Short answer. Cases go to the County Court. 5 days after service, not counting weekends and legal holidays. To raise any defense other than payment, the tenant must also pay the rent alleged into the court registry (or move to have the rent set) in that time. Who carries out a lockout: sheriff.
At a glance
- Court
- County Court. The county court of the county where the rental is.
"file in the county court of the county where the premises are situated"
Source 1 - Filing fee
- $180 to file a removal of tenant action in county court.
"For removal of tenant action..........$180."
Source 3 - Time to answer or appear
- 5 days after service, not counting weekends and legal holidays. To raise any defense other than payment, the tenant must also pay the rent alleged into the court registry (or move to have the rent set) in that time.
"within 5 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after the date of service of process"
Source 2 - Judgment to writ
- If the tenant misses the registry deadline, the landlord can get an immediate default judgment and the writ issues without another hearing.
"without further notice or hearing thereon"
Source 2 - Writ to lockout
- The sheriff puts the landlord in possession after posting 24 hours' notice on the property.
"after 24 hours' notice conspicuously posted on the premises."
Source 1 - Who carries out the lockout
- Sheriff. The clerk issues the writ to the sheriff.
"the clerk shall issue a writ to the sheriff describing the premises"
Source 1
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
- Answer due (if served the day of filing): Monday, December 14, 2026
- Hearing or trial: no date (The official pages don't give a period for setting the hearing)
- Judgment: no date (Follows the hearing, which isn't dated here)
- Writ or warrant of possession: no date (0 days after the judgment, which isn't dated here)
- Earliest lockout: no date (24 hours after the writ, which isn't dated here)
Another date: open the estimator.
Not stated on the pages we read: hearing after filing, paying to stop the case, right to counsel (statewide), diversion or mediation (statewide).
Official sources
- The Florida Senate: Chapter 83, 2025 Florida Statutes (checked November 2026)
- Online Sunshine: Florida Statutes 83.60 (checked November 2026)
- Online Sunshine: Florida Statutes 34.041 (2026) (checked November 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
Which court hears eviction cases in Florida?
County Court. The county court of the county where the rental is.
How long does a tenant in Florida have to respond?
5 days after service, not counting weekends and legal holidays. To raise any defense other than payment, the tenant must also pay the rent alleged into the court registry (or move to have the rent set) in that time.
When can a Florida landlord get the writ after winning?
If the tenant misses the registry deadline, the landlord can get an immediate default judgment and the writ issues without another hearing.
How long between the writ and a lockout in Florida?
The sheriff puts the landlord in possession after posting 24 hours' notice on the property.
Who carries out an eviction in Florida?
Sheriff. The clerk issues the writ to the sheriff. The officer acts on the court's order.
What does it cost to file in Florida?
$180 to file a removal of tenant action in county court.
Notice step: notice periods · Deposit step: deposit rules · All states: eviction process by state · District of Columbia · Iowa