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Get My Florida Forms — $19Florida handles small claims in county court under the Florida Small Claims Rules (Rules 7.010–7.350). The Florida Supreme Court publishes standardized forms, and which "Statement of Claim" you use depends on the type of dispute. The clerk sets a pretrial conference — not a trial — as the first step.
The short version: file the Statement of Claim that matches your dispute (Forms 7.330–7.335) with the clerk, who issues a Notice to Appear (Form 7.322) for a pretrial conference. You can claim up to $8,000. Get forms at flcourts.gov.
Which Florida Small Claims Form Do You Need?
Florida’s standardized small claims forms are numbered in the 7.3xx series. You pick the Statement of Claim that matches your type of case:
📄 Statement of Claim (Forms 7.330–7.335)
Choose by claim type: 7.330 auto negligence, 7.331 goods sold, 7.332 work done / materials furnished, 7.333 money lent, 7.334 promissory note, and 7.335. This is the document that opens your case.
📅 Notice to Appear (Form 7.322)
After you file, the clerk issues the Summons/Notice to Appear for a pretrial conference (not a trial), set no more than 50 days out under Rule 7.320. Many cases settle or are scheduled for trial at this conference.
📬 Service of process
Governed by Rule 7.070 and Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 — the defendant is served (for example by the sheriff or a certified process server) and a return of service is filed under Chapter 48. There is no single 7.3xx form number for the return itself.
⚖️ Default & Final Judgment (Rule 7.170 / Form 7.340)
If the defendant is served but does not appear, you can seek a default under Rule 7.170; the Final Judgment is Form 7.340.
💵 Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status
The fee-waiver application. If you cannot afford the filing fee, submit this to the clerk, who determines indigent status.
Where to Get Official Florida Forms
Florida forms are free from the official sources below. Always use the current official version, and confirm any local (county/court) variations before you file.
- Florida Courts Help — Small Claims — help.flcourts.gov
- Florida Small Claims Rules (Chapter 7) — flcourts.gov
- Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status — fee-waiver application (from the clerk)
- Your local courthouse or clerk — the small claims / court clerk can provide the current forms and tell you which ones your court requires.
Florida Small Claims Limits & Fees
| Item | Amount / rule |
|---|---|
| Claim limit | $8,000 (excludes costs, interest & attorney fees) |
| Filing fee | Ask the clerk of court. Fees change and vary by claim size, and we publish a figure only where we have verified it against the court’s own schedule. |
| Fee waiver | Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status |
| First hearing | Pretrial conference, within ~50 days (Rule 7.320) |
The $8,000 limit is set by the Florida Small Claims Rules; claims above it go to county civil court. Filing fees are tiered by the amount claimed and set by each county (for example, a common Miami-Dade schedule runs $55 to $300) — confirm the exact fee with your local clerk of court before filing.
Before you file, run the numbers. Now that you know the Florida limit, three free tools answer the questions that come next: is the claim still in time (statute of limitations checker), is suing worth it once you count the fee and your time (worth-it calculator), and what will the whole thing cost (cost-to-sue estimator)? Many disputes settle before any of this, once the other side gets a written demand letter.
Where to File Your Florida Small Claims Case
Florida resolves small claims at the county level: you file with the clerk of the County Court, and the county you file in is what sets your filing fee and the local clerk practice you will deal with. The paperwork itself does not change — the Statement of Claim forms are statewide rules forms, so the same numbered form is correct everywhere in Florida.
- Service. Our record says the defendant is served by the sheriff or by certified mail, and that which route your case takes depends on clerk practice in your county. We have not re-verified that entry, so ask the clerk which method they use rather than assuming either one.
- Before you file. Our record shows no general pre-suit notice requirement in Florida, with one exception noted for bad-check claims, which it puts at a 30-day statutory notice. Neither point has been re-checked against the statute — if you are suing on a bounced cheque, confirm the notice period before you count on it, because getting it wrong can cost you the claim.
- Your first court date. Our record, citing Florida Small Claims Rule 7.320, describes it as a pretrial conference rather than a trial, normally set roughly 50 days out, with both sides expected to attend. Read the notice the clerk issues: it, not us, tells you what your date actually is.
How we know this. The $8,000 limit above is verified. The service, pre-filing and scheduling details in this section are entries in our Florida jurisdiction record that we have not re-checked against a primary source, so we have attributed them rather than stating them flat. Confirm anything you are relying on with the clerk of your county court.
