34.01 Jurisdiction of county court. - Florida Statutes

34.01 Jurisdiction of county court.

   (1) County courts shall have original jurisdiction:

   (a) In all misdemeanor cases not cognizable by the circuit courts;

   (b) Of all violations of municipal and county ordinances;

   (c) Of all actions at law in which the matter in controversy does not exceed the sum of $15,000, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney’s fees, except those within the exclusive jurisdiction of the circuit courts; and

   (d) Of disputes occurring in the homeowners’ associations as described in s. 720.311(2)(a), which shall be concurrent with jurisdiction of the circuit courts.

   (2) The county courts shall have jurisdiction previously exercised by county judges’ courts other than that vested in the circuit court by s. 26.012, except that county court judges may hear matters involving dissolution of marriage under the simplified dissolution procedure pursuant to the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure or may issue a final order for dissolution in cases where the matter is uncontested, and the jurisdiction previously exercised by county courts, the claims court, small claims courts, small claims magistrates courts, magistrates courts, justice of the peace courts, municipal courts, and courts of chartered counties, including but not limited to the counties referred to in ss. 9, 10, 11, and 24, Art. VIII of the State Constitution of 1885, as preserved by s. (6)(e), Art. VIII of the State Constitution of 1968.

   (3) Judges of county courts shall also be committing trial court judges. Judges of county courts shall be coroners unless otherwise provided by law or by rule of the Supreme Court.

   (4) Judges of county courts may hear all matters in equity involved in any case within the jurisdictional amount of the county court, except as otherwise restricted by the State Constitution or the laws of Florida.

   (5) A county court is a trial court.

History. s. 6, ch. 3730, 1887; RS 1572, 2833; GS 2034, 3890; s. 1, ch. 6463, 1913; RGS 3325, 3326, 5985; CGL 5169, 5170, 8278; s. 3, ch. 63-559; s. 9, ch. 72-404; s. 1, ch. 77-135; s. 1, ch. 80-165; s. 1, ch. 90-269; s. 3, ch. 2000-336; s. 4, ch. 2004-11; s. 31, ch. 2004-265; s. 29, ch. 2004-345; s. 25, ch. 2004-353.