Search Delray Beach Public Records

Delray Beach public records are available through the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts and through the City of Delray Beach for municipal documents, covering court files, property records, government documents, and more for this Palm Beach County city. Florida's Chapter 119 public records law gives any person the right to inspect and copy these records with no reason required.

Palm Beach County Clerk Records for Delray Beach

Delray Beach is in Palm Beach County, served by the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller in the 15th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office, led by Mike Caruso, CPA, is the main records keeper for court cases and official documents tied to Delray Beach. The office is located at 301 N Olive Ave, Ninth Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The main phone is (561) 355-2996. For public records email requests, use publicrecords@mypalmbeachclerk.com.

The clerk's website at mypalmbeachclerk.com handles online record searches and document ordering. Services include court records search, official records search covering deeds, liens, mortgages, and marriage licenses, genealogy research tools, minutes from county government meetings, and electronic certified copies. Tax deed sales information is also available through the clerk.

The Palm Beach County Clerk protects and maintains official records and court records for Delray Beach and all of Palm Beach County. The statewide Find a Clerk directory also helps if you need records from multiple Florida counties.

Court Records and Official Documents in Delray Beach

Court records for Delray Beach cases are filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit. Circuit court handles felony criminal cases, civil matters over $30,000, family law cases including divorce and child custody, and probate proceedings. County court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, civil claims up to $30,000, and traffic offenses. All of these are searchable through the Palm Beach County Clerk's system at mypalmbeachclerk.com.

Official records in Palm Beach County are a broad category. The clerk records deeds, mortgages, satisfactions of mortgage, judgment liens, UCC filings, lis pendens notices, and other documents that affect property or financial interests. Marriage licenses are also part of the official records. Electronic certified copies of these documents can be ordered online, which is a convenient option if you need a certified document without visiting the courthouse.

One note for users accessing Palm Beach County's online system from outside the United States: the clerk's website requires a VPN connection for access from outside North America. ProtonVPN is one option that works with the system.

Delray Beach City Records

The City of Delray Beach keeps its own records separate from those managed by the county clerk. Building permits, city commission meeting minutes, ordinances, zoning records, and code enforcement files are all city records. These are public under Chapter 119. Delray Beach Police Department records, including incident reports and arrest logs, are also city records subject to the same law with limited exemptions.

For city records, contact the City of Delray Beach city clerk's office or the specific department that would hold the records you need. The state law requires a prompt response to any request, and you do not need to identify yourself or explain your purpose.

Fees and How to Make a Request

Requesting public records in Delray Beach follows the same process as anywhere in Florida. You can ask in person, by phone, by email, or by mail. No written form is required. Agencies must respond promptly and act in good faith. If a request is complex, they may provide a cost estimate first.

Standard copy fees are $0.15 per single-sided page under Florida Statutes. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Staff time charges apply if the request requires more than 30 minutes of work, billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid person who can handle it. The first 30 minutes are generally not charged for most requests.

If you are wrongly denied records, the Florida Attorney General's open government mediation program provides free assistance at (850) 245-0140. The First Amendment Foundation also operates a free public records hotline at (800) 337-3518 for anyone who needs help navigating the process.

Additional State Resources

Florida maintains several statewide tools that Delray Beach residents can use. The Florida Court Clerks directory lists every county clerk with contact details and links. The statewide records portal at MyFloridaCounty.com lets you search records across county lines when you are not sure which county filed a document. For state agency records, the Florida Department of State handles requests separately from county offices.

Criminal background history at the state level is handled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, reachable at (850) 410-7676. State archives and historical records are managed by the Division of Library and Information Services in Tallahassee.

Delray Beach Records Contact Summary

Nearby Cities

Other cities in Palm Beach County and nearby areas use the same open records system under Chapter 119.

Palm Beach County Records

Court and official records for Delray Beach are maintained by the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court. Visit the county page for full office details and search resources.