Jacksonville Eviction Court Steps 2026–27: Duval County's 5-Day Answer and the Court Registry
In Duval County, eviction cases are filed in County Court, and the clerk's office is on the ground floor of the courthouse at 501 W. Adams Street. Florida eviction law is written to move fast. A tenant who might have a good defense can still lose without a hearing by missing one of two things: a written answer filed within five business days, or the rent deposit into the court registry.
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) updated its plain-language eviction pamphlet in August 2026. This guide follows the same Florida statutes and points you to the local offices that handle each step.
Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. If you live in public housing or have a Section 8 voucher, extra federal rules may apply. Ask legal aid.
The Three Mistakes That Cost Tenants Their Case
Here are the three most common problems, before the step-by-step:
Waiting for a court date. In Florida, the summons does not give you a hearing date. It gives you a deadline. If you wait for a letter about a hearing, you may get a default judgment instead.
Filing an answer but not paying the registry. JALA's pamphlet says you must do both: file your answer and either put the rent into the court registry or file a motion to determine rent. Doing just one isn't enough.
Paying the landlord instead of the court after the case is filed. Once the case is filed, the money the statute talks about goes into the court registry, not to the landlord. That is how your defense is preserved.
Step 1: The 3-Day Notice
For unpaid rent, Florida Statute 83.56(3) requires a written notice demanding the rent or possession of the unit within 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays. If the notice is posted on a Friday, the three days usually run Monday through Wednesday.
For lease violations other than rent, the notice is usually a 7-day notice (83.56(2)). Some violations can be fixed in that time. Others, like serious intentional damage, allow no chance to cure.
What to do with a 3-day notice:
Check the dates. Count the three days yourself, skipping weekends and court holidays.
Check the amount. A 3-day notice for nonpayment is supposed to demand rent. If late fees or other charges are mixed in, write that down and tell legal aid.
If you can pay the full amount within the notice period, pay in a way that leaves a record and keep proof.
Start looking for rent help now. Call 211 and contact the agencies listed below.
Step 2: The Lawsuit and the Summons
If the notice period passes without payment, the landlord can file an eviction complaint in Duval County Court. You will be served with a summons and a copy of the complaint.
Read the summons carefully. Under Florida's summary procedure (Fla. Stat. 51.011) and the eviction statute, you have 5 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays, after service to respond. Write the date you were served on the summons itself.
Step 3: Your 5-Business-Day Checklist
Within those five business days, you need to do all of the following:
File a written answer
Your answer tells the court why the landlord shouldn't win, or which parts of the complaint are wrong. The Florida Supreme Court has an approved tenant answer form. JALA's pamphlet says you file it with the Duval County Clerk on the ground floor of the courthouse at 501 W. Adams Street, or you can e-file. Keep a stamped copy.
Defenses the statute recognizes include:
Rent already paid. Bring receipts.
The landlord failed to maintain the unit as required by 83.51(1), and you gave the landlord written notice at least 7 days before withholding rent (83.60(1)). Without that earlier written notice, this defense generally doesn't work.
Retaliation (83.64), such as filing after you complained to a code enforcement agency.
A defective notice or improper service.
Deposit the rent into the court registry, or ask the judge to set the amount
Under 83.60(2), if your answer raises any defense other than "I already paid," you must also deposit the rent the complaint says is owed into the court registry. You must also keep depositing rent as it comes due while the case is open. JALA's pamphlet notes that future rent is due into the registry on the date it would normally be due to the landlord.
If the complaint lists the wrong amount, don't just skip the deposit. File a Motion to Determine Rent within the same five days, with documents showing the correct amount, such as receipts, your lease, or bank records. The judge then decides how much you must deposit.
If you receive a housing subsidy, 83.60(2) says you only have to deposit your portion of the rent.
Why this matters
83.60(2) says a tenant who raises a defense other than payment, but doesn't deposit the rent or file the motion in time, waives those defenses. The landlord can then get an immediate default judgment without a hearing. This is the single biggest reason Jacksonville tenants lose cases they could have contested.
Step 4: The Hearing (If There Is One)
If you filed the answer and handled the registry, the court may set a hearing, or the judge may decide the case on the papers. Watch your mail and email, and check the case on the Duval Clerk's online docket.
For a hearing, bring:
Your lease and every notice
Proof of payments
Photos and dated written repair requests
Copies of everything you filed, with the clerk's stamp
Step 5: After Judgment
If the judge rules for the landlord, Florida's summary procedure leaves little time. A motion for new trial must be filed within 5 days after judgment (51.011).
After judgment, the clerk issues a writ of possession (83.62). The sheriff posts it on the door. JALA's pamphlet explains that it gives you 24 hours to leave. Under 83.62, weekends and legal holidays do not stop that 24-hour clock. After that, the sheriff can return to put the landlord back in possession.
What a Landlord Can't Do Without the Court
Florida Statute 83.67 bars a landlord from:
Shutting off utilities, including water, heat, or electricity, to force you out
Changing the locks or using a device that keeps you out
Removing doors, windows, appliances, or your belongings, unless you abandoned the unit or the court process has finished
If this happens, write down dates and times, take photos, and contact JALA.
Where to Get Help in Jacksonville
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA): 126 W. Adams St., (904) 356-8371. Apply at jaxlegalaid.org/apply.
JALA Eviction Defense Self-Help Project: In 2025 and early 2026, JALA ran this free clinic on Wednesday afternoons, by telephone and by appointment only. Pro bono attorneys help tenants of private landlords (the flyer excludes HUD and Section 8 housing) complete their answer and learn how to file it the same day. Call JALA to check the current schedule.
Duval County Clerk of Courts: ground floor, Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St. This is where you file your answer and make registry deposits.
JALA self-help pamphlets and videos: jaxlegalaid.org/get-help/self-help/pamphlets-videos/
211: for rent help programs open this month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I have to answer an eviction in Jacksonville?
Five days after you were served, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays. That deadline is on the summons.
Do I have to pay rent into the court even if I think I don't owe it?
If your defense is anything other than "I already paid," yes. You deposit the amount in the complaint, or you file a Motion to Determine Rent within the same five days to have the judge set it. Otherwise your defenses can be waived.
Will there be a hearing?
Not always. If you don't respond correctly, the landlord can get a default judgment without one. If you do respond correctly, the court may set a hearing or decide on the papers.
How long after the judge rules do I have to move?
After the writ of possession is posted, you have 24 hours. Weekends and holidays count.
Can I get free help filling out the answer?
JALA's Eviction Defense Self-Help Project has helped tenants of private landlords complete their answers by appointment. Call (904) 356-8371 as soon as you're served.
Does a 3-day notice count weekends?
No. Florida's 3-day notice for rent excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
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