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Florida · TitleFlorida judgment liens: recording, the 20-year limit and the notice of homestead

A Florida judgment becomes a lien on real property in a county only when a certified copy is recorded there with the creditor's address in it or in an affidavit recorded at the same time. The lien lasts ten years from recording and can be extended for ten more by rerecording a certified copy with a current-address affidavit before it expires, but never beyond 20 years from the judgment's entry (Fla. Stat. §§55.10, 55.081). The homestead is exempt from forced sale under the State Constitution, and Florida gives the seller a way to clear a recorded judgment before closing: a homestead owner with a contract to sell or a loan commitment can file a sworn notice of homestead, which the clerk mails to the creditor. If the creditor doesn't sue within 45 days – for a declaratory judgment on homestead status or to foreclose, with a lis pendens recorded – the lien is treated as not attaching as to a buyer or lender who takes under that contract or commitment within 180 days after the notice was filed. The procedure doesn't apply to tax liens, purchase-money obligations or liens for work on the property (§222.01).

What the statutes set

  1. Lien by recording (§55.10(1))

    Certified copy recorded in the county, with the creditor's address in it or in a simultaneous affidavit.

  2. Duration (§§55.10(2), 55.081)

    Ten years; one ten-year extension by rerecording before expiry; never past 20 years from entry.

  3. Notice of homestead (§222.01(2)–(3))

    Sworn notice describing the sale or loan; the clerk mails it to the creditor by certified mail.

  4. 45 days (§222.01(4))

    Creditor must sue and record a lis pendens, or the buyer or lender closing within 180 days takes free of the lien.

  5. Exceptions (§222.01(5))

    Taxes and assessments, purchase-money debts and liens for work on the property.

What the TC does when a judgment shows on title

  • Check the recording date to see whether the ten-year lien has run or was extended.
  • If the seller lives in the home, ask the seller's attorney about a notice of homestead early – the 45 days run from mailing.
  • Set closing within the 180 days after the notice is filed, and confirm with the title company that no suit or lis pendens was recorded.

Questions about Florida judgment liens

How long does a judgment lien last in Florida?

Ten years from recording, extendable once for ten more by rerecording with a current-address affidavit before it expires, and never beyond 20 years from the judgment's entry (Fla. Stat. §§55.10, 55.081).

Can you sell a Florida homestead with a judgment lien recorded against the owner?

The notice of homestead procedure exists for that: if the creditor doesn't sue and record a lis pendens within 45 days after the notice is mailed, a buyer or lender taking under the described contract within 180 days takes free of the lien (Fla. Stat. §222.01(4)).

Does the notice of homestead work against every lien?

No. It doesn't apply to liens for taxes and assessments on the property, for its purchase price, or for labor, services or materials to repair or improve it (Fla. Stat. §222.01(5)).

Related guides

Track the notice of homestead, the 45-day window and the closing date as tasks on the deal in ClosingCode.

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Sources: Fla. Stat. §§55.10, 55.081, 222.01 (flsenate.gov), read October 29, 2026.

General information, not legal advice. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm or brokerage. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.