Florida Form 1.981 Satisfaction of Judgment: Filing and Recording

In Florida, the creditor who won a money judgment completes Florida Satisfaction of Judgment Form 1.981, signs it before a notary, and records it with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the judgment was entered. Florida law requires this to happen within 60 days of receiving full payment, and a creditor who delays can be ordered to pay the debtor’s attorney fees.¹

Filling Out Form 1.981

Form 1.981 is a one-page template published by the Florida Supreme Court and available through most county Clerk of Court websites. Every entry on it has to match the original court file exactly, because the clerk uses those details to link the satisfaction to the existing lien record. A misspelled name or wrong recording number can leave the lien visible on a title search even after you file.²

Pull the details from a certified copy of the final judgment. You will need:

The case caption with the plaintiff’s and defendant’s full legal names, spelled exactly as they appear on the final judgment.
The name of the circuit court and Florida county where the case was heard — for example, “Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County.”
The Official Instrument number assigned to the original judgment in the Official Records.
The statement of satisfaction. The form’s template language reads that the creditor “acknowledges that the judgment is fully paid.”
The date and the signature of the creditor or the creditor’s attorney of record.

Getting It Notarized

Florida’s recording statute requires any instrument affecting real property to be acknowledged by the signer or proved by a subscribing witness before it can be recorded.³ Form 1.981 already contains a notary acknowledgment block, so notarization is the standard path.²

The creditor appears in person before the notary with valid identification, or is personally known to the notary. The notary fills in their name and commission expiration date and applies their seal. Separate witnesses are not required. If the creditor is a business, an authorized officer signs on the company’s behalf, and the notary acknowledges that signature in a representative capacity.

Recording the Satisfaction

Take the notarized document to the recording office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the original judgment was recorded. You can usually file in person or by mail. If mailing, use certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of delivery. Some counties accept electronic submissions through their own recording portals; check with the specific clerk’s office.

Recording fees are set by Florida Statutes Section 28.24. Adding the base fee, the Public Records Modernization Trust Fund surcharge, and the additional per-page service charge, the totals come to:⁴

First page: $10.00 ($5.00 base, $1.00 trust fund surcharge, $4.00 additional service charge).
Each additional page: $8.50 ($4.00 base, $0.50 trust fund surcharge, $4.00 additional service charge).
Extra names beyond four listed in the document: $1.00 per additional name.

A one-page satisfaction with four or fewer names records for $10.00. Fees are due at submission. After recording, the clerk assigns an Official Records Book and Page number, which is your documentation that the lien has been released from the public record.

The 60-Day Deadline and What Happens if You Miss It

The 60 days run from the creditor’s receipt of full payment, not from any later filing. Within that window, the creditor has to execute the satisfaction, send it for recording, and deliver a recorded copy to the debtor.¹

Miss the deadline and the debtor can sue to force the satisfaction. The prevailing party in that action is entitled to reasonable attorney fees and costs from the non-compliant creditor.¹ An unsatisfied judgment lien can block the debtor from selling or refinancing, so the fee-shifting rule has teeth.

If the Judgment Was Recorded in More Than One County

A satisfaction only clears the lien where it is recorded. If the creditor recorded the original judgment in multiple Florida counties, the satisfaction has to be recorded in each of those counties. Filing in one leaves the lien active everywhere else.⁵

If a Writ of Execution Was Issued

Recording the satisfaction is not enough if a writ of execution went out to the sheriff before payment. The party who received payment must send the sheriff a written request to return the writ as fully satisfied.⁶ Otherwise the sheriff may still have an active writ authorizing collection steps like a property levy, even after the court record shows the debt paid.

When the Creditor Won’t File

If the creditor ignores you, has disappeared, or refuses to record the satisfaction, Florida Statutes Section 55.141 gives the debtor a way out. The debtor pays the full judgment amount — including accrued interest and any execution costs — into the registry of the court where the judgment was originally entered.⁷

Once that payment and the recording fee are in, the clerk (not the creditor) executes and records a statutory satisfaction form that identifies the parties, the amounts paid, and the original judgment’s Official Records reference. Upon recording, any lien created by the judgment is satisfied and discharged by operation of law, and the clerk sends a copy to the judgment holder by certified mail if an address is on file.⁷ There is an added registry fee for this route, typically 3 percent of the first $500 deposited plus 1.5 percent of the balance, so it costs more than having the creditor handle it in the normal way.⁶

1
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 701.04 – Cancellation of Mortgages, Liens, and Judgments
2
Florida Supreme Court. Form 1.981 Satisfaction of Judgment
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 695.03 – Acknowledgment and Proof
4
Florida Senate. Florida Code 28.24 – Service Charges
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 55.10 – Judgments; Lien on Real Property
6
Clerk of the Circuit Court, Volusia County. Florida Satisfaction of Judgment Form
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 55.141 – Satisfaction of Judgments and Decrees; Duties of Clerk