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Writ of execution florida · Checked October 23, 2026

Writ of execution in Florida: 10 days, then the sheriff

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

In Florida you can get a writ of execution from the clerk 10 days after the judgment is entered, or right away if the judgment says execution may issue "instanter" or "forthwith." Before the sheriff will use it, you need a Judgment Lien Certificate from the Department of State and written Instructions for Levy.

Wait
10 days after entry
Needed with it
Judgment Lien Certificate
Who levies
The sheriff

Work out your dates

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The steps

  1. Read your judgment.

    If it says "for which let execution issue instanter" or "forthwith," you need not wait the 10 days. Source

  2. Register the judgment with the Department of State. F.S. 55.203

    You need the Judgment Lien Certificate before you take the writ to the sheriff. Source

  3. Get the writ from the clerk.

    It authorizes a sheriff to levy on property of theirs in Florida that you can locate and describe. Source

  4. Write Instructions for Levy.

    Say what to take and where it is. Bring them, the writ and the certificate to the sheriff's office, which tells you the cost. Source

A worked example

A judgment entered October 5, 2026 without "instanter" in it: the clerk can issue the writ from October 15, 2026. Register with the Department of State first so the certificate is in hand, and have one specific thing to levy on, such as a vehicle you can describe by its plate and where it is parked.

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

Do I have to find the property myself?

Yes. The writ works on property you can "locate and describe." A Fact Information Sheet order is the clerk's suggested way to learn what they own.

What does the sheriff charge?

The sheriff's office tells you the cost when you bring the writ; it is not set on the clerk's page.

Does the writ put a lien on their house?

Not by itself. Recording a certified copy of the judgment in the county's Official Records does that.

Your state's full steps

Florida

Related guides

Florida Judgment Lien After Small Claims Fact Information Sheet in Florida Small Claims Writ of Execution After a Small Claims Judgment, by State

Sources

Checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages.