Florida Small Claims Notice to Appear

What the Notice to Appear Is

In Florida small claims court, the "Notice to Appear" is part of the summons package served on the defendant. Specifically, it is Form 7.322 — the Summons / Notice to Appear for Pretrial Conference. This document tells you that a lawsuit has been filed against you, identifies the court and case number, and orders you to appear at a pretrial conference on a specific date and time.

The Notice to Appear is not a trial summons. It directs you to the pretrial conference — an administrative hearing where the judge confirms the parties, clarifies the dispute, and directs unresolved cases to mediation. Trial comes later, if mediation does not resolve the case.

What Information Is on the Notice

Your Notice to Appear should include:

• The county and court division (County Court, Civil Division)
• The Uniform Case Number (UCN) — the official case identifier
• The names of all parties — plaintiff(s) and defendant(s)
• The pretrial conference date, time, and location — physical courthouse address and courtroom, or virtual platform instructions (Zoom link, video conference details) if your county uses remote hearings
• The ADA accommodation notice — a mandatory 14-point boldface statement about disability accommodations on the relevant Florida small-claims notices

Read every detail carefully. Verify the case is real by checking the county clerk's online docket using the case number. If the docket entry has not appeared yet, that does not necessarily mean the case is fake — clerk indexing can lag behind service. But if anything looks suspicious, contact the Civil Division clerk's office directly using the phone number from the county government website.

What Comes With the Notice

The Notice to Appear is served alongside the plaintiff's Statement of Claim — the document that explains what the plaintiff says you owe and why. Some defendants also receive a Form 7.332 (Statement of Claim for Work Done and Materials Furnished), which is a specific claim form used when the plaintiff is suing for unpaid labor or materials.

A common mistake: defendants see Form 7.332 and assume it is a form they need to fill out and return. It is not. Form 7.332 is a plaintiff's form. There is no mandatory statewide answer form for defendants in Florida small claims court because written answers are optional under Rule 7.090(c).

Your Mandatory Obligation

The Notice to Appear creates one non-negotiable obligation: attend the pretrial conference as directed — in person, virtually if authorized, or through an attorney. Missing the pretrial conference can lead to a default under Rule 7.170(a). The court may then proceed to a default final judgment; if damages are unliquidated, it holds a proof-of-damages hearing.

Filing a written answer, a motion to dismiss, or any other document with the court does not excuse you from attending. Rule 7.090(c) is explicit: the filing of a motion or defensive pleading shall not excuse personal appearance on the initial appearance date.

What to Do When You Receive One

1. Read everything — the Notice, the Statement of Claim, any attached documents
2. Mark the date — the pretrial conference date is your primary deadline
3. Verify the case — check the county clerk's online docket
4. Decide your response — dispute, admit and request payment arrangements, settle, or counterclaim
5. Prepare your evidence — three organized copies of every relevant document

If you have a claim against the plaintiff from the same transaction, you must file a written counterclaim at least 5 days before the pretrial conference or lose the right to assert it. If you want a jury trial, the written demand must be filed within 5 days of service.

For a detailed walkthrough of each of these steps, the Florida Small Claims Response Guide covers the entire defendant process from receiving the Notice to Appear through the hearing and beyond.

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