Florida Small Claims Court Hillsborough County

How Hillsborough County Handles Small Claims

Hillsborough County is part of the 13th Judicial Circuit, covering Tampa, Plant City, and the surrounding areas. Small claims cases are heard in the Civil Division of the County Court at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa, though some cases are assigned to satellite locations depending on venue.

The $8,000 jurisdictional ceiling applies here as in all Florida counties. Claims above that amount but under $50,000 stay in County Court but shift to the general civil track under the full Florida Rules of Civil Procedure — a different set of rules with different deadlines.

Pretrial Conference and Mediation

Hillsborough schedules pretrial conferences within 30 to 50 days of the lawsuit filing date. The pretrial conference is your first mandatory court appearance, and missing it can result in an immediate default entry under Rule 7.170(a). Filing a written answer does not excuse you from attending — Rule 7.090(c) makes that explicit.

At the pretrial conference, the judge clarifies the dispute, checks whether both sides are present, and directs unresolved cases to mandatory mediation. Hillsborough operates under hybrid division rules, so some courtrooms may offer options for virtual participation while others require in-person attendance. Check your summons or contact the clerk to confirm which format applies to your assigned division.

If you and the plaintiff reach a settlement, put the terms in a written stipulation signed by both parties and submit it to the judge. If approved, the judge enters an order approving the stipulation and staying the action pending compliance. If mediation fails, the court sets a trial date within 60 days.

E-Filing in Hillsborough County

Self-represented litigants in Hillsborough can file documents electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. You can use this to file a counterclaim, venue objection, or other papers — but remember, submitting a document electronically does not mean the clerk has accepted it. Monitor your email for "Accepted" or "Rejected / Correction Required" notifications.

When uploading documents, redact Social Security numbers, full bank account numbers, driver's license numbers, and complete birth dates (show only the year). Florida Rule 2.425 requires this minimization in all court filings.

What Defendants Should Prepare

Organize three copies of every document you plan to present: contracts, text messages, invoices, photos, receipts, or any written communication relevant to the dispute. One copy for the judge, one for the plaintiff, one for yourself.

If you have a claim against the plaintiff arising from the same transaction, you must file a written counterclaim at least 5 days before the pretrial conference. Missing that deadline permanently bars you from asserting the claim in this case if it is compulsory under Rule 7.100.

Counterclaim filing fees in Hillsborough follow the standard statewide schedule: $55 for claims up to $100, scaling to $300 for claims between $2,500.01 and $8,000.

Next Steps

For a complete walkthrough of how to respond to a Florida small claims case — from decoding your summons through evidence preparation and the hearing itself — the Florida Small Claims Response Guide covers every stage of the defendant's process.

See more Florida guides →