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Florida judgment lien · Checked October 23, 2026

Florida judgment lien: record it, then register it

General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

In Florida, recording a certified copy of your judgment in a county's Official Records makes it a lien on their real estate there for 10 years from recording, renewable for 10 more. Registering the judgment with the Department of State gets you the Judgment Lien Certificate the sheriff needs with a writ.

Real estate lien
10 years from recording
Extend by
Re-recording with an affidavit
Judgment lasts
20 years

Work out your dates

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The steps

  1. Buy a certified copy.

    From the clerk's office where your case was filed. Fees are set by statute; ask the clerk. Source

  2. Record it in each county.

    Where they live and any county where they may own real estate. It becomes a lien on real property they own then or acquire later in their name. Source

  3. Register with the Department of State. F.S. 55.203

    Get the Judgment Lien Certificate. You need it before a writ of execution goes to the sheriff. Source

  4. Extend before 10 years.

    Re-record a certified copy with an affidavit giving the current address of the person who holds the lien, for 10 more years. Source

A worked example

Recorded in Volusia County on November 1, 2026, the lien runs to November 1, 2036. Re-record before then and it runs to 2046, inside the judgment's 20-year lifetime from its entry date.

Fees and forms change, and your court's clerk has the current ones. General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

Ask once, in writing

Before the court steps, most winners send a letter asking for payment by a date. Fill one in and print it; nothing you type leaves this page.

Make the payment letter

Questions people ask next

Is the certificate the same as recording?

No. Recording in a county reaches real estate there. The Department of State certificate is what the sheriff needs with a writ of execution.

What happens when they pay?

You sign a satisfaction of judgment, record it, and send the recorded satisfaction to them within 60 days of full payment.

Your state's full steps

Florida

Related guides

Writ of Execution in Florida Small Claims Judgment Lien After Small Claims Satisfaction of Judgment After Small Claims

Sources

Checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages.