Palm Beach County Warrant Records Search

Palm Beach County warrant records are maintained by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the Clerk of the Circuit Court in West Palm Beach. With about 1.5 million residents, Palm Beach County is the third most populous county in Florida. It is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office here offers a detailed online case search tool that lets you look up warrant activity for free. Active warrants are also searchable through the FDLE statewide database.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Warrants

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Florida. The office is at 3228 Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach. Their main number is (561) 688-3000. With over 4,000 employees, the agency runs multiple divisions including warrant service, fugitive apprehension, and criminal investigations. The sheriff provides primary law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county and also contracts with several municipalities.

When a judge in the 15th Judicial Circuit signs a warrant, Palm Beach County deputies handle the service. Under Florida Statute 901.04, warrants are directed to all sheriffs in the state, so a Palm Beach County warrant can lead to an arrest anywhere in Florida. The agency works with the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal partners on fugitive task forces that track down people with outstanding warrants who have left the area.

The FDLE statewide database is one tool for checking Palm Beach County warrants, but the clerk's online system provides much more detail at the case level.

The FDLE system is free and covers all 67 counties. For Palm Beach County specifically, the clerk's tool is often more useful.

Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court

The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains all court records in the 15th Judicial Circuit. The main office is at 205 N. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Phone: (561) 355-2996. The Palm Beach Clerk has one of the most detailed online case search systems in the state, and it lets you look up warrant activity within court cases for free.

The clerk's online system has a step-by-step process for searching cases with warrant information:

• Visit MyPalmBeachClerk.com and click the "Guests" button
• Complete the CAPTCHA verification
• Enter the person's name and click SEARCH
• Cases with open warrants are highlighted in yellow
• Click the case number, then go to the WARRANTS & SVC DOCS tab
• Click DOCUMENT ID to view warrant details

This system is one of the best in Florida for finding warrant information at the case level. Cases with open warrants are marked with a yellow highlight, making them easy to spot. The WARRANTS & SVC DOCS tab shows the type of warrant, when it was issued, and whether it has been served.

Note: The Palm Beach Clerk's system highlights cases with open warrants in yellow, which makes it faster to identify active warrants than most other county clerk sites.

How to Search Warrants in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County has better online search tools than most Florida counties. The Palm Beach Clerk's website is the most detailed option. Use the guest access feature to search by name. Yellow-highlighted cases have open warrants. Click into the case and check the WARRANTS & SVC DOCS tab for specifics. This is free and open to the public.

The FDLE Public Access System is another option. Go to the Wanted Persons page and enter a name. The FDLE system shows active warrants from all Florida counties. It is free and needs no account. The results show the warrant type, offense, and issuing agency. For Palm Beach County, the clerk's system provides more depth.

You can also call the sheriff's office at (561) 688-3000 or the clerk at (561) 355-2996. Under Florida Statute 119.07, both agencies must provide access to public records. Written requests are accepted by mail or in person. Copy fees may apply.

Types of Warrants in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County courts issue a high volume of warrants each year. Arrest warrants are the most common type. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge issues an arrest warrant after reviewing a probable cause affidavit. The warrant names the person and states the offense. It has no expiration date.

Bench warrants are frequent in a county this size. With hundreds of court hearings happening every day, people miss court dates regularly. The judge issues a bench warrant when the defendant does not appear. It adds another case complication on top of the original charges. A capias does the same thing. In Palm Beach County, both show up in the clerk's online docket system.

Search warrants give officers authority to search a location for evidence. Florida Statute 933.07 requires search warrants to be carried out within 14 days. After that, they expire. Search warrant affidavits are sealed during the investigation but become public after the warrant is served. Arrest warrants stay active with no time limit until the person is caught or the judge recalls them.

Public Access to Palm Beach County Warrants

Florida's Sunshine Law gives broad access to warrant records. Under Florida Statute 119.07, anyone can inspect and copy public records held by Palm Beach County agencies. You do not need to live in the county. You do not need to be the person named on the warrant. No reason is needed.

The Palm Beach County Clerk's online system is one of the most transparent in the state. You can see case dockets, warrant entries, and even some document images without going to the courthouse. For records that are not available online, you can request them from the clerk or sheriff in writing.

Some records are exempt from public access. Active criminal investigation files can be withheld. Search warrant affidavits stay sealed until the warrant is executed. Juvenile records and sealed cases are not available. But the vast majority of warrant records in Palm Beach County are fully open to the public, especially after an arrest has been made.

Under Florida Statute 901.07, anyone arrested on a warrant must be taken before a judge without unnecessary delay. In Palm Beach County, first appearances happen daily, usually within 24 hours of arrest.

What to Do About a Palm Beach County Warrant

Get a lawyer. In a county this large, the court system handles thousands of cases. A criminal defense attorney knows how the 15th Judicial Circuit works and can check the warrant details, review the charges, and plan a course of action. Do not go to the Palm Beach County jail without legal advice first.

Under Florida Statute 901.16, the arresting officer must inform you that a warrant has been issued and explain the charges. The officer does not need to have the physical warrant during the arrest. If you ask to see it, they must show it as soon as possible.

Turning yourself in means going into custody at the county jail. Bond is set after booking. A bail bondsman can help post bond so you get out the same day in most cases. Some warrants carry no bond, especially violation of probation warrants. Those require a judge to hold a hearing before release is possible. The Palm Beach County jail processes a large number of bookings daily, so expect the process to take several hours.

Warrants in Florida do not expire. A Palm Beach County warrant can follow you for years. Traffic stops on I-95, background checks for jobs, and even routine police contact can lead to arrest. The Florida Sheriffs Association has links to all county sheriff offices statewide if you need to contact agencies beyond Palm Beach County.

Cities in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County has dozens of cities and towns. All warrant cases go through the 15th Judicial Circuit and are handled by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at the county level, though many cities have their own police departments.

Other cities in Palm Beach County include Delray Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth Beach, and Wellington. Warrant cases in all of these cities are filed through the Palm Beach County court system.

Nearby Counties

Palm Beach County borders several counties in southeast Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region. If you are not sure which county issued a warrant, check where the offense took place.