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Small claims in Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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.
There is more than one hub courthouse in Pinellas County. Which one takes a case turns on the defendant's address or the location of the dispute, matched by ZIP code.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Unsure where to file? The court publishes a locator that turns a ZIP code into a courthouse, and Squabble handles that step for you. Coverage is updated periodically, so verify before filing.
Pinellas County covers 73 ZIP codes, including the Bay Pines, Belleair Beach and Clearwater areas. About 965,870 people live in Pinellas County.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
A remote appearance is possible for some hearings here; courts differ on which cases qualify.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
In Pinellas County, Florida, small claims cases are heard in the Florida County Court system, which handles claims up to $8000. Filings are accepted at the Pinellas County Courthouse, Civil Court Records - Small Claims, located at 315 Court Street, Room 170, in Clearwater, 33756, and at the Pinellas County Court - St. Petersburg Branch at 545 First Ave. N. in St. Petersburg, 33701. Both locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and are closed Saturday and Sunday, and both can be reached at (727) 464-7000. Information is also posted at https://www.mypinellasclerk.gov/. Electronic filing is available. The county has a population of 965,870 and includes communities such as Largo, Dunedin, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, and Palm Harbor, along with ZIP codes including 33705, 33710, 33713, and 33716. Pinellas County lies near Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and Manatee County.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 16 communities:
Bay Pines, Belleair Beach, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, Crystal Beach, Dunedin, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Oldsmar, Ozona, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park, Safety Harbor, Saint Petersburg, Seminole, Tarpon Springs.
With about 965,870 residents, Pinellas County ranks 7th by population among the 67 counties of Florida. From Clearwater, Pinellas County Courthouse, Civil Court Records - Small Claims is roughly 11 miles from the Hillsborough County courthouse in Tampa and 11 miles from the Pasco County courthouse.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
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.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Florida allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
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? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
They are the same across all 73 Pinellas County ZIP codes, from 33701 onward. These are the limits for Pinellas County, population about 965,870.
If someone owes you money, up to $8,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Pinellas County has about 965,870 residents. Pinellas County takes in Bay Pines, Belleair Beach and Clearwater 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.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
Pinellas County Courthouse, Civil Court Records - Small Claims publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Pinellas County Courthouse, Civil Court Records - Small Claims lists (727) 464-7000 as its number.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself. Florida courts usually take delivery by personal delivery by an approved server, email service where the court allows it, the sheriff or constable or delivery arranged by the court.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Hillsborough County and Pasco County are the counties nearest to Pinellas County. Addresses in Pinellas County include places such as Bay Pines, Belleair Beach and Clearwater.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| What the claim is about | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 5 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Pinellas County ZIP code to another, 33701 included. The same periods apply in Pinellas County as in nearby Hillsborough County and Pasco County, which are in the same state.
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.
It is the same rate across all 73 Pinellas County ZIP codes. Pinellas County is under the same state rate as nearby Hillsborough County and Pasco County.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File at the Pinellas County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $55–$300 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Bay Pines, Belleair Beach and Clearwater are among the places in Pinellas County that filings come from. Pinellas County takes in filings from 73 ZIP codes, 33701 first in the list.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Pinellas County has about 965,870 residents. Pinellas County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Bay Pines, Belleair Beach and Clearwater are among the Pinellas County places a judgment debtor may live in. A Pinellas County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
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 Pinellas County case for you.
