Pinellas County Small Claims Court

Filing in Pinellas County

Pinellas County small claims cases are heard in the County Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit, which shares the circuit with Pasco County. The Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater is the primary courthouse for civil filings, with additional locations in St. Petersburg.

The small claims division handles disputes up to $8,000, the statewide cap under Fla. Stat. § 34.01. You can file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) or in person at the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Pinellas is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida. That means the small claims docket stays busy — expect the full 50-day window before your pretrial conference is scheduled.

Filing Fees

Pinellas County uses the statewide fee schedule:

Add $10 per summons and service costs. E-filing charges a 3.5% credit card surcharge or $5.00 for e-check.

Filers who qualify under 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can apply for civil indigent status (Fla. Stat. § 57.082), which waives filing fees, summons fees, and Sheriff service costs.

Service of Process

Three options to serve the defendant:

• Pinellas County Sheriff — $40 per defendant for personal service by a deputy
• Certified process server — private servers typically charge $45 to $85 and often complete service faster
• Clerk's certified mail — available for defendants who live in Pinellas County; the defendant or someone authorized to receive mail at the defendant's residence or principal place of business must sign the return receipt

You cannot serve the defendant yourself. Once service is completed, the server files a Return of Service with the clerk. If service fails, file for an alias summons. Rule 7.070(b) sets a 120-day initial service period; if you request extra time before it expires, the rule provides another 120 days.

Pinellas has a large tourism and hospitality sector, so contractor and service disputes are common. If you're suing a business, look up its legal entity name and registered agent on Sunbiz (search.sunbiz.org). Listing a trade name without the legal entity will delay your case.

The Pretrial Conference

The clerk schedules a pretrial conference within 50 days of filing. Both parties must appear.

This is a settlement and mediation session — not the trial. Bring your documents (contract, invoices, photos, a written damage summary) but leave witnesses at home. Any agreement reached at mediation must be in a written stipulation; the court may enter the stipulation as an order. If not, the court sets a trial date within 60 days.

If the defendant doesn't show, the clerk enters a default. On a liquidated claim (fixed amount), the judge can enter a default final judgment right away. On an unliquidated claim (variable damages), the court schedules a final hearing where you prove the amount.

Venue

You can file in Pinellas County if the defendant resides here, the cause of action accrued here (breach of contract, property damage), or the property is located here. Since Pinellas shares the 6th Circuit with Pasco, make sure you file in the right county within the circuit — they maintain separate clerks and dockets.

For the full Pinellas County filing process — from the demand letter through the hearing and collecting a judgment — our Florida Small Claims Filing Guide covers all 67 counties with their forms, fees, and deadlines.

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