Florida
Bay County, Florida
Bay County is assigned to the Panama City Division of the Northern District of Florida under the court's own assignment rule. Which court a case may be filed in is decided separately, by 28 U.S.C. § 1408.
A Bay County, Florida bankruptcy case is assigned to the Panama City Division of the Northern District of Florida (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2)). Venue, however, follows where your domicile, residence, principal place of business or principal assets sat for the greater part of the 180 days before filing (28 U.S.C. § 1408), so a recent move or a business elsewhere can change the answer.
Key points
- Bay County sits in the Panama City Division of the Northern District of Florida under N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2).
- Hearings in Panama City Division cases have been held in Tallahassee since January 1, 2019, with a local form motion available to request Pensacola instead (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008).
- Self-represented filers in this district cannot use CM/ECF without an order from the Chief Bankruptcy Judge, and routine email or fax filing was discontinued effective October 21, 2025 (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004).
- The Chapter 7 filing fee is $245 and the Chapter 13 filing fee is $235, each with separate administrative charges, and installment or waiver applications must be approved by the court.
- Florida's exemption questions — homestead, vehicle equity, wage protection — are decided outside the federal fee and procedure rules, and this page links to them rather than restating them.
If you live in Bay County and you are close to filing, two questions usually come first: where does the case actually go, and what will that particular court expect from you. This page answers both from the Northern District of Florida's own orders and official pages, plus the federal provisions that apply everywhere. Where the record here does not answer something, it says so.
Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Bay County?
Bay County is assigned to the Panama City Division of the Northern District of Florida (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2)). That is the division your case number and docket belong to.
Division assignment is not the same thing as venue. A case may be commenced in the district where your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States were located for the 180 days immediately before filing, or for a longer portion of that period than any other district (28 U.S.C. § 1408). Residence alone is not the whole rule — a recent move into or out of Bay County, or a business whose center of operations sits elsewhere, can point to a different district.
One practical wrinkle applies here specifically. Effective January 1, 2019 and continuing until further order, hearings in all cases filed in or assigned to the Panama City Division are held in Tallahassee (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008). Debtors who would rather appear in Pensacola may file the court's local form motion; the order granting it is entered without a hearing, and creditors then have fourteen days to seek reconsideration.
- Division: Panama City Division, Northern District of Florida (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2))
- Venue test: the greater part of the 180 days before filing (28 U.S.C. § 1408)
- Hearing location: Tallahassee for Panama City Division cases, with a motion available to request Pensacola (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008)
What does this court require of someone filing without a lawyer?
The district publishes a dedicated page for self-represented filers, and several of its requirements are specific to this court rather than to the Code.
This court does not allow self-represented debtors to file documents electronically through CM/ECF unless an exception has been ordered by the Chief Bankruptcy Judge. Filings must instead be mailed to the Tallahassee Division, presented at the Tallahassee or Pensacola intake counter, or placed in a drop box in those courthouse lobbies; documents are not accepted at the District Court Clerk's Office in Gainesville (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).
Routine email and fax filing ended. Effective October 21, 2025, Administrative Order 23-001 was vacated and the court no longer accepts routine filings by email or facsimile from self-represented parties (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004). A narrower Emergency Filing Service exists for certain documents when the Clerk's Office is closed, and the court states plainly that it does not guarantee a case number in time to halt a next-morning foreclosure sale (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us).
The court also states that judges, chambers staff, the Clerk and Clerk's staff cannot give legal advice, help prepare your petition or schedules, or recommend an attorney.
- No CM/ECF access for self-represented debtors absent an order from the Chief Bankruptcy Judge
- File by mail to Tallahassee, at the Tallahassee or Pensacola intake counter, or by drop box
- Use only the federal and local forms the Clerk's Office or court website supplies
How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?
The federal structure is the same in every county. Within a reasonable time after the order for relief, the United States trustee convenes and presides at a meeting of creditors; the court may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). Before the meeting concludes in a Chapter 7 case, the trustee orally examines the debtor to confirm awareness of the consequences of seeking a discharge, including effects on credit history, the ability to file under a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt.
