Brief History of Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County was carved out of Dade County in 1909, becoming Florida’s 47th county. The first county government meetings were held in an old four-room school house at the corner of Clematis Street and Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. At the time, only about 5,300 people lived in the new county comprised of portions of what are now Broward, Martin and Okeechobee counties.

Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Historical Records

In 1838, the framers of Florida’s constitution foresaw the importance of having an independent Clerk as guardian of the public’s records. Genealogy researchers can typically find court records, mortgages, deeds, as well as marriage and divorce records through the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s office if the ancestor lived in Palm Beach County.

In our offices, official records are available on microfilm or microfiche from as far back as the late 1800’s. You may also search for more recent records online. Online records date back to 1968.

How to Get Started

If searching online, visit the Public Records section of the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s website and use one of the below search options.

If your research goes back further than the information available online, or you would prefer to do your research in person, please visit the Records Service Center, where staff is available to assist you and to answer questions.

  • Official Records - Find court judgments, deeds, liens, marriage licenses, mortgages, plats and tax deeds in Palm Beach County.
  • Court Records - Search free online database of civil, criminal and traffic court information in Palm Beach County.

Where You Can Find Records

The Records Service Center public view area is located in the Main Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach at 205 North Dixie Highway, 4th floor.

Additionally, customers may obtain copies of records going back to 1968 on our website or at our branch locations in Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach and Belle Glade.

Cost to Do Research

There is no cost to do a records search if you use the Records Service Center public view area on your own or do your research online.

Florida law requires a service charge of $2 dollars if you request staff to do the search for you. Lengthy record searches performed by staff may take several days. The service charge is levied per name or legal description per year researched. We accept cash, checks, money orders, credit cards and escrow account payments.

Copies of documents found through our online Official Records search can be printed from your own computer at no charge. For the cost of certified copies, please see Copies & Records Research Fees.

Other Helpful Links

Note: Clicking on any of these links will take you away from the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s website. We make no guarantee regarding the accuracy or reliability of the content on these sites.