What the $8,000 Actually Counts — and the Traps Around It
The cap is not simply “what I lost.” Getting the arithmetic wrong is one of the few mistakes that can cost you the case rather than just delay it, so it is worth being deliberate about which numbers go into it.
- Our records treat the $8,000 as principal only — that is, the amount you are actually owed, with interest, court costs and attorney fees sitting outside the calculation. If that is right, a $7,500 deposit claim still fits even after fees and interest are added on top. It matters enough to be worth one question to the clerk: “does my $8,000 include interest and costs, or not?” Florida and Texas differ on how attorney fees are treated, so do not carry an answer over from another state.
- Claiming over the cap is not a harmless mistake. A claim filed above the small claims ceiling belongs in a different division of the court, and moving it there costs you time and additional fees. Check your total before you file, not after.
- You cannot split one dispute into two cases to fit. Filing two smaller suits against the same person over the same underlying dispute is treated as an attempt to get around the limit, not as two claims.
- Capping your own claim is permanent. If you are owed more than the limit you may generally choose to claim only up to it in order to stay in small claims — but you give up the difference for good. That is a real trade: weigh the speed and simplicity of small claims against the amount you would be writing off.
- Individuals and businesses can both file in Florida. This is not true everywhere — New York, for instance, routes businesses to a separate part of the court — so if you are filing on behalf of a company, confirm the position in the state you are actually filing in. If you are suing a business, name the exact legal entity rather than the trading name.
Where this came from. This section consolidates our retired Florida limits guide. The $8,000 figure itself is verified; the rules about what counts toward it are our own editorial summary and are not traced to a statute we have checked, so confirm the details with the clerk before you rely on them. We have deliberately left out the limitation periods that guide carried — a filing deadline is the one number where being wrong ends the claim outright, and we do not publish one we have not verified against the statute.
Florida Small Claims Forms: FAQ
❓ What is the Florida "Statement of Claim" form?
The Statement of Claim is the form that opens a Florida small claims case. The Florida Small Claims Rules publish several versions (forms 7.330 through 7.335) — which one you use depends on your claim type, such as goods sold, auto negligence, or a promissory note. After you file, the clerk issues the form 7.322 Notice to Appear that gets served on the defendant.
❓ What forms do I need to file a small claims case in Florida?
The Statement of Claim matching your claim type, with a copy of any contract, invoice, or note attached. If you can't afford the filing fee, ask the clerk for the fee-waiver (indigency) application. Your county clerk's website publishes the current versions free.
❓ How much can you sue for in Florida small claims court?
In Florida you can claim up to $8,000, not counting court costs, interest, and attorney fees. If your claim is larger, you can reduce it to stay in small claims or file in county or circuit court instead.
❓ Do you need a lawyer for small claims court in Florida?
No. Florida small claims procedure is deliberately simplified so you can file, serve, and present your own case — the pretrial conference is informal and most parties represent themselves.
Generate Your Florida Small Claims Forms
A few plain-English questions is all it takes: SmallClaimsHelper drafts your Florida claim plus a judge script, ready to review and file for $19.
Start My Claim — $19Treat this as general guidance rather than legal advice. In Florida, small claims forms, fees, and dollar limits shift over time and differ by county, so use the latest official forms and check with your local court before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get official Florida small claims forms free?
From the Florida Courts at flcourts.gov and help.flcourts.gov, and from your county clerk of court. The Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status (the fee waiver) is obtained from and decided by the clerk.
What is the Notice to Appear in Florida small claims?
It is Form 7.322, the summons the clerk issues after you file. It sets a pretrial conference — not a trial — usually within 50 days (Rule 7.320), where the judge addresses settlement, mediation, and scheduling.
How much can you sue for in Florida small claims court?
Up to $8,000, excluding costs, interest, and attorney fees. Claims above $8,000 are handled in county civil court rather than under the Small Claims Rules.
Which Florida small claims form do I use?
You file the Statement of Claim that matches your dispute, from the standardized 7.3xx series: Form 7.330 (auto negligence), 7.331 (goods sold), 7.332 (work done or materials furnished), 7.333 (money lent), 7.334 (promissory note), or 7.335. The clerk then issues a Notice to Appear (Form 7.322) for a pretrial conference.