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Small claims in Hillsborough County covers money disputes up to $8,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving Hillsborough County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
One courthouse takes small claims for Hillsborough County, shown below. The court checks the location against the defendant's address and the place of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 1,581,426 people live in Hillsborough County. The nearest counties to Hillsborough County are Pinellas County and Pasco County.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
Remote appearance is available for some small claims hearings, depending on the court and the kind of case.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Residents of Hillsborough County, Florida, which has a population of 1,581,426, can file small claims cases in the Florida County Court system. These cases cover claims up to $8,000. The Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department is located in Tampa at 800 E Twiggs St, 33602, and it can be reached at (813) 276-8100. The Small Claims Department is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and it is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The court serves communities across the county, including Brandon, Plant City, Riverview, Lutz, Valrico, Ruskin, Thonotosassa, Wimauma, Apollo Beach, and Sun City Center, along with ZIP codes such as 33510, 33511, 33547, 33563, 33569, and 33572. Hillsborough County lies near Pinellas County, Pasco County, and Manatee County. Electronic filing is available for cases in this county. Information about the courthouse, including directions, is published at https://www.fljud13.org/CourthouseDirections.aspx.
Hillsborough County covers these 21 towns and cities:
Apollo Beach, Balm, Brandon, Dover, Durant, Gibsonton, Lithia, Lutz, Mango, Odessa, Plant City, Riverview, Ruskin, Seffner, Sun City, Sun City Center, Sydney, Tampa, Thonotosassa, Valrico, Wimauma.
Of Florida's 67 counties, Hillsborough County is 4th by population at roughly 1,581,426 people. Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department, in Tampa, is about 11 miles from the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater and 13 miles from the Pasco County courthouse.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Florida, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
This state requires notarized filing documents. Squabble prepares them notarization-ready.
This state expects your supporting evidence to be submitted with the filing, not just brought to the hearing.
Over the limit? Either bring the figure down to the maximum and remain in small claims, or file the whole amount in the regular civil court. The amount given up is usually gone for good.
Hillsborough County is under the same limits as nearby Pinellas County and Pasco County. Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department is the courthouse listed for Hillsborough County.
If someone owes you money, up to $8,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department is the Hillsborough County courthouse listed below. Hillsborough County takes in Apollo Beach, Balm and Brandon and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
Expect a brief session rather than a trial, in person or by video where available, with a decision at the end or soon after.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Hillsborough County, at the Tampa courthouse. Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department lists (813) 272-5894 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand. Courts in Florida generally rely on personal delivery by an approved server, email service where the court allows it, the sheriff or constable or delivery arranged by the court.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Hillsborough County address carries one of its 98 ZIP codes, 33503, 33508 and 33509 among them. Addresses in Hillsborough County include places such as Apollo Beach, Balm and Brandon.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| Type of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 5 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
Hillsborough County, population about 1,581,426, is covered by the table above. They do not change from one Hillsborough County ZIP code to another, 33503 included.
In Florida, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Fla. Stat. §55.03).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
Hillsborough County is under the same state rate as nearby Pinellas County and Pasco County. It is the same rate across all 98 Hillsborough County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Hillsborough County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $55–$300 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Hillsborough County takes in filings from 98 ZIP codes, 33503 first in the list. Hillsborough County papers go to Hillsborough County George E. Edgecomb Courthouse: Small Claims Department in Tampa.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Hillsborough County has about 1,581,426 residents. Apollo Beach, Balm and Brandon are among the Hillsborough County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
Apollo Beach, Balm and Brandon are among the Hillsborough County places a judgment debtor may live in. Pinellas County and Pasco County are the counties nearest to Hillsborough County.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Hillsborough County case for you.
