Jacksonville Small Claims Court: Where and How to File

Which court

File with the Duval County Clerk if the incident happened in Duval County. If you file somewhere else, the defendant can ask to move the case.

Where and how to file

Limit	$8,000
Court	Duval County Court, Small Claims (Duval County Clerk of Courts)
Address	501 West Adams Street, Room 1046, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone	904-255-2000
Hours	Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays
File online	Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/
Fees	$55 for claims up to $100, $80 for $101 to $500, $175 for $501 to $2,500, and $300 above that. Each summons is $10. Sheriff service is $40 per defendant, paid separately.
Timing	You get a pretrial date when you file. The clerk doesn't say how far out it will be. If the defendant isn't served, the hearing is canceled, but the case stays open for six months.
Serving papers	Use the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office ($40 per defendant, Duval County addresses only), a private process server, or certified mail within Florida. For an out-of-county sheriff, pay that sheriff directly and include a stamped envelope.

The $8,000 limit doesn't count costs, interest or attorney fees.
A Statement of Claim signed outside the clerk's office must be notarized, or you can sign it in front of a deputy clerk.
Check the defendant's address first. Your filing fee isn't refunded if the Sheriff can't find them, and a new service attempt costs $10 per defendant.
All parties must attend the pretrial, where mediation may happen.
The Small Claims Packet is free online but costs $15 at the Clerk's Office.

Hours, fees and locations change. Call the court or check its site before you go.