Domesticate Foreign Judgment Florida: Enforcing Out-of-State Judgments

You won a judgment in another state, and the debtor lives in Florida — or owns property here. You can't just show up at a Florida sheriff's office with a New York or Texas judgment and ask them to levy. You need to domesticate the judgment first, converting it into one that Florida recognizes and enforces as its own.

The Florida Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (FEFJA), Florida Statutes §§ 55.501–55.509, provides the procedure.

What Counts as a "Foreign Judgment"

Under FEFJA, a "foreign judgment" is a judgment from a court of another U.S. state that would be enforceable in that state. A judgment from outside the United States is handled under Florida's separate Uniform Out-of-Country Foreign Money-Judgment Recognition Act, §§ 55.601–55.607. FEFJA also doesn't apply to Florida judgments from other counties (those are already enforceable statewide).

The Registration Process

Domestication is simpler than filing a new lawsuit. You're not relitigating the merits — you're asking Florida to recognize a judgment that another state's court already entered.

Step 1: Get a certified copy. Obtain a copy of the foreign judgment certified in accordance with the laws of the United States or the state that entered it. Florida's statute requires a certified copy; it does not require an exemplified copy.

Step 2: Record the judgment. File the certified copy with the clerk of the circuit court in any Florida county. The clerk files, records, and indexes it like a Florida circuit or county court judgment. The clerk's service charge is up to $42. If you also want a real property judgment lien, separately record a certified copy in the Official Records of each county where the debtor owns real estate and pay that county's recording fee.

Step 3: Notify the debtor. The clerk must promptly mail notice of the recording by registered mail with return receipt requested to the debtor's address in the required affidavit. You may also mail notice and record proof of mailing with the clerk; if the clerk does not mail notice, recorded proof of your mailing preserves enforcement.

The 30-Day Challenge Window

Two separate 30-day rules apply. No execution or other enforcement process may issue until 30 days after the clerk mails notice. Under § 55.509, the debtor may contest the original court's jurisdiction or the judgment's validity by filing an action within 30 days after the foreign judgment is recorded and recording a lis pendens directed toward the judgment. The debtor may also raise an available defense to enforcement, such as prior satisfaction.

Once the notice-based 30-day enforcement hold has expired, the recorded judgment may be enforced like a Florida circuit or county court judgment unless a stay applies. You can then use Florida enforcement tools — garnishment, writ of execution, and judgment liens — subject to the same procedures and defenses.

Exporting a Florida Judgment to Another State

The reverse situation — you have a Florida small claims judgment and the debtor moved to Georgia, or has assets in California — follows the other state's rules. Most states have adopted some version of the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (UEFJA), which works similarly to FEFJA: file an authenticated copy, notify the debtor, wait out a challenge period.

Contact the clerk of court in the target state for their specific filing requirements and fees.

Enforcing Across Florida Counties

If the debtor's assets are in a different Florida county from where you won your judgment, the process is simpler than domestication. Writs of execution issued by any Florida county court clerk run statewide — you can deliver the writ directly to the sheriff in whatever county the debtor's property is located.

For real property liens, you do need to record a certified copy of the judgment in the Official Records of each county where the debtor owns real estate. Each county recording creates a lien only in that county.

The Full Cross-Border Playbook

Our Florida Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide covers both inbound domestication and outbound enforcement, plus the county-to-county mechanics that most creditors encounter when a debtor's assets are spread across Florida.

Get the complete guide and pursue your debtor's assets wherever they are.

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