In Palm Beach County, deeds are recorded in the Official Records of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, with documentary stamp tax at 70 cents per $100. Homestead goes through the Property Appraiser by March 1, and evictions are county court cases filed with the Clerk. We meet West Palm Beach and Boca Raton clients in Fort Lauderdale or by video.
Palm Beach County has a property market that changes character every few miles. Boca Raton and Delray Beach have many condominiums and association communities. West Palm Beach has downtown office towers and older neighborhoods with rental duplexes. Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens have waterfront homes and planned communities with layers of association rules. Seasonal owners, first time buyers and investors all pass through the same county offices, and knowing which office does what saves time and mistakes.
Communities we serve in Palm Beach County
- West Palm Beach
- Boca Raton
- Delray Beach and Boynton Beach
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Jupiter
- Wellington
Where each step happens
| Task | Office |
|---|---|
| Recording a deed, mortgage or lien | Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Official Records |
| Paying documentary stamp tax on a deed | Collected by the Clerk at recording |
| Homestead exemption and portability | Palm Beach County Property Appraiser |
| Evictions and most landlord and tenant suits | County Court, Civil Division, through the Clerk |
| Condo milestone inspections | The building official for the city or the county where the building sits |
Recording and stamp tax
The Clerk's recording fee schedule lists $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page of a standard document, and the Clerk reserves a 3 inch by 3 inch blank space on the first page for its recording information. Documentary stamp tax on a deed in Palm Beach County is the statewide rate of 70 cents per $100 of consideration, paid when the deed is recorded. On a $650,000 Boca Raton home, that is $4,550. Miami-Dade is the only county with a different rate, which surprises buyers who have just moved up the coast.
Recording is where small defects show up: a missing witness address, a legal description that does not match the prior deed, or an entity grantor without proof that the signer had authority. Our Florida real estate closing page explains the title commitment and recording steps in order.
Protecting a Palm Beach property from deed fraud
The Clerk offers a free Property Fraud Alert that emails you when a document is recorded in the county's Official Records that exactly matches a name, address or parcel number you register. Because the match must be exact, the Clerk suggests registering name variations, including middle initials and business names, and entering all 17 digits of a parcel number. Each person registers separately, and the service now runs by email only. For a seasonal home that sits empty for months, it is one of the simplest protections available. If a forged deed has been recorded, our real estate litigation page covers the court process to clear title.
Homestead, Save Our Homes and portability
A buyer who will live in the home full time applies for homestead with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser by March 1 under section 196.011. The Property Appraiser accepts applications through its online filing, at its service centers or by mail, and states that missing March 1 waives the exemption for that year. The exemption does not follow you to a new house, so a new application is needed after every move or change in how title is held.
Once homestead is granted, the Save Our Homes cap limits yearly increases in assessed value to 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. If you are leaving a homestead elsewhere in Florida, section 193.155(8) generally lets you carry up to $500,000 of that benefit to the new home if you had a homestead exemption on January 1 of any of the three preceding years. The Property Appraiser offers a separate portability application and calculator. Our Florida homestead exemption guide explains the basics.
Condominiums and association communities
Much of coastal Palm Beach County is condominium property, and the state's milestone inspection law applies here. Under section 553.899, a condominium or cooperative building of three or more stories must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year it turns 30, then every 10 years, and the local building official may use 25 years where conditions such as salt water warrant. Within 45 days of receiving the inspection report, the association must send each unit owner the inspector's summary and post it on the property. If you are under contract on a unit in an older building, ask for that summary during your review period, and read the association documents with the same care as the purchase contract.
Evictions in Palm Beach County
The Clerk's published eviction guide follows the statute: serve a written notice first, then file in the County Court Civil Division of the county where the dwelling is located. Cases can be filed through the statewide electronic filing portal, or in person or by mail at any Clerk courthouse location, including the main courthouse in West Palm Beach and branch courthouses such as North County in Palm Beach Gardens. The Clerk offers free downloadable forms, including the five day eviction summons. In order:
- Serve the correct notice. A three day notice for unpaid rent excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (section 83.56(3)).
- File the complaint with the notice and lease attached, and arrange service through the sheriff.
- Watch the tenant's five day response period and any rent deposited into the court registry.
- After judgment, obtain the writ of possession for the sheriff to post.
Our Florida eviction and landlord and tenant pages explain each statute in more depth. Section 83.425 now preempts local regulation of residential tenancies, so chapter 83 sets the rules for every Palm Beach County rental.
Commercial property and investors
Retail centers, medical offices and industrial space in Palm Beach County are usually leased on detailed commercial forms where rent escalations, operating expenses and assignment clauses matter more than the statute. Since October 1, 2025, the Department of Revenue states that Florida no longer charges state sales tax on commercial rent for rental periods beginning on or after that date. Our commercial real estate page covers leasing and acquisitions, and our Palm Beach County business law page covers the entity that will hold the property.
How we work with Palm Beach County clients
Palm Beach County clients can meet with an attorney at our Fort Lauderdale office, about a half hour south of Boca Raton, or by phone or video. Real estate matters can be handled remotely from contract review to recording. Your first consultation is free, and because the firm limits its caseload, you work directly with an attorney. For the planning side of property ownership, see our Palm Beach estate planning, Palm Beach County probate and elder law pages. Contact us to get started.
More help in Palm Beach County
We also help Palm Beach County clients with:
