Florida Judicial Circuits: All 20 Courts, Counties, and Cases

Florida’s judicial circuits are the 20 geographic groupings of counties that each contain a circuit court, the state’s main trial court for serious cases. Every one of Florida’s 67 counties sits inside exactly one circuit, and the circuit that covers your county is the court where felonies, larger civil suits, divorces, probate, and juvenile cases are filed.1Florida Courts. Trial Courts – Circuit

The 20 Circuits and the Counties They Cover

If you need to file or respond to a case, start by finding your county in the list below.1Florida Courts. Trial Courts – Circuit

  • 1st Circuit: Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton
  • 2nd Circuit: Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla
  • 3rd Circuit: Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor
  • 4th Circuit: Clay, Duval, Nassau
  • 5th Circuit: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Sumter
  • 6th Circuit: Pasco, Pinellas
  • 7th Circuit: Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Volusia
  • 8th Circuit: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy, Union
  • 9th Circuit: Orange, Osceola
  • 10th Circuit: Hardee, Highlands, Polk
  • 11th Circuit: Miami-Dade
  • 12th Circuit: DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota
  • 13th Circuit: Hillsborough
  • 14th Circuit: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Washington
  • 15th Circuit: Palm Beach
  • 16th Circuit: Monroe
  • 17th Circuit: Broward
  • 18th Circuit: Brevard, Seminole
  • 19th Circuit: Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie
  • 20th Circuit: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee

Why Some Circuits Are One County and Others Are Seven

Article V of the Florida Constitution tells the legislature to divide the state into judicial circuits along county lines.2Florida Senate. Florida Constitution Five circuits cover a single county each because that county alone generates enough litigation to keep dozens of judges busy: the 11th (Miami-Dade), 13th (Hillsborough), 15th (Palm Beach), 16th (Monroe), and 17th (Broward).

At the other end, the 3rd Circuit spans seven rural counties in north-central Florida, sharing judges and support staff across an area where no single county could justify a standalone operation. Grouping lets circuits centralize administration and shift resources to wherever the backlog is heaviest. The legislature can redraw boundaries as populations shift. The broader court system sits in four layers: the Supreme Court, six district courts of appeal, the 20 circuit courts, and 67 county courts.3Florida Courts. Court Structure

What Circuit Courts Handle

Circuit courts are Florida’s general-jurisdiction trial courts. They take the cases too serious or too complex for county courts. Florida Statute 26.012 sets out the categories.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 26.012 – Jurisdiction of Circuit Court

Civil Cases Over $50,000

County courts handle civil disputes where the amount is $50,000 or less.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 34.01 – Jurisdiction of County Court Anything above that goes to circuit court. The threshold moved from $30,000 to $50,000 on January 1, 2023, with a cost-of-living adjustment scheduled for 2030. Circuit courts also hold exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving real property boundaries and titles, tax assessments, and actions to recover possession of property.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 26.012 – Jurisdiction of Circuit Court

Felonies

All felony prosecutions begin in circuit court. Florida sorts felonies into tiers: third-degree carries up to 5 years, second-degree up to 15 years, first-degree up to 30 years, a life felony up to life, and a capital felony can bring the death penalty.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 775.082 – Penalties, Applicability of Sentencing Structures, Notification Requirements Misdemeanors tied to the same incident as a charged felony come along to circuit court rather than staying in county court.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 26.012 – Jurisdiction of Circuit Court

Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters

Divorce, child custody, and domestic violence injunctions are heard in circuit court. So are probate proceedings, estate administration, guardianship for people unable to manage their own affairs, and involuntary hospitalization hearings. Juvenile delinquency and dependency cases are handled here too, with traffic offenses being the exception.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 26.012 – Jurisdiction of Circuit Court

A Narrow Appellate Role

Circuit courts hear appeals from final orders of local government code enforcement boards.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 26.012 – Jurisdiction of Circuit Court Until 2021 they also reviewed most county court decisions, but that function has since moved to the district courts of appeal, which now hear appeals from both circuit and county courts in criminal and most civil matters.7Florida Courts. District Courts of Appeal

Who Works Inside Each Circuit

Article V of the Florida Constitution creates several elected offices in every circuit.2Florida Senate. Florida Constitution Circuit judges serve six-year terms and are chosen in nonpartisan elections. A candidate must be a Florida voter, live within the circuit, and have been a member of the Florida Bar for at least five years. When a vacancy opens between elections, the governor appoints from a short list submitted by the circuit’s Judicial Nominating Commission, and the appointee later stands for election.

Each circuit also elects a state attorney, the chief prosecutor for all trial courts in the circuit, and a public defender, who represents people who cannot afford private counsel in criminal cases. Both serve four-year terms and must meet the same five-year Bar and residency requirements. Each office appoints assistants as authorized by law.

Every county has a clerk of the circuit court, chosen under the county provisions of Article VIII rather than elected circuit-wide. The clerk maintains court records, processes filing fees, and records court orders, and in many counties also serves as clerk of the county commission and custodian of county funds.

Each circuit is run administratively by a chief judge, who must be a sitting circuit judge and who supervises all trial courts in the circuit, including the county courts.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 43.26 The chief judge assigns judges to divisions, manages the internal budget, and issues local administrative orders governing daily operations.

Which Court of Appeal Sits Above Your Circuit

Florida’s six district courts of appeal sit between the circuit courts and the Supreme Court. If you plan to appeal a circuit court ruling, this is where it goes:7Florida Courts. District Courts of Appeal

  • 1st DCA (Tallahassee): 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 14th Circuits
  • 2nd DCA (Tampa): 6th, 12th, and 13th Circuits
  • 3rd DCA (Miami): 11th and 16th Circuits
  • 4th DCA (West Palm Beach): 15th, 17th, and 19th Circuits
  • 5th DCA (Daytona Beach): 4th, 5th, 7th, and 18th Circuits
  • 6th DCA (Lakeland): 9th, 10th, and 20th Circuits

Finding Your Courthouse and Case Records

The Florida Courts website has a “Find My Court” tool that lets you search by city or county to locate the courthouse for your circuit. Appellate dockets and filings are searchable through the Appellate Case Information System.9Florida Courts. Florida Courts Individual circuits maintain their own online docket search tools for trial-level cases, though the features and depth of available records vary from one circuit to the next.