DUI and criminal defense lawyer for West Palm Beach cases

The jail, the first appearance court and the main courthouse all have West Palm Beach addresses, so most steps of a case that starts here happen inside the city. The details below come from the city, the court and the State Attorney. For Mr. Mead's approach to DUI, see the DUI defense page. The other charges he defends are listed separately. The rest of the county is on Palm Beach County DUI and criminal defense.

How does a West Palm Beach case move, step by step?

1. The stop. West Palm Beach police inside the city, from one station at 600 Banyan Blvd.; PBSO District 1 in the unincorporated area.
2. Gun Club Road. Booking at the Main Detention Center and, for anyone held, first appearance within 24 hours at the Criminal Justice Complex.
3. Citations. Central Region mandatory-hearing citations are scheduled at the Criminal Justice Complex under AO 4.603.
4. The license. A DUI driver has 10 days to act with FLHSMV, whose review office for the county is in Lauderdale Lakes.
5. Downtown. Clerk business, payments and later hearings take place at the Main Courthouse on North Dixie Highway, where county misdemeanor jury trials are held.

Who polices West Palm Beach?

The city says it maintains one police station, at 600 Banyan Blvd., placed on the dividing line between the north and south ends of the city. Public access to its lobby is by appointment only. The department directory lists a non-emergency line of (561) 822-1900, a Traffic Division at (561) 822-1640, the Records Section at (561) 822-1880 and the Property and Evidence Section at (561) 822-1875. Outside the city limits, Administrative Order 4.603 assigns the unincorporated West Palm Beach area to PBSO District 1, also in the Central Region.

Which city rules lead to tickets or charges in West Palm Beach?

Chapter 6 of the City Code regulates alcohol. Section 6-6 makes it unlawful to drink or possess an open or unsealed container of alcohol on public rights-of-way, streets or other public places unless the city has authorized it, as at a permitted special event. The warning signs the code requires in bar parking areas state the penalty as up to a $500.00 fine or 60 days in jail, or another penalty under the city code. Section 6-4 sets the hours when licensed places may not sell, serve or allow drinking on the premises:

Downtown, a drink served before midnight may be finished on the premises until 1:00 a.m., and an establishment with an extended hours permit under section 6-7 may stay open until 3:00 a.m. the following morning Monday through Friday, and until 4:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Listed holidays follow their own times. When a night out ends in a traffic stop, the questions shift to state law, covered on our page about Florida DUI penalties.

Can drone video be part of a West Palm Beach case?

It can exist. The police department launched a Drone as First Responder program in July 2024 and says it has flown more than 4,200 flights since that relaunch, with docks at two locations and federal approval since May 2025 to fly beyond the operator's line of sight. Drones are sent to some emergency calls before officers arrive, to document crime and crash scenes or follow fleeing suspects and vehicles. The city says drone photos and videos are stored in Evidence.com, the same system used for body-worn camera recordings. Recordings not tied to a crime or formal investigation are kept for 90 days, while recordings classified as evidence are kept under the retention rules for that case. Recordings can be requested under Florida's public records law, though material connected to an active criminal investigation may be exempt.

How do I get a West Palm Beach police record?

The department takes record requests online and says it holds records only for incidents inside the city; for county incidents, it refers people to the Sheriff's Office. The city charges a fee when locating or copying records takes more than 15 minutes of staff time and asks for a 50% deposit before starting. In-person payments go to headquarters, 600 Banyan Blvd., open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where does a West Palm Beach case go after an arrest?

What happens at the jail, from bond to the first hearing, is on our page about the Palm Beach County jail and first appearance on Gun Club Road. The first two days in general are in what happens in the first 48 hours after an arrest. Posting bond is explained in how bond works in Florida.

What should I know about a West Palm Beach DUI arrest?

Three of the five Palm Beach County DUI program locations on FLHSMV's licensed list are in West Palm Beach. The license review is handled elsewhere: FLHSMV handles Palm Beach County reviews from Lauderdale Lakes, and the request has a deadline explained in keeping your license within 10 days of a DUI arrest. The State Attorney's first-time DUI program names Gun Club among the satellite courthouses where its plea must be entered at arraignment; its terms are on our page about the Palm Beach County first-time DUI program. The order of events is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Florida. A day-by-day plan is in the first-week checklist. For other charges, the first court date is explained in whether you have to go to arraignment. Programs for first offenses are covered in pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward.

What changes the answer?

