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In St. Johns County, money disputes up to $8,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in St. Johns County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Small claims in St. Johns County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
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.
St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, in St. Augustine, is the courthouse listed for St. Johns County. St. Johns County covers 12 ZIP codes, including the Elkton, Hastings and Ponte Vedra areas.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
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.
Residents of St. Johns County, Florida, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Florida County Court, which handles claims up to $8,000. Cases are heard at the St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, located at 4010 Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine, 32084. The court can be reached at (904) 819-3600, and further information is posted at https://stjohnsclerk.com/judges-information/. The location is open from 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM every day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday. The county has a population of 334,928 and includes communities such as Elkton, Hastings, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, Saint Augustine, and Saint Johns, along with ZIP codes including 32004, 32080, 32082, 32086, 32092, and 32259. St. Johns County lies near Clay County, Putnam County, and Duval County. Electronic filing is available for cases in this county, in addition to filings made at the courthouse itself.
These 6 places sit inside St. Johns County:
Elkton, Hastings, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, Saint Augustine, Saint Johns.
ZIP codes:
St. Johns County holds about 334,928 people, 21st of the 67 counties in Florida. St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, in St. Augustine, is about 11 miles from the Clay County courthouse in Green Cove Springs and 13 miles from the Putnam County courthouse in Palatka.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
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
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Lawyers are allowed at a Florida hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
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.
St. Johns County is under the same limits as nearby Clay County and Putnam County. St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center is the courthouse listed for St. Johns County.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $8,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
St. Johns County takes in Elkton, Hastings and Ponte Vedra and the rest of the county. St. Johns County has about 334,928 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center lists (904) 819-3600 as its number. St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
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. 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.
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.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
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.
A St. Johns County address carries one of its 12 ZIP codes, 32004, 32033 and 32080 among them. Addresses in St. Johns County include places such as Elkton, Hastings and Ponte Vedra.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| What the claim is about | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 5 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one St. Johns County ZIP code to another, 32004 included. The same periods apply in St. Johns County as in nearby Clay County and Putnam County, which are in the same state.
In Florida, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Fla. Stat. §55.03).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
St. Johns County is under the same state rate as nearby Clay County and Putnam County. It is the same rate across all 12 St. Johns County ZIP codes.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File with the St. Johns County small-claims court, 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.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
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.
St. Johns County has a population of about 334,928. St. Johns County takes in filings from 12 ZIP codes, 32004 first in the list.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center sits at the 32084 address shown above. St. Johns County has about 334,928 residents.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
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.
Elkton, Hastings and Ponte Vedra are among the St. Johns County places a judgment debtor may live in. The judgment in a St. Johns County case comes from St Johns County General Magistrate: The Richard O. Watson Judicial Center in St. Augustine.
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 St. Johns County case for you.
