The Florida 20-day summons, Form 1.902, is the court-issued notice that tells a defendant they have been sued and must file a written response within 20 calendar days of being served or risk losing by default. You complete the form, file it with the Clerk of Court along with your complaint, and then arrange for an authorized process server to deliver it. The form was revised effective January 1, 2026, with new language about electronic filing and a required email field.
What You Need Before You Start
A summons missing basic details will be kicked back by the clerk, so gather everything first:
- The full legal name of every plaintiff and every defendant, exactly as written in the complaint. For a business, use the registered name on file with the Florida Division of Corporations.
- A current residential or business address for each defendant. A wrong address means the server comes back empty-handed.
- The judicial circuit number and county where the complaint is being filed.1Florida Courts. Trial Courts – Circuit
- The case number, if the complaint has already been filed. If you are filing the complaint and summons together, the clerk assigns the number at filing.
- The plaintiff’s attorney information: name, Florida Bar number, address, phone, and email. If you are representing yourself, use your own contact details and leave the Bar number blank.
Prepare a separate summons for each defendant. One form covers one defendant, not the whole group.
Which Version of Form 1.902 to Use
The form comes in two versions, and picking the wrong one delays service. Form 1.902(a) is the general summons directed to “Each Sheriff of the State” and is used when you plan to have the sheriff serve the papers. Form 1.902(b) is addressed directly to the defendant and is used when a certified private process server will handle delivery.2Florida Courts. In re Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938 Choose the version that matches your planned method of service.
Filling In the Form
The heading block asks for the state (“State of Florida”), the judicial circuit number, and the county. Below that, enter the case number and the names of the parties as they appear on the complaint. The body of the form contains preprinted language that warns the defendant of the 20-day response deadline.3Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Form 1.902(b) – Summons You do not draft that warning yourself; it is built in.
At the bottom of the form, fill in the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney block: name, address, phone, email, and Bar number if applicable.
The 2026 Revisions
The Florida Supreme Court approved several updates to Form 1.902 effective January 1, 2026. The revised form now tells defendants they may file their response electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at MyFLCourtAccess.com, or in person at the clerk’s office. It also requires defendants to include an email address in their written response unless the clerk excuses them from electronic service.2Florida Courts. In re Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938
The updated form also adds a paragraph pointing defendants to the Florida Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service and to free legal aid programs, and it adds an email address field to the plaintiff block at the bottom. If you are working from an older copy, replace it. The clerk may reject a summons that lacks the current language.
Filing the Summons With the Clerk
Submit the completed form to the Clerk of Court together with the complaint. You can file in person at the courthouse or electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.4Florida Courts. Filing Your Forms Attorneys must use the e-filing portal. Self-represented litigants may choose e-filing or paper, but once you elect a method, you cannot switch without court permission.
The clerk checks that the summons matches the complaint, then applies the court’s seal and the clerk’s signature. That step turns the blank form into an issued court document. The clerk charges $10 for issuing each summons.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 28.241 – Filing Fees That fee is per summons, on top of the case filing fee. Three defendants means $30 in issuance charges.
Getting the Defendant Served
An issued summons does nothing sitting in the court file. Florida law requires that the summons and a copy of the complaint be delivered by an authorized person. You cannot serve the papers yourself, even if you are the plaintiff.
Who Can Serve
Three groups are authorized to serve process in Florida: the sheriff of the county where the defendant is found, a special process server appointed by that sheriff, or a certified process server approved by the chief judge of the judicial circuit.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 48 – Process and Service of Process
The sheriff charges a fixed, nonrefundable fee of $40 per summons served.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 30.231 – Service of Process Fees Private certified servers set their own rates, typically $50 to $150 for standard service. Private servers often move faster than sheriff’s offices, which handle high volumes.
How Delivery Works
The usual method is personal service: the server hands the summons and complaint directly to the defendant. If the defendant is not home, the server may leave the documents at the defendant’s usual residence with any person living there who is at least 15 years old, as long as the server tells that person what the papers are.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 48.031 – Service of Process Generally
The Return of Service
After delivery, the server completes a Return of Service, a sworn statement showing the date, time, location, and method of delivery along with a description of the person served. That return gets filed with the Clerk of Court. Without it, the court has no proof the defendant was notified and the case cannot move forward. The 20-day clock runs from the date of service shown on the return, not the date the summons was issued.
Counting the 20 Days
The day the defendant is served is day zero. The next calendar day is day one. Weekends and holidays count. If the 20th day lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline pushes to the next business day.
Get the math right. If you are the plaintiff, you need the exact expiration date before you can seek a default. If you are the defendant, miscounting by a day can cost you the case.
If the Defendant Does Not Respond
When the 20-day window closes with no filing from the defendant, the plaintiff can ask the clerk for a default. Under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.500, the clerk must enter a default against a defendant who has not filed or served any document after the deadline passes.9The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 1.500 A defendant keeps the right to respond up until the default is actually entered, so filing one day late is still worth doing.
A default is not yet a judgment. Entry of default means the defendant is treated as having admitted the allegations, but the plaintiff still has to ask the court for final judgment. If damages are not a fixed sum, the court holds a hearing to determine the amount.
A defendant who wants the default undone can move to set it aside under Rule 1.540(b). Courts weigh three things: a good reason for missing the deadline, quick action after discovering the default, and a legitimate defense to the lawsuit. Missing any one of the three sinks the motion.
When the Deadline Is 5 Days, Not 20
Some Florida civil cases move under summary procedure and use a 5-day response deadline instead of 20. Evictions are the most common example.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 51.011 – Summary Procedure The statutory 5-day period overrides the longer period in the civil rules, and the summons form for these cases uses a summary procedure variant of Form 1.902 with preprinted language reflecting the shorter deadline. If your case is on that track, do not rely on the 20-day timeline described on the general form.