To fill out a Broward County summons form, download the version that matches your case type from the Clerk of Courts or 17th Judicial Circuit website, enter the full legal names of the parties, your contact information (or your attorney’s), the correct response deadline for the defendant, and the ADA accommodation contact, then file it with your complaint through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal along with the $10.00 issuance fee so the clerk can sign and seal it.1Broward County Clerk of Courts. Fees and Costs The form itself is short, but every field has to match the complaint, and the wrong template or a missing blank will bounce the filing.
Pick the Right Form First
Broward County uses different summons forms depending on what kind of case you’re filing. Choose before you start writing.
- Form 1.902 is the general civil summons for circuit court cases where the amount in dispute exceeds $50,000, including breach of contract and personal injury suits.2Supreme Court of Florida. In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938
- Form 12.910(a) is the family law summons required for divorces, paternity actions, and modifications of existing orders. Personal service is mandatory for all family law petitions.3Florida Courts. Summons: Personal Service on an Individual
- Form 7.322 is the small claims summons for county court disputes. It doubles as a notice to appear for a pretrial conference, so the procedure is different from standard civil cases.4The Florida Bar. Florida Small Claims Rules
County court handles civil cases where the amount in dispute is $50,000 or less; anything above that goes to circuit court.5Florida Statutes. Florida Code 34.01 – Jurisdiction of County Court6Broward County Clerk of Courts. County Civil7Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Court Forms
Filling In the General Civil Summons
Form 1.902 is the most common version, and its fields set the pattern for the family and small claims forms. The clerk verifies everything you write against your complaint, so accuracy matters more than speed.
Parties and Case Number
Enter the full legal name of every defendant being summoned. Each defendant needs a separate summons: two defendants, two forms, two $10.00 fees. The plaintiff’s full legal name goes at the top as well. If the clerk assigned a case number when you filed the complaint, write it in; if you’re filing the complaint and summons together, the clerk assigns the number at that point and adds it to the summons before issuance.
Misspelling a defendant’s legal name creates problems even if the clerk accepts the filing, because a defendant served under a wrong name can later challenge service. Match the spelling on your complaint exactly.
Attorney or Self-Represented Party Information
The form has a block for the plaintiff’s attorney name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and Florida Bar number. If you’re representing yourself, put your own contact information there and leave the Bar number blank. The email field isn’t optional: Florida courts use electronic service for documents filed after the initial summons, so the address you list is where opposing filings will land.2Supreme Court of Florida. In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938
The Response Deadline Blank
The form’s pre-printed language tells the defendant how many days they have to respond, but you have to insert the correct number based on who’s being sued.2Supreme Court of Florida. In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938
- Most defendants: 20 calendar days after service.
- State agencies and officials sued in their official capacity: 40 days.
- Claims under Florida’s sovereign immunity waiver (Section 768.28): 30 days.
Writing 20 days on a summons served on a state agency gives the defendant grounds to challenge the summons later, so match the number to the defendant.
ADA Accommodation Contact
Florida summons forms include a notice telling the defendant that disability accommodations are available at no cost. A blank in that notice requires the name, address, and telephone number of the court personnel who handle accommodation requests.2Supreme Court of Florida. In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 and Forms 1.902 and 1.938 Leaving it empty is a common reason clerks reject a summons. The Clerk’s self-help center can tell you which contact to list for the 17th Circuit if you’re unsure.
How the Response Clock Runs
The deadline you insert in the blank works with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.514. Counting starts the day after service, and every day in between counts, including Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. If the last day lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day.8The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Legal holidays include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and any day the chief judge designates.
The clock does not run from the date you filed the complaint. It runs from the date of service recorded on the return-of-service form, so the summons itself just tells the defendant how many days they’ll have once they’re handed the papers.
Filing the Summons With the Clerk
A completed summons is not yet enforceable. You submit it to the Broward County Clerk with your complaint, and the clerk reviews the documents, checks that the party names and case number match, then signs the summons and applies the court seal. That signature and seal are what turn the form into a legal instrument the process server can deliver.
E-Filing Through the Portal
Florida requires electronic filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com.9Supreme Court of Florida. About E-Filing Portal Upload the complaint and summons, pay the filing fees by credit card or e-check, and the issued summons comes back through the system. Select Broward County (17th Circuit) when you file, because the portal serves every Florida circuit.
In-Person Filing
You can also file at any Broward County Clerk location during regular business hours. The main courthouse is at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale, with regional locations in Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, and Plantation.10Broward County Clerk of Courts. Hours and Locations In-person filers can pay with cash or money order in addition to credit cards.
Fees and Fee Waivers
The summons issuance fee is $10.00 per summons, separate from the complaint’s filing fee, which varies by case type and amount in controversy.1Broward County Clerk of Courts. Fees and Costs Multiple defendants means multiple $10.00 fees. If you can’t afford the costs, you can apply for indigent status under Florida Statute 57.082; you qualify if your household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and a judge must approve the application.11Florida Statutes. Florida Code 57.082 – Determination of Civil Indigent Status
What Happens After Issuance
An issued summons sitting in your account does nothing on its own. Florida law requires service by either the Broward County Sheriff’s Office or a certified process server, not by the plaintiff.12Florida Statutes. Florida Code 48.27 – Certified Process Servers Once the defendant has been served, the process server completes a return-of-service form documenting the date, time, manner of delivery, and the name and, if applicable, representative capacity of the person who received the papers.13Florida Senate. Florida Code 48.21 – Return of Execution of Process That return has to be filed with the Clerk. Without it, the court has no proof of service, and you can’t move for default or set the case for trial.
Mistakes That Send You Back to the Start
The clerk rejects summons filings for predictable reasons: the wrong form for the case type, blank contact information for the plaintiff or attorney, an empty ADA accommodation field, and the wrong number of response days for the kind of defendant being sued. Any of these forces you to correct and resubmit.
Two other issues surface after issuance and can invalidate the whole thing. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 requires the summons to be served within 120 days of issuance, and missing that window lets the court dismiss the action without prejudice. And if the process server delivers to the wrong person at a business, or leaves papers at a residence with someone under 15, service is invalid and you’ll need a new attempt. Both problems trace back to the summons stage, because a rushed filing with a misspelled defendant name or a stale issuance date is what feeds them.