Palm Beach Gardens, FL Privacy & Surveillance: Recording & Consent Laws (2026)

Section 42-4 of the Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 29, 2023, governs public access to enclosed city-owned, controlled, and leased property by classifying interior spaces as designated public forums, limited public forums, or nonpublic forums. Subsection (f) makes it unlawful to record video and/or sound anywhere on that property without the consent of everyone whose voice or image is or could inadvertently be recorded, except inside council chambers, conference rooms, or other spaces where a publicly noticed meeting is underway, and except for law enforcement personnel engaged in law enforcement activity.

A related facility rule in subsection (i)(15) further confines audio and video recording to the council chambers and any room specifically authorized for it during noticed public meetings, and requires anyone recording to stop immediately if a visitor, employee, or official objects. Anyone who keeps recording after being told the activity is prohibited is treated under subsection (f) as causing a disruption to city government, which under subsections (c) through (h) strips that person of their status as present on legitimate public business. The city manager or a designee may then ask the person to leave, and law enforcement is specifically authorized to issue a trespass warning notice, or to take any other legally permissible enforcement action.

Designated nonpublic forums under subsection (e) include city council chambers and conference rooms outside of noticed meetings, the emergency operations center, the police department building, all fire stations, and employee work areas secured by badge or maglock access citywide.