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Florida Statute 30.231 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 30.231 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 30.231 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 30.231

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title V
JUDICIAL BRANCH
Chapter 30
SHERIFFS
View Entire Chapter
30.231 Sheriffs’ fees for service of summons, subpoenas, and executions.
(1) The sheriffs of all counties of the state in civil cases shall charge fixed, nonrefundable fees for service of process, according to the following schedule:
(a) All summons or writs except executions: $40 for each summons or writ to be served.
(b) All writs except executions requiring a levy or seizure of property: $50 in addition to the $40 fee as stated in paragraph (a).
(c) Witness subpoenas: $40 for each witness to be served.
(d) Executions:
1. Forty dollars for processing each writ of execution, regardless of the number of persons involved.
2. Fifty dollars for each levy.
a. A levy is considered made when any property or any portion of the property listed or unlisted in the instructions for levy is seized, or upon demand of the sheriff the writ is satisfied by the defendant in lieu of seizure. Seizure requires that the sheriff take actual possession, if practicable, or, alternatively, constructive possession of the property by order of the court.
b. When the instructions are for levy upon real property, a levy fee is required for each parcel described in the instructions.
c. When the instructions are for levy based upon personal property, one fee is allowed, unless the property is seized at different locations, conditional upon all of the items being advertised collectively and the sale being held at a single location. However, if the property seized cannot be sold at one location during the same sale as advertised, but requires separate sales at different locations, the sheriff may then impose a levy fee for the property and sale at each location.
3. Forty dollars for advertisement of sale under process.
4. Forty dollars for each sale under process.
5. Forty dollars for each deed, bill of sale, or satisfaction of judgment.
(2) For levying on property and for the seizure of persons, the sheriff shall be allowed anticipated expenses necessary for the execution of the process directing such levy or seizure and for the safekeeping of property and persons in the custody of the sheriff. A reasonable cost deposit to cover said fees and expenses in connection with the requested services shall be deposited in advance, by the party requesting the service, with the officer requested to perform the service.
(3) The party requesting service of process must furnish to the sheriff the original process, a certified copy of the process, or an electronic copy of the process, which was signed and certified by the clerk of court, and sufficient copies to be served on the parties receiving the service of process. The party requesting service of process shall provide the sheriff with the best known address where the person may be served. Failure to perfect service at the address provided does not excuse the sheriff from his or her duty to exercise due diligence in locating the person to be served.
(4) All fees collected under paragraphs (1)(a), (b), (c), and (d) shall be nonrefundable and shall be earned when each original request or service of process is made.
(5) All fees collected under the provisions of this section shall be paid monthly into the fine and forfeiture fund of the county.
(6) Fees under this section chargeable to the state or its agencies shall be those fees that were effective under this section on June 30, 2009.
History.ss. 1, 2, ch. 63-41; s. 2, ch. 72-92; s. 4, ch. 79-396; s. 1, ch. 82-118; s. 1, ch. 83-255; s. 1, ch. 87-405; s. 1, ch. 94-170; s. 1330, ch. 95-147; s. 6, ch. 2000-258; s. 1, ch. 2009-215; s. 1, ch. 2011-159; s. 1, ch. 2014-207.

F.S. 30.231 on Google Scholar

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Amendments to 30.231


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 30.231

Total Results: 7  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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Abusaid v. Hillsborough Cnty. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 405 F.3d 1298 (11th Cir. 2005).

Cited 60 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 6341, 2005 WL 858296

...§ 30.49, and, as discussed above, the counties may relieve themselves of that burden by abolishing the office of the sheriff altogether. State law further prescribes a uniform schedule of fees that sheriffs of all counties must collect for docketing and service of process. Id. § 30.231. However, the fact that the state has an interest in ensuring the uniformity of these fees does not alter the more important fact that the sheriff is required to pay any fees he collects directly into the county treasury. Id. §§ 30.231(5); 30.51(5). Perhaps the most significant indication of residual state control over county sheriffs is that Florida law expressly enumerates a list of functions that sheriffs must perform....
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Smith v. Purdy, 272 So. 2d 545 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973).

Cited 8 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

...We cannot agree. Under the law, priority of writs of execution is established by the order of delivery thereof to the sheriff. Section 30.17(1) Fla. Stat., F.S.A. provides that the sheriff shall keep an execution docket containing a list of all executions. Section 30.231, which provides for sheriff's fees for service of summons, subpoenas and executions requires, through subsection (1)(d)1, that the sheriff shall charge $5.00 for docketing and indexing each writ of execution....
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Demint v. Nationsbank Corp., 208 F.R.D. 639 (M.D. Fla. 2002).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court, M.D. Florida | 2002 WL 1575167

resulted." Manual for Complex Litigation (Third) § 30.231 (1995) (emphasis added). . The Kerleys vigorously
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Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1978).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

substantially be answered in the same discussion. Section 30.231(1)(a), F. S., provides: (1) The sheriffs
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Sutor v. Cochran, 687 So. 2d 897 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1997).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1997 Fla. App. LEXIS 303, 1997 WL 30814

To adhere to the fee structure prescribed by section 30.231, Florida Statutes, the statute which establishes
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Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1974).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

served on both persons. AS TO QUESTIONS 5 AND 6: Section 30.231, F.S., was amended by Ch. 72-92, Laws of Florida
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Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1974).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

documents served or the number of returns made. Section 30.231, F.S., establishes a schedule of sheriffs'

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