Jacksonville Small Claims Court in 2026: 8 Steps to Sue for Up to $8,000, With Filing Fees From $55 to $300

Jacksonville residents can sue for up to $8,000 in small claims court, not counting court costs, interest and attorney fees, and they don't need a lawyer to do it. Filing fees run from $55 to $300 depending on how much you're asking for, and St. Johns County charges the same amounts.

The Duval Clerk calls small claims a "people's court" for minor money disputes. Here are eight steps to filing a case in Duval or St. Johns County, from the two clerks' websites and Florida's Small Claims Rules.

Step 1: Make sure your claim is $8,000 or less

Both clerks set the small claims limit at $8,000, excluding costs, interest and attorney fees. In St. Johns County, claims from $8,000.01 to $50,000 go to county civil court instead, where the clerk says you must prepare all the paperwork yourself or hire an attorney.

Step 2: File in the right county

You file in the county where the incident took place, both clerks say. If you file in the wrong county, the defendant can ask the court to move the case.

• Duval: Small Claims Department, Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St., Room 1046. Public-service windows are in the first-floor West Lobby. Phone: 904-255-2000.
• St. Johns: Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine.

In St. Johns, anyone 18 or older can file, and a parent or guardian can file for someone younger, the clerk says.

Step 3: Get the defendant's correct information

If you're suing a business, the Duval Clerk says to look it up on Sunbiz.org, the state Division of Corporations site, or call the Secretary of State at 850-245-6051. That gives you the business's registered agent, the person who should receive your summons.

Step 4: Fill out the Statement of Claim

The Statement of Claim is the form that starts your case. Both clerks offer it at their offices, and the Duval Clerk posts it in a Small Claims Packet on its website.

If you sign the form anywhere other than the clerk's office, it must be notarized. You can also sign it in front of a deputy clerk.

Step 5: Pay the filing fee

Here are the fees on the Duval Clerk's schedule:

St. Johns uses the same four fees with slightly different cutoffs: $55 for claims under $100, $80 for $100 to $500, $175 for $500.01 to $2,500 and $300 for $2,500.01 to $8,000.

Duval also charges $10 for each summons it issues, plus $2.50 for each defendant after the fifth.

Step 6: Have the papers served

Filing doesn't notify the other side. The defendant has to be formally served with the summons.

In Duval, you can use the sheriff, a private process server or certified mail. Certified mail works only for addresses in Florida, the clerk says. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office charges $40 per defendant for Duval addresses. For a defendant in another county, check with that county's sheriff for its fee.

In St. Johns, service is by the sheriff or a private process server, and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office charges $40 per defendant. For a list of approved process servers, call the sheriff's Judicial Process office at 904-209-1435.

What it adds up to: A $3,000 claim against one Duval defendant, served by the sheriff, costs $350 up front: the $300 filing fee, a $10 summons and $40 for service.

Step 7: Go to the pretrial conference

Your summons sets your first court date, a pretrial conference. Under Florida Small Claims Rule 7.090, the clerk must set it no more than 50 days after the case is filed.

The St. Johns Clerk describes the conference as an informal process to decide whether there's a case. If there is, the court sends it to mediation, where a trained mediator tries to work out a settlement. If that fails, the judge sets a trial date, and both sides bring their witnesses and documents.

Step 8: Plan for collecting

Winning doesn't mean the money shows up. The Duval Clerk's Small Claims Packet includes an information sheet on ways to collect a judgment, and because collections can be complex, the clerk says you may want to talk to an attorney.

Can I file online?

Yes. Both clerks point to Florida's statewide E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. St. Johns also accepts filings by mail or in person.

Neither clerk can give legal advice. In St. Johns, the clerk lists the Lawyer Referral Service at 800-342-8011 and St. Johns County Legal Aid at 904-827-9921.

How we did this

Jax Times used the Duval County Clerk's small claims page and fee schedule, the St. Johns County Clerk's civil division and fee pages, and the Florida Small Claims Rules (July 1, 2026). The $350 example is our math using Duval's published fees.