Hillsborough County Small Claims Court Locations

Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department

• In person at the George Edgecomb Courthouse (800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa), Plant City (301 N. Michigan Ave.), or Brandon (311 Pauls Drive) - file where the defendant resides or where the action took place
• By mail to the Clerk of Court with a self-addressed stamped envelope
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

Walk-in filing is available at 3 locations: George Edgecomb Courthouse - 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 (main County Civil), Plant City - 301 North Michigan Ave., Plant City, FL 33563, Brandon - 311 Pauls Drive, Brandon, FL 33511.

Filing locations

3

Hours

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (Tampa and Plant City locations; Brandon Service Center 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

Filing fee

$55–$300

File without going in

Yes, online

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Hillsborough County accepts small claims filings at:

• George Edgecomb Courthouse - 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 (main County Civil)
• Plant City - 301 North Michigan Ave., Plant City, FL 33563
• Brandon - 311 Pauls Drive, Brandon, FL 33511

Any of these counters will accept the filing. The case is heard at the location the clerk assigns.

Is Hillsborough County the right court for your case?

Which court may hear a small claims case turns on where the dispute belongs, not on where it is convenient for you to go. It is normally:

• Where the defendant lives — or, for a business, where it has its place of business.
• Where the events you are suing about actually happened.
• Where a contract was to be performed, where the claim is about an agreement.

If Hillsborough County fits one of those, Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department can hear it. If none of them fits, the case belongs in another county's court and filing here costs you the fee and the time before it is transferred or dismissed.

We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.

Going to Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department in person

If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.

1. Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (Tampa and Plant City locations; Brandon Service Center 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.). Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
2. Bring the completed claim form and your copies. If your claim is based on a written agreement, a copy must be attached to the form. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
3. Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $55–$300. Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department accepts 4 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $40 per defendant.
4. Know the defendant's exact legal name and address. The clerk will not look it up for you, and a judgment against a trade name that is not the legal entity is difficult to collect on afterwards.
5. Leave with your court date. Hillsborough County sets the first court date at filing, so you leave the counter knowing when to come back.

Court staff can explain procedure and check a form is complete. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether to bring it at all.

Ways to file without standing in line

Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department accepts a filing:

• In person at the George Edgecomb Courthouse (800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa), Plant City (301 N. Michigan Ave.), or Brandon (311 Pauls Drive) - file where the defendant resides or where the action took place
• By mail to the Clerk of Court with a self-addressed stamped envelope
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

Common questions

Where is small claims court in Hillsborough County?

Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, County Civil/Small Claims Department, George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602.

What are the Hillsborough County small claims court hours?

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (Tampa and Plant City locations; Brandon Service Center 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Hillsborough County?

Not necessarily. Hillsborough County accepts a filing in person at the george edgecomb courthouse (800 e. twiggs street, tampa), plant city (301 n. michigan ave.), or brandon (311 pauls drive) - file where the defendant resides or where the action took place; by mail to the clerk of court with a self-addressed stamped envelope; florida courts e-filing portal.

Which Hillsborough County location do I file at?

Hillsborough County has 3 filing locations: George Edgecomb Courthouse - 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 (main County Civil), Plant City - 301 North Michigan Ave., Plant City, FL 33563, Brandon - 311 Pauls Drive, Brandon, FL 33511. Which one is correct usually depends on where the defendant lives or where the dispute happened.