Palm Beach County Small Claims Court

Filing in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County small claims cases are heard in the County Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit. The main civil courthouse is in West Palm Beach, with additional clerk locations in Delray Beach, Belle Glade, and Royal Palm Beach.

The small claims division handles disputes up to $8,000 under Fla. Stat. § 34.01. File electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) or at any Clerk of the Circuit Court location.

Palm Beach County is geographically one of the largest counties in Florida, stretching from the coast to the Glades. Knowing which courthouse handles your case depends on where the defendant lives or where the dispute occurred — the clerk's office can direct you.

Filing Fees

Palm Beach County follows the statewide fee schedule:

Add $10 per summons and service costs. E-filing adds a 3.5% credit card surcharge or $5.00 for e-check.

Filers who fall below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. § 57.082. Approval waives the filing fee, summons fee, and Sheriff service costs. Deferred charges (certified copies, transcript fees) require a $25 clerk payment plan.

Service of Process

Three options for serving the defendant:

• Palm Beach County Sheriff — $40 per defendant for personal service
• Certified process server — private servers typically charge $45 to $85
• Clerk's certified mail — available when the defendant lives in Palm Beach County; the defendant or someone authorized to receive mail at the defendant's residence or principal place of business must sign the return receipt

You cannot serve the defendant yourself. After service, the Return of Service must be filed with the clerk before the pretrial conference. Rule 7.070(b) sets a 120-day initial service period; if you request extra time before it expires, the rule provides another 120 days.

Palm Beach County has a large number of property management companies, contractors, and small businesses. If your defendant is a business entity, verify the legal name and registered agent on Sunbiz (search.sunbiz.org). The clerk's filing packet distinguishes between the administrative receiving body (Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County) and the presiding court (County Court in and for Palm Beach County, Small Claims Division) — listing the wrong one on your forms can create confusion.

The Pretrial Conference

The clerk schedules a pretrial conference within 50 days of filing. Both parties must appear.

The pretrial conference is a mediation session, not the trial. Bring your documentation — contract, invoices, photos, a written damage breakdown — but not your witnesses. Any agreement reached at mediation must be in a written stipulation; the court may enter the stipulation as an order. If the parties can't agree, the court schedules a trial within 60 days.

If the defendant doesn't appear, the clerk enters a default. For liquidated claims (a fixed invoice or contract amount), the judge enters a default final judgment that day.

Venue

File in Palm Beach County if the defendant lives here, if the breach or damage happened here, or if the property is located here. Palm Beach County borders Broward, Martin, Hendry, and Okeechobee counties — if you file in the wrong county, the defendant can move to transfer and you lose time without a refund on fees.

For the complete Palm Beach County filing process — from the demand letter through hearing and judgment collection — our Florida Small Claims Filing Guide covers all 67 counties with their specific forms, fees, and deadlines.

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