Probate in Florida · 67 counties

Florida Probate Courts

Estates here go through the Circuit Court (Probate & Guardianship Division). Pick a county on the map or search below — each record shows where to file and where every detail comes from.

Small-estate limit

$75,000

No statutory wait

Death taxes

None

No state death tax

Executor fee

Statute

Percentage set by statute

Handwritten wills

Witnesses required

Plate · FL

Every Florida county, on one map

Population, low → high courthouse probate office checked

§ I

Florida probate rules

Court: Circuit Court (Probate & Guardianship Division)In Florida, probate is heard by the Probate Division of the 20 Judicial Circuit Courts. Florida has three procedures: Disposition Without Administration, Summary Administration, and Formal Administration.
Small estates: $75,000 (Summary Administration) or no limit if deceased > 2 yearsFla. Stat. § 735.201 (Summary Administration)
Filing the will: Custodian must deposit will with Circuit Court Clerk within 10 days of notice of death (Fla. Stat. § 732.901)
Creditor claims: 3 months after the date of first publication of Notice to Creditors, or 30 days after service of direct notice (absolute 2-year bar)Fla. Stat. § 733.702 & § 733.710
Executor fees: Presumed Reasonable Statutory Scale: 3% first $1M, 2.5% next $4M, 2% next $5M, 1.5% above $10M (Fla. Stat. § 733.617)Fla. Stat. § 733.617 & § 733.6171 (Attorney Fees) · calculator
Estate tax: NoneFlorida Constitution Article VII, Section 5 prohibits any state estate tax exceeding the federal credit.
Inheritance tax: NoneNo state inheritance tax in Florida.
Typical duration: 6 to 12 months
Official courts site: flcourts.govCase search: Florida Courts E-Filing Portal / County Clerk Odyssey Portals

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§ II · Register

All 67 counties

Sorted by population. office checked = probate office address/phone confirmed on the court's own website. courthouse mapped = located in OpenStreetMap.

#	County	Seat	Population	Record
1	Miami-Dade County	Miami	2,686,867	office checked
2	Broward County	Fort Lauderdale	1,962,531	office checked
3	Hillsborough County	Tampa	1,535,564	office checked
4	Palm Beach County	West Palm Beach	1,533,801	courthouse mapped
5	Orange County	Orlando	1,471,416	office checked
6	Duval County	Jacksonville	1,030,822	office checked
7	Pinellas County	Clearwater	961,596	office checked
8	Lee County	Fort Myers	834,573	office checked
9	Polk County	Bartow	818,330	courthouse mapped
10	Brevard County	Titusville	643,979	office checked
11	Pasco County	Dade	632,996	county site
12	Volusia County	DeLand	590,357	office checked
13	Seminole County	Sanford	484,271	courthouse mapped
14	Sarasota County	Sarasota	469,013	courthouse mapped
15	Manatee County	Bradenton	441,095	courthouse mapped
16	Osceola County	Kissimmee	437,784	courthouse mapped
17	Lake County	Tavares	424,462	courthouse mapped
18	Marion County	Ocala	409,959	courthouse mapped
19	Collier County	East Naples	404,310	courthouse mapped
20	St. Lucie County	Fort Pierce	373,586	county site
21	Escambia County	Pensacola	326,928	courthouse mapped
22	St. Johns County	St. Augustine	320,110	county site
23	Leon County	Tallahassee	296,913	courthouse mapped
24	Alachua County	Gainesville	285,994	courthouse mapped
25	Clay County	Green Cove Springs	232,439	courthouse mapped
26	Okaloosa County	Crestview	218,464	county site
27	Hernando County	Brooksville	212,807	courthouse mapped
28	Charlotte County	Punta Gorda	206,134	courthouse mapped
29	Santa Rosa County	Milton	203,162	courthouse mapped
30	Bay County	Panama	190,769	courthouse mapped
31	Indian River County	Vero Beach	169,795	courthouse mapped
32	Citrus County	Inverness	166,696	courthouse mapped
33	Martin County	Stuart	163,315	courthouse mapped
34	Sumter County	Bushnell	151,565	county site
35	Flagler County	Bunnell	131,439	courthouse mapped
36	Highlands County	Sebring	107,614	courthouse mapped
37	Nassau County	Fernandina Beach	101,501	county site
38	Walton County	DeFuniak Springs	86,354	courthouse mapped
39	Monroe County	Key West	80,614	courthouse mapped
40	Putnam County	Palatka	75,955	courthouse mapped
41	Columbia County	Lake	73,063	county site
42	Jackson County	Marianna	48,622	county site
43	Levy County	Bronson	46,545	courthouse mapped
44	Suwannee County	Live Oak	46,130	courthouse mapped
45	Gadsden County	Quincy	43,833	county site
46	Hendry County	LaBelle	43,333	county site
47	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	41,427	courthouse mapped
48	Wakulla County	Crawfordville	36,449	courthouse mapped
49	DeSoto County	Arcadia	35,979	county site
50	Baker County	Macclenny	28,368	courthouse mapped
51	Bradford County	Starke	27,858	county site
52	Hardee County	Wauchula	25,760	county site
53	Washington County	Chipley	25,602	county site
54	Taylor County	Perry	21,582	courthouse mapped
55	Holmes County	Bonifay	19,944	county site
56	Gilchrist County	Trenton	19,587	courthouse mapped
57	Madison County	Madison	18,519	courthouse mapped
58	Dixie County	Cross	17,465	courthouse mapped
59	Gulf County	Port St. Joe	15,693	county site
60	Union County	Lake Butler	15,532	county site
61	Jefferson County	Monticello	15,450	courthouse mapped
62	Hamilton County	Jasper	13,471	courthouse mapped
63	Calhoun County	Blountstown	13,470	county site
64	Glades County	Moore Haven	12,786	county site
65	Franklin County	Apalachicola	12,594	courthouse mapped
66	Lafayette County	Mayo	8,078	courthouse mapped
67	Liberty County	Bristol	7,706	courthouse mapped

§ III

Florida probate questions

What is the small estate affidavit limit in Florida?

$75,000 (Summary Administration) or no limit if deceased > 2 years (Fla. Stat. § 735.201 (Summary Administration)). There is no statutory waiting period. Summary Administration available if non-exempt estate value is under $75,000, OR if decedent has been dead for more than two years. Homestead real property is exempt from the $75,000 cap.

How are executor and administrator fees calculated in Florida?

Presumed Reasonable Statutory Scale: 3% first $1M, 2.5% next $4M, 2% next $5M, 1.5% above $10M (Fla. Stat. § 733.617) (Fla. Stat. § 733.617 & § 733.6171 (Attorney Fees)). Courts can award more for extraordinary services, such as running a business or litigation.

What is the creditor claim deadline for estates in Florida?

3 months after the date of first publication of Notice to Creditors, or 30 days after service of direct notice (absolute 2-year bar) (Fla. Stat. § 733.702 & § 733.710). Claims filed after the deadline are generally barred.

Does Florida recognize handwritten (holographic) wills?

No — witnesses are required. Florida strictly PROHIBITS holographic (unwitnessed) wills. Even handwritten wills executed out-of-state are invalid unless executed with two attesting witnesses (Fla. Stat. § 732.502(2)).

Does Florida have a state estate tax or inheritance tax?

Florida has no state estate tax. There is no inheritance tax.