All tools · Eviction Notice Reader

How Many Days Do I Have to Answer an Eviction Summons in Florida?

Use the free tool — Eviction Notice Reader

A Court Summons Is Different From a Notice

A notice from your landlord (a 3-day or a 7-day notice) is a warning. A summons comes from the court. It means the landlord has already filed an eviction case against you. The clock for answering a summons is shorter and stricter than the clock for a notice.

The 5-Day Clock — How It's Counted

Once you are served with a summons, Florida law gives you 5 days to file a written answer with the court. Weekends and legal holidays do not count toward those 5 days (Fla. Stat. 51.011 · 83.60(2)). The exact last day depends on when you were served — confirm it with the clerk of court or free legal aid. Do not guess.

• The count starts the day after you are served, not the day you find the paper.
• Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are skipped.
• Ask the clerk of court to confirm the exact deadline written on your summons.

You Must Also Pay Into the Court Registry

Filing a written answer is not enough by itself. Florida law says you must also deposit the rent the landlord claims into the court registry, or file a motion asking the court to determine the rent, within the same window (Fla. Stat. 83.60(2)). Missing either step — the written answer or the registry deposit — usually means you lose the case automatically, without a hearing.

If a 3-Day or 7-Day Notice Already Ran Out

If you already received a 3-day notice (Fla. Stat. 83.56(3)) or a 7-day notice and the days already passed, the landlord can file the court case at any time — there is no waiting period. The next paper you get will likely be this summons, and the 5-day answer clock and registry rule above still apply. Call free legal aid today. If you can, pay what is owed or get a written payment agreement before the case is filed.

If You Have Children, a Disability, Are a Veteran, or Got Rental Help

Tell legal aid this when you call. Many legal aid programs give priority to households with children, a disability, a veteran, or a case involving federal rental assistance.

What to Do Next

Call free legal aid today: search floridalawhelp.org for your county, call the Florida Bar Lawyer Referral line at 1-800-342-8011, or dial 211. If you want to understand your own summons or notice first, the free tool above reads the actual document or dates you paste and tells you, in plain words, how many days you have and what the registry rule means for your paperwork — in English or Spanish. Nothing you paste is stored.

This is not legal advice. Confirm every deadline with the clerk of court or free legal aid before you rely on it.

Eviction Notice Reader explains a document in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not legal advice. Deadlines are counted from statutes as published (Fla. Stat. ch. 83, Part II and 51.011) — confirm the exact day with the clerk of court or legal aid. Free civil legal aid: floridalawhelp.org · The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral 1-800-342-8011 · dial 211. Nothing you paste is stored.