A Florida exhibit list is a numbered inventory of every document, photograph, recording, or object a party intends to introduce at a hearing or trial, filed with the court and served on the opposing side before the proceeding. Florida does not publish a single statewide template, so the format you use will come from your circuit’s own form, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, and any standing order from your judge. The content requirements, though, are consistent across the state, and getting them right is what keeps your evidence from being excluded.
What Goes on the List
Every exhibit list starts with the case caption: the full names of the parties, the case number, the court, and the division. Below the caption, each item gets its own numbered line. The description on that line has to be specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the case could identify the item from the words alone. “Letter from Defendant to Plaintiff dated January 15, 2022” works. “Correspondence” does not. Administrative orders in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit state this directly: general descriptions of exhibits are subject to being stricken.1Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Re-Establishment of Procedures for Active Case Management – County Civil
The standard columns on a Florida exhibit list are these:
- Exhibit number, matching the label on the physical or electronic item
- Description of the item, including document type, author, recipient, and date where applicable
- Date identified, filled in by the clerk when the exhibit is marked for identification
- Date admitted, filled in by the clerk when the judge formally admits the exhibit into evidence
Some circuits add a column for objections or for noting whether an item came in with or without objection. The Middle District of Florida’s Bankruptcy Court, for example, includes a “With or Without Objection” column alongside the standard tracking fields.2United States Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida. Proposed Amended Rule 9070-1 Exhibits Each line should also identify the party offering the exhibit.
Numbering and Labeling Your Exhibits
Florida state courts typically number exhibits sequentially, though some circuits assign numbers to one party and letters to the other, or use prefixes like “P-1” for Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1 and “D-1” for Defendant’s Exhibit 1. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit instructs parties to list exhibits numerically rather than alphabetically.3Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Exhibit List Instructions Check your circuit’s form or your judge’s standing order before you pick a system, because relabeling later is a real cost.
Every item on your list has to be physically labeled before you walk into the courtroom. Adhesive exhibit stickers carry the case number, the party designation, and the exhibit number, and the number on the sticker must match your list exactly.3Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Exhibit List Instructions Some courts want the label stapled to the upper right corner of the first page; others want it on the back of the last page. Your circuit’s form or judge’s instructions will tell you which.
Multi-page documents need to be physically secured with staples or binder clips. Loose paper clips and rubber bands are prohibited in many courts because pages separate during handling. When an exhibit is really a set of related items, such as an email chain or a group of photographs from one inspection, mark it as a composite using the main number with lowercase letter suffixes: 1a, 1b, 1c. Each sub-item within the composite should appear as a separate line on your list.4United States District Court Middle District of Florida. Instructions Regarding Exhibit Lists, Marking Exhibits, Sensitive Exhibits, and Electronic Bench Books
Redacting Sensitive Information Before Filing
Every exhibit has to be scrubbed of personal data before it reaches the clerk. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.425 sets the minimization requirements, and the burden falls entirely on the filing party.5Florida Courts. Rule 2.425 – Minimization of the Filing of Sensitive Information The clerk will not catch a full Social Security number for you. The categories are:
- Social Security, bank, credit card, and debit card numbers: redact entirely, with no portion appearing
- Taxpayer ID, driver’s license, passport, and financial account numbers: show only the last four digits
- Birth dates: show only the year
- Minors’ names: use initials only
- Email addresses, usernames, and passwords: use a truncated version
Federal courts in Florida have a parallel rule under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 with similar categories, though the specifics differ slightly.6LII / Legal Information Institute. Rule 5.2 – Privacy Protection for Filings Made with the Court If your exhibits include medical records, financial statements, or employment documents, assume they need redaction and review them page by page.
Page Format and How to File the List
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520 requires that court documents be prepared on 8½-by-11-inch paper.7Florida Courts. Rule 2.520 – Documents That applies to the exhibit list itself. Use a legible font (12-point is the safe choice) and leave a three-inch square blank in the top right corner of the first page for the clerk’s recording stamp.
E-filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is the standard submission method in state courts. The portal’s FAQ recommends creating each exhibit as a separate document and naming them sequentially (“Part 1 of 4,” “Part 2 of 4”) so the clerk can associate them correctly.8Florida Courts E-Filing Authority. FAQs Some counties still require all exhibits to be combined into a single document, so confirm your county’s practice before uploading.
Even after e-filing, plan to bring paper copies of the exhibit list to court. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit requires attorneys to prepare a complete exhibit binder for the court, the clerk, and all witnesses.3Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Exhibit List Instructions
Oversized Items and Physical Objects
Rule 2.520 allows exhibits to be filed in their original size, so an oversized map or engineering drawing does not have to be shrunk down to letter size for filing purposes.7Florida Courts. Rule 2.520 – Documents As a practical matter, most clerks and judges prefer a reduced letter-size copy in the file for storage and scanning, with the original brought to the courtroom for display. Both versions carry the same exhibit number.
Physical objects that cannot be e-filed, such as a weapon, a product sample, or a piece of damaged equipment, still need to appear on the list with a description. When something cannot be scanned or reduced, photograph it and list the photograph on your exhibit list as the electronic stand-in, with the party’s name and the exhibit number on the photo. If practical, bring the actual object to the courtroom for trial as well.2United States Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida. Proposed Amended Rule 9070-1 Exhibits
For video, audio, or other digital media, confirm your courtroom’s technology setup in advance. Many courts require you to bring your own laptop and adapters. File digital exhibits in PDF format unless you have cleared another format with the court’s technology staff beforehand.
When the List Is Due
Florida has no single statewide deadline for exchanging exhibit lists. The timing comes from your circuit’s administrative orders, your judge’s standing procedures, and the case management order entered in your case. In the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, the exhibit list must be filed at least 15 days before calendar call, and every listed exhibit must have been made available to opposing counsel for examination and copying by that date.1Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Re-Establishment of Procedures for Active Case Management – County Civil
For complex litigation governed by Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.201, copies of witness and exhibit lists must be filed with the clerk at least 48 hours before the final case management conference.9The Florida Bar. Amendments to Rules of Civil Procedure 1.200 Standard civil cases under Rule 1.200 do not set a fixed exhibit list deadline in the rule itself; the deadline appears in the case management order the judge enters after the initial conference.
Federal court is different. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(3) sets a default: pretrial disclosures identifying each exhibit you may offer must be provided to the other parties at least 30 days before trial, unless the court orders otherwise.10LII / Legal Information Institute. Rule 26 – Duty to Disclose; General Provisions Governing Discovery The Middle District of Florida’s Local Rule 3.07 also requires each party to deliver three copies of the exhibit list to the judge before trial.11United States District Court Middle District of Florida. Rule 3.07 – Exhibits
What Happens if You Leave Something Off
In Florida state court, a judge deciding whether to allow an unlisted exhibit weighs the Binger factors: whether the omission prejudices the opposing party, whether the opposing party knew about the evidence independently, whether the failure to list was intentional or in bad faith, and whether admitting the item would disrupt the trial. The exhibit comes in only if using it will not substantially endanger the fairness of the proceeding. Prejudice usually controls the analysis. A document that surprises the other side mid-trial is likely out; a document both sides have handled in discovery may get a second look, though sanctions are still on the table.
Federal court applies a stricter rule. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(c)(1), an exhibit you failed to identify as required cannot be used at trial unless the failure was substantially justified or harmless.12LII / Legal Information Institute. Rule 37 – Failure to Make Disclosures or to Cooperate in Discovery; Sanctions The court can also order the offending party to pay the other side’s fees, inform the jury of the noncompliance, or impose sanctions up to default judgment.
The Impeachment-Only Exception
Evidence used solely to impeach a witness is the one narrow category that does not have to appear on your initial disclosures. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280(a)(1) mirrors the federal approach.13Fastcase. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280 – General Provisions Governing Discovery The exception is narrower than it sounds. If the evidence does double duty, impeaching a witness while also proving a substantive point in your case, it does not qualify. Some federal judges in Florida also require parties who plan to use undisclosed impeachment exhibits to file a sealed motion for in camera inspection at least 30 days before trial, explaining what the evidence impeaches and how. The safer practice is to list everything you may use and note “impeachment only” next to items that truly serve no other purpose.
Extra Steps if You’re Self-Represented
If you are handling your own case, start by downloading the exhibit list form your circuit publishes. Most of Florida’s twenty judicial circuits post their own, and using your court’s specific form avoids format objections before you even get to substance.
Number every exhibit sequentially starting at 1. Write descriptions as if the reader knows nothing about your case: “Bank of America checking account statement, account ending 4521, dated March 2025,” not “bank statement.” Redact sensitive information under Rule 2.425 before anything leaves your hands.5Florida Courts. Rule 2.425 – Minimization of the Filing of Sensitive Information
Bring at least four complete sets to court on the day of trial: one for the judge, one for the clerk, one for the opposing party, and one for yourself. Label every exhibit before you arrive. If you are unsure about a procedural detail, call the clerk’s office. They cannot give legal advice, but they can tell you what format the judge expects and where to place exhibit stickers.