• City or county incident. West Palm Beach police hold records only for incidents inside the city; county incidents are records of the Sheriff's Office.
• Downtown or elsewhere. Bar hours under section 6-4 end earlier in the downtown master plan area unless an extended hours permit applies.
• Drone or camera evidence. Drone recordings not tied to a crime are kept for 90 days; evidence follows the case's retention rules.
• Misdemeanor or felony. Felonies are circuit court cases (s. 26.012(2)(d)); county misdemeanors from the Central Region are scheduled at the Criminal Justice Complex.
• A juvenile. Juvenile cases are heard in the juvenile wing of the Main Courthouse, according to the Clerk; see our juvenile offenses page. The Juvenile Assessment Center on 45th Street and the detention hearing are covered in what happens after a juvenile arrest.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical arrest downtown at 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday, after a bar visit, for misdemeanor DUI by West Palm Beach police. Booking happens at the Main Detention Center on Gun Club Road, and the person bonds out on the schedule. Because the stop was inside the city, the police report is requested from the city's records section online, with a fee if the search takes more than 15 minutes and a 50% deposit first. If a drone responded to the scene, the defense would ask early for any recording, since non-evidence footage is kept only 90 days. The mandatory-hearing date is at the Criminal Justice Complex, and later Clerk business is handled at Room 2.2300 of the Main Courthouse. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Walking into the police station without an appointment; lobby access is by appointment only.
• Asking the city for a report about a county-area arrest.
• Waiting too long to ask about drone or video recordings.
• Going to the Main Courthouse for a citation the AO schedules at Gun Club Road.
• Carrying an open drink from a bar onto the street, which section 6-6 prohibits.

What to do this week

1. Request the police report online, and ask about any video.
2. For a DUI, mark day 10 from the notice of suspension.
3. Check whether the notice sends you to Gun Club Road or downtown.
4. Keep bond and tow paperwork together.
5. Speak with a lawyer before the first court date.

Questions people ask after a West Palm Beach arrest

License and car

• A hearing on the suspension is explained in contesting the administrative suspension.
• A restricted license is covered in hardship driving after a DUI.
• The three West Palm Beach programs are on our list of county DUI schools.
• Interlock periods are in the ignition interlock rules.
• Insurance limits are in the FR-44 page.
• A towed car is covered in DUI towing and impound.

Evidence

• A refusal after a downtown stop is covered in Florida's refusal law.
• Breath testing requirements are in Florida breath test standards.
• Blood evidence after a crash is covered in DUI blood draws.
• Drug impairment allegations are covered in DUI without alcohol.
• Drivers under 21 are covered in the under-21 rules.
• Visitors should read a Florida DUI for out-of-state drivers.

Penalties and outcomes

• Collision cases are in DUI crash charges.
• Fatal crash cases are covered in DUI manslaughter penalties.
• The total bill is in what a DUI costs.
• A lesser plea is weighed in DUI to reckless driving.
• Record sealing is covered in DUI and sealing.
• A withhold is explained in withholding adjudication.
• Dismissal routes are in getting charges dropped.
• Trial deadlines are in speedy trial timing.
• Maximums by degree are in the Florida penalty chart.
• Felony scoring is in felony sentencing points.
• Self-defense immunity is covered in stand your ground.
• Carry rules are in concealed carry in Florida.
• A firearm with a felony record is covered in felon firearm possession.

Traffic tickets

• A West Palm Beach ticket is handled by the Clerk at the Main Courthouse or online; the options are compared in whether to pay or contest a ticket.
• Drivers with several downtown tickets should check the 12, 18 and 24 point limits.

Criminal traffic charges

• Suspended-license stops downtown are covered in driving on a suspended license.
• Reckless driving in West Palm Beach is compared with careless driving in reckless versus careless driving.
• Which West Palm Beach citations require court is explained in criminal and civil citations.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the West Palm Beach police station?

At 600 Banyan Blvd.; the city says lobby access is by appointment only, and the non-emergency line is (561) 822-1900.

When do bars close in downtown West Palm Beach?

Section 6-4 bars on-premises sales downtown from 12:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, with drinks served before midnight allowed until 1:00 a.m., unless an extended hours permit applies.

Is open container a crime in West Palm Beach?

Section 6-6 prohibits open containers in public places unless authorized; the required signs state a penalty of up to a $500.00 fine or 60 days in jail, or another penalty under the city code.

Where is first appearance for a West Palm Beach arrest?

At the Criminal Justice Complex on Gun Club Road, where the State Attorney's branch office handles first appearances.

Where do I pay or check a court date?

The Clerk's criminal counter is in Room 2.2300 of the Main Courthouse, 205 North Dixie Highway.

Which nearby cities do we also cover?

South of the city, Boynton Beach is in the Southern Region and uses the South County Courthouse. North of it, Palm Beach Gardens is home to the North County Courthouse.

Who handles the case?

Mr. Mead has more than three decades in South Florida criminal courts, and his practice is criminal defense only. He takes each case one-on-one from his office at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton. Calls are welcome 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. His background is on the firm overview page.

Every case is different, and no result can be promised. If you or someone in your family was arrested in West Palm Beach, a confidential phone call to (561) 362-6677 is a sound first step.

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