A creditor holding a consumer debt, or that creditor's representative, is permitted to appear and participate in a Chapter 7 or 13 meeting, with or without an attorney (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)).
What this district adds is logistics. The court's automated case information line reports the § 341(a) meeting date, time and location for a given case, and the court publishes the Assistant U.S. Trustee's office contact details along with the panel Chapter 7 trustees and the Chapter 12 and 13 standing trustee (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Trustee Information). Unrepresented debtors needing spoken or sign language assistance are directed to contact the trustee assigned to the case before the meeting date.
| Role | What the law provides |
|---|---|
| United States trustee | Convenes and presides at the meeting (11 U.S.C. § 341(a)) |
| Bankruptcy judge | May not preside at or attend the meeting (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)) |
| Trustee | Orally examines a Chapter 7 debtor on discharge consequences before the meeting concludes (11 U.S.C. § 341(d)) |
| Consumer-debt creditor | Permitted to appear and participate, alone or with counsel (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)) |
What local rules and orders change the process here?
Several district-wide orders shape day-to-day practice, and a Bay County filer is subject to all of them.
The Northern District of Florida uses a district-wide Chapter 13 plan form, Local Form 13-21, listed on the court's Forms page along with the local annual statement, plan modification and abatement forms (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms). Standing Order No. 19 governs Chapter 13 attorney fees, adequate protection payments, annual statements and tax returns, and requires a Notice of Adequate Protection within 15 days of the order for relief (Bankr. N.D. Fla. SO #19). A separate order raised the presumptively reasonable Chapter 13 debtor's attorney fee and directs the Clerk to post it on the court's website (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-006).
Two further orders matter procedurally. Effective April 30, 2026, parties are required to use the court's Required Local Form Orders once posted, without material alteration; failure can result in the order being rejected or the underlying request denied without prejudice (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001). And motions to extend or impose the automatic stay must generally be filed within five days of the petition and carry specified contents plus a sworn affidavit, verification or unsworn declaration (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002).
- District-wide Chapter 13 plan form (Local Form 13-21) and local Chapter 13 forms
- Standing Order No. 19: Chapter 13 fees, adequate protection, annual statements
- Required Local Form Orders mandatory as of April 30, 2026 (AO 26-001)
- Stay extension or imposition motions: five-day filing deadline and content requirements (Amended AO 15-002)
What are the filing fees, and what if you cannot pay them?
The statutory filing fee is $245 for an individual or joint Chapter 7 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)) and $235 for an individual or joint Chapter 13 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). A separate administrative fee of $78 is collected in each chapter (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8), and a Chapter 7 case also carries a trustee payment of $15 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9).
The court's own instruction is that the fee is paid in full when the petition is filed unless the petition is accompanied by a signed Application to Pay the Filing Fees in Installments (Official Form 103A) or, in Chapter 7, a signed Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived (Official Form 103B) — either of which must be approved by the court. A waiver request turns on income measured against the official poverty line, and an installment application may be denied if fees from a prior case are outstanding. Failure to pay as directed results in dismissal (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees).
This court does not accept cash or personal checks from debtors; money orders and cashier's checks must be for the exact amount and payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court" (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Fees). Other amounts appear on the district's fee schedule — confirm those directly at the court's fee page rather than relying on a figure quoted secondhand.
| Item | Amount | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 7 filing fee | $245 | 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1) |
| Chapter 7 administrative fee | $78 | Misc. Fee Schedule, Item 8 |
| Chapter 7 trustee payment | $15 | Misc. Fee Schedule, Item 9 |
| Chapter 13 filing fee | $235 | 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B) |
| Chapter 13 administrative fee | $78 | Misc. Fee Schedule, Item 8 |
Which Florida questions should you settle before filing?
The federal fee schedule and the district's local orders tell you how a case runs. They do not tell you what you keep, and that is usually the question a Bay County household cares about most.
Three Florida questions commonly come first. Which exemption list applies to you, and on what conditions. How Florida's homestead protection works, including its acreage limits and the interaction with federal bankruptcy caps. And what portion of wages Florida law shields from a creditor who already holds a judgment. The supplied sources for this page cover court assignment, local procedure and federal fees; they do not carry the full conditions attached to those exemption questions, so this page cannot answer them from the material in front of it. That is a limit of this page's evidence, not a statement about what the law provides.
