Submit your completed Notice of Termination electronically for recording with Palm Beach County and receive the recorded document back through your Swift-E Recording account — no trip to the courthouse.
When a construction project is complete, a properly prepared and recorded Notice of Termination can end the effectiveness of an existing Notice of Commencement before its stated expiration date.
A Notice of Commencement generally remains effective for one year after recording unless a different expiration date is stated in the document.
A Notice of Termination can end that period sooner when the statutory requirements have been satisfied.
Owners may consider recording a Notice of Termination when:
Recording the termination creates a public record identifying the Notice of Commencement being terminated.
Notices of Termination for properties throughout Palm Beach County are recorded at the county level, in the Official Records maintained by the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller.
Swift-E can electronically submit eligible Notices of Termination for properties in communities including:
West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Greenacres, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach, North Palm Beach, Lantana, Tequesta, Juno Beach, Palm Springs, Belle Glade, Pahokee, other Palm Beach County municipalities, and unincorporated Palm Beach County.
Even when the construction project is located within a specific city, the Notice of Termination is recorded in Palm Beach County’s Official Records.
Upload your completed, signed, sworn, and notarized Notice of Termination together with the required supporting documents as one clear PDF.
Your submission should clearly identify the original recorded Notice of Commencement.
Review your submission and send it electronically to Palm Beach County through Swift-E Recording.
Once Palm Beach County records the document, the recorded Notice of Termination is returned to your Swift-E account.
Use a Good Scanner: Scan your signed and notarized document using an actual document scanner whenever possible. Cell-phone photos and photos converted to PDF can contain glare, shadows, blur, crooked pages, or distorted text that may result in rejection.
Florida Notice of Termination requirements are governed primarily by Florida Statute §713.132.
Important requirements include:
Recording a Notice of Termination without satisfying the applicable payment, service, affidavit, or statutory requirements can create significant lien and title issues.
If you are unsure whether the requirements have been satisfied, consult a Florida construction attorney before recording.
A Notice of Termination generally needs to include the information contained in the original Notice of Commencement together with the additional information required by Florida law.
That typically includes:
Because Notice of Termination requirements are statutory, do not rely solely on this checklist when determining whether a specific document is legally sufficient.
Include the name and post-office address of the natural person who prepared the document when required for recording.
Do not list only a company name.
Example:
Prepared By:
Jane Smith
123 Main Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
The Notice of Termination should clearly identify the Notice of Commencement being terminated.
Make sure the recording information is accurate, including the applicable Official Records reference, instrument number, book and page, or other recording information, along with the recording date.
If a recorded copy of the Notice of Commencement is required as part of your submission, make sure the recording information and county stamp are clearly legible.
Under Florida Statute §713.132(2), the Notice of Termination must be accompanied by the contractor’s final payment affidavit (§713.06(3)(d)).
Before submitting the package, make sure all required supporting affidavits are included.
The owner must properly execute the Notice of Termination.
Make sure:
Make sure the notarial section is complete and legible.
Common issues include:
Blurry text, shadows, glare, crooked pages, dark backgrounds, cut-off margins, and low-resolution images can result in rejection even when the document itself is otherwise complete.
For best results, use a document scanner and upload a clear PDF.
The Notice of Termination must be served on certain lienors before it is recorded.
Recording the document before completing the required service can affect when, or whether, the termination becomes effective.
When preparing a document for recording, leave adequate blank space for the Clerk’s recording information, as required by Florida Statute §695.26.
Use:
Keeping this space clear can help prevent recording issues.
Based on recent Swift-E Recording submissions, Palm Beach County recordings are typically completed in approximately 1–3 business days.
Actual turnaround can vary depending on:
Remember that recording the Notice of Termination and the date on which the termination becomes legally effective are not necessarily the same.
Under Florida law, the Notice of Commencement generally terminates 30 days after the Notice of Termination is recorded or on a later termination date stated in the notice, provided the statutory requirements have been satisfied.
If the termination is needed for a sale, refinance, closing, or new construction project, plan accordingly.
A title company, lender, attorney, contractor, or closing agent may request proof that the Notice of Termination was recorded.
You can request a certified recorded copy through your Swift-E Recording workflow instead of making a separate trip to the courthouse.
Submit from your office, jobsite, or anywhere you can access your Swift-E account.
Receive the recorded Notice of Termination through your Swift-E account.
Request a certified copy through the same workflow.
Record Notices of Commencement, Claims of Lien, Releases of Lien, Notices of Termination, and other eligible construction-related documents.
Pay only when you record.
Yes. Swift-E allows you to submit an eligible completed Notice of Termination electronically for recording in Palm Beach County and receive the recorded document back through your account.
Not in every situation.
A Notice of Commencement generally expires according to its stated statutory or document expiration period if it is not terminated earlier.
A Notice of Termination is used when the owner wants to end the effectiveness of the Notice of Commencement before that expiration.
If the statutory requirements have been satisfied, the Notice of Commencement is generally terminated 30 days after the Notice of Termination is recorded or on a later termination date stated in the notice.
Yes.
Before recording, the owner must serve the Notice of Termination on each lienor who has a direct contract with the owner and each lienor who has timely and properly served a Notice to Owner.
Additional service requirements may apply to lienors who timely serve a Notice to Owner after the Notice of Termination has been recorded.
The owner executes and swears to the Notice of Termination.
The document must also satisfy the applicable execution and notarization requirements.
Yes. Under Florida Statute §713.132(2), the Notice of Termination must be accompanied by the contractor’s final payment affidavit given under §713.06(3)(d).
Make sure the affidavit is included before submitting the recording package.
The Notice of Termination must identify the original recorded Notice of Commencement.
You should have the applicable recording information, including the Official Records reference or instrument information and recording date.
The Notice of Termination also generally contains the same information contained in the original Notice of Commencement.
An open Notice of Commencement can raise questions about ongoing construction work, lien rights, or unpaid contractors and suppliers during a sale, refinance, or closing.
A properly recorded and effective Notice of Termination can help establish that the Notice of Commencement has been terminated.
Review the rejection information, correct the identified issue, and resubmit the document through your Swift-E account.
No.
Swift-E provides electronic document recording services and does not determine whether lienors have been paid, whether statutory service requirements have been satisfied, or whether a Notice of Termination is appropriate for a particular project.
For legal questions concerning a specific project, consult a Florida construction attorney.
Yes. Swift-E records eligible Notices of Commencement electronically in Palm Beach County. See our Palm Beach County Notice of Commencement guide.
When your project is complete and the applicable termination requirements have been satisfied, you can submit your Notice of Termination electronically without making a trip to the courthouse.
Upload your completed recording package and submit it through Swift-E Recording.
More Palm Beach County recording guides: Notice of Commencement · Claim of Lien · Release of Lien · Quitclaim Deed
Recording in another county? See our Notice of Termination guides for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough, or the Florida Notice of Termination overview.
Swift-E Recording provides electronic document recording services and records documents as submitted. Swift-E does not provide legal advice, determine whether lienors have been paid, determine whether statutory service requirements have been satisfied, or determine whether a Notice of Termination is legally appropriate for a particular project.
