: (561) 996-4843

Palm Beach County Case Lookup

Palm Beach County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller allows online and offline access to all court records in the county. Interested parties may use any of the following options to look up court records.

Online searches and requests for court records

The circuit clerk’s office maintains an online search platform for all case types except the following:

• Juvenile
• Adoption
• Mental health cases
• Petitions for injunctions that are yet to be served to the respondent.
• Guardianship settlements
• Sexting infractions.

To use the platform, users may conduct searches as a guest or register an account. Users can also request certified copies of court documents via the platform. Irrespective of the preferred option, inquirers using the platform must provide one of these search data:

• Case number
• Case party names
• Court type
• Case type
• Citation number
• Court filing date range
• Date of the offense.

Record seekers can also look up court opinions through online repositories. The Court of Appeal also maintains an online list of recent court opinions.

The court clerk’s online case search platform does not offer access to restricted or sealed court documents. Such records are mostly accessible through mail or in-person-based requests to the court clerk.

Note: There are no charges for searching and printing uncertified copies of court documents on the search platform. However, you must pay $8 per document and a 3.5% processing fee to obtain certified copies of the record.

Walk-in requests for court records in Palm Beach County

The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, via the Records Service Center, allows walk-in requests for certified court documents. To use this option, inquirers must visit the center during business hours at:

Records Service Center
205 North Dixie Highway
Photocopy 4th floor—Room 4.2500
West Palm Beach, FL

North County Courthouse
3188 PGA Boulevard
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Royal Palm Beach Branch
200 Civic Center Way
Suite 400
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

South County Courthouse
200 West Atlantic Avenue
Room 1S-124
Delray Beach, FL 33444

West County Courthouse
2950 State Road
15 Room S-100
Belle Glade, FL 33430

Note: Copies of records less than 8.5" x 14" are $1 per page, while it costs $5 per page higher than the specification.

Mail-in requests for court records in Palm Beach County

Interested parties can request court records via mail request to the clerk of the circuit court and comptroller at:

P.O. Box 4526
West Palm Beach, FL 33402-4526

The request must include a completed Record Service Transmittal Form along with the required fees in a self-addressed envelope.

Palm Beach Superior Court Case Search by Name

In Palm Beach County, interested parties can conduct name-based searches for court records through online or offline options. To name-search court records online, inquirers must follow these steps:

1. Visit the circuit clerk’s online case database.
2. Select "Search as a guest" or "Register an account".
3. Next, input the case party name.
4. Click "Submit" to bring up search results.

Note: Name-based searches are not accurate means of finding superior court records in Palm Beach County. Searchers may include additional identifying details for more accurate search results.

Palm Beach Superior Court Docket Search

Also referred to as a court calendar, court dockets provide information on all the filings, proceedings, orders, and hearing dates related to court cases. Inquirers must follow these steps to conduct superior court docket searches in Palm Beach County:

1. Visit the circuit court’s eCaseView portal.
2. Click on "Guests" or "Register as a User" to access the search platform.
3. Provide information about the court docket and click on "Submit".
4. Click on the case party’s file before selecting the "Dockets and Documents" tab.

Alternatively, you can use the Florida Appellate Case Information System to find court dockets in Palm Beach. To find records on the platform, you must provide the required search information.

Court docket searches help inquirers to be aware of upcoming court events and to prepare accordingly. Inquirers can also use it to track court case progress.

Lookup Palm Beach County Superior Court Online

Interested parties can access Palm Beach County superior court records through these official online repositories:

• Palm Beach County Circuit Court’s eCaseView.
• Florida Appellate Case Information System.

In contrast, record seekers can access the county’s court records through online third-party platforms like Floridacourtrecords.us. The platforms are generally easy to navigate and do not have location-based restrictions commonly found in official search sites. Nevertheless, third-party sites operate outside government jurisdiction and, as such, are not verifiable sources of court documents.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Supreme Court and the District Court of Appeals are under the appellate court system in Florida. However, the courts are quite different in terms of structure and jurisdiction. Based on structure, the Supreme Court has the highest appellate authority, and its jurisdiction covers the following:

• Death penalty cases
• Public utility cases
• District court decisions that invalidate a state constitution.
• Bond validations.

In contrast, the district court of appeal is an intermediate appellate court. It handles court case appeals that are beyond the jurisdiction of the circuit court and oversees administrative appeals.