Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, with about 53,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Palm Desert offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 2 city office pages for Palm Desert, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests, Other cities and Questions.
City or county record: where Palm Desert records are kept
- Kept by the City of Palm Desert: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Riverside County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Riverside County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Palm Desert City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Palm Desert.
- Website: palmdesert.gov/government/city-clerk (page title: City Clerk | City of Palm Desert)
- Phone: (760) 776-6304
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Palm Desert City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: palmdesert.gov/government/contact (page title: Contact the City of Palm Desert | City of Palm Desert)
- Phone: (760) 346-0611
- Address: 73510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Palm Desert
California public records law applies to the city government of Palm Desert. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Other cities and towns in Riverside County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in Riverside County. The Riverside County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Palm Desert website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Palm Desert offices listed above, and the city's own website is palmdesert.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Palm Desert city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at palmdesert.gov/government/city-clerk, phone (760) 776-6304. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Palm Desert?
Palm Desert cases are heard by the courts that serve Riverside County, and people arrested in Palm Desert are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Riverside County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Palm Desert?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. California public records law applies to city governments.