The linked Florida pages below set those rules out with their citations and conditions. They are worth reading before you choose a chapter, because the answers often shape which chapter a household explores rather than the other way round.
- Which exemption list applies, and under what conditions
- How Florida homestead protection and its limits operate
- What a judgment creditor can and cannot reach from wages
- Whether any required credit counseling certificate is in hand before the petition is filed
Where can a Bay County resident get help?
The court lists free and reduced-cost legal resources on its page for self-represented filers, and notes that assistance from these organizations may depend on available resources or your income and is not guaranteed (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).
Those listed include the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic, a Pro Bono Initiative run through the district's Bankruptcy Bar Association, and the Florida State University College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic, which the court certified by administrative order. The page also points to the Florida Bar's lawyer referral service, FloridaLawHelp.org, FloridaFreeLegalAnswers.org, Legal Services of North Florida and Three Rivers Legal Services.
If you would rather start with structure than with a phone call, Arthur — the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator — can walk through your situation and build a roadmap you can take to any of the above. Arthur explains and organizes; he does not give legal advice, and this platform is not a law firm and does not represent you. If you ask for an introduction to a local firm, that happens only through a consent form you read and submit yourself, and your conversation is never shared with a firm.
- District Pro Se Clinic and Bankruptcy Bar Association Pro Bono Initiative
- FSU College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic (certified by the court)
- Florida Bar referral service, FloridaLawHelp.org, FloridaFreeLegalAnswers.org
- Legal Services of North Florida; Three Rivers Legal Services
Frequently asked questions
- Will I have to travel to Tallahassee for a hearing?
- For Panama City Division cases, yes by default. Effective January 1, 2019 and continuing until further order, hearings in all cases filed in or assigned to the Panama City Division are held in Tallahassee (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008). The court provides a local form motion to request that hearings be held in Pensacola instead; the order granting it is entered without a hearing, and creditors have fourteen days to seek reconsideration.
- Can I email my petition to the court?
- Not as a routine matter. Effective October 21, 2025, the court vacated its earlier order and no longer accepts routine filings by email or facsimile from self-represented parties (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004). A limited Emergency Filing Service covers certain documents when the Clerk's Office is closed, but documents submitted during open hours without a published exception are discarded without notice (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us).
- Does credit counseling apply to a Chapter 13 case here?
- Yes. An individual debtor must file a certificate from the approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency that provided services, plus any debt repayment plan developed through it (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)). The district's Chapter 13 page states that counseling must be obtained within six months before filing and that a financial management course must be completed after filing, and that failure can mean dismissal or withholding of the discharge.
- What happens if I do not file my schedules on time?
- The deadline is enforced by statute. If an individual debtor in a voluntary Chapter 7 or 13 case fails to file all the information required under § 521(a)(1) within 45 days after filing the petition, the case is automatically dismissed effective on the 46th day (11 U.S.C. § 521(i)). The court may allow one additional period of up to 45 days on a timely request, and a trustee may move to avoid dismissal in limited circumstances.
- Which Chapter 13 plan form do I use in Bay County?
- The district publishes its own Chapter 13 plan form, Local Form 13-21, on the court's Forms page alongside its other local Chapter 13 forms (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms). The court instructs filers to use only the federal and local forms available from the Clerk's Office or its website, because forms from another court or outdated versions may be rejected.
- Can the court waive my Chapter 13 filing fee?
- The statutory Chapter 7 waiver does not extend to Chapter 13. The court's instruction is that the fee is due in full at filing unless an Application to Pay the Filing Fees in Installments (Official Form 103A) accompanies the petition and is approved; the fee waiver application applies to Chapter 7 (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees). Failure to pay as directed results in dismissal of the case.
Sources
- N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2) — Change of Division Within This District
- 28 U.S.C. § 1408 — Venue of cases under title 11
- 11 U.S.C. § 341 — Meetings of creditors and equity security holders · official source
- 11 U.S.C. § 521 — Debtor's duties · official source
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008 — Relocation of Hearings in Panama City Division