2026 state court fee data · Florida

Small Claims in Florida

Recorded at $55–$300 - mid-pack among the civil filings in Florida, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.

Filing steps ↓ About this data

Fee rank is not wait rank

Signature reading for Small Claims in Florida: $55–$300 on max-fee among states for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, Florida sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($55–$300). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (7 steps). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $900 among 12 civil filings in Florida; that is not the longest wait: Guardianship records 60 days on a $500 ceiling.

Small Claims figures for Florida are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.

In-state wait inventory

Waiting periods among Florida civil filings

Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in Florida - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.

Compare a state record

Compare small claims with another state

Start with Florida, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.

Focus the comparison by published maximum fee

This only narrows the same court-schedule records; it does not estimate a total filing cost.

In-state placement

Where small claims sits among Florida filings

Of the 12 civil filings we track in Florida, small claims ranks 8 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in Florida. Neighbours: Court Mediation at $300 and Tenant Rights at $300.

Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings

The Florida row lists 7 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.

Filing Fee Details

$55 for claims up to $100; $80 for $101-$500; $175 for $501-$2,500; $300 for $2,501-$8,000.

Florida's high-band fee among states

Florida sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $55–$300 (rank #1 of 10 by max fee).

Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →

Key Requirements

  • Claim limit: $8,000
  • Pretrial conference required before trial
  • Service by certified mail or process server
  • Attorneys allowed

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    File Statement of Claim in County Court

  2. 2

    Pay filing fee

  3. 3

    Court serves defendant via certified mail

  4. 4

    Pretrial conference (mandatory mediation attempt)

  5. 5

    If unresolved, proceed to trial

  6. 6

    Judge issues verdict

  7. 7

    Collect judgment

Important Notes

Florida requires pretrial mediation in small claims.

Grounds / Eligibility

Monetary disputes up to $8,000

Quick Reference

Fee stamp
STANDARD schedule band
Wait stamp
OPEN clock band
Filing Fee
$55–$300
Residency
File in county court where defendant resides or contract was performed
Typical Timeline
4-8 weeks to pretrial hearing; trial 2-4 weeks after

Official Resources

Florida Court Website Official Forms

Nearest fee-schedule peers in Florida

Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's STANDARD stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.

Court Mediation
STANDARD
$0–$300
1-2 days
Tenant Rights
STANDARD
$55–$300
1-3 months
Eviction
STANDARD
$185–$400
Uncontested: 2-3 weeks. Contested: 4-8 weeks.
Divorce
STANDARD
$400–$409
Simplified: 30-60 days. Uncontested: 4-8 weeks. Contested: 6-18 months.
Name Change
STANDARD
$400–$409
2-4 months
Guardianship
HEAVY
$400–$500
3-6 months

Take this with you

What to do with small claims in Florida's numbers, next.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

According to published Florida court materials compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage. Schedule row for Small Claims in Florida: max fee $55–$300, wait Not published, vintage 2026-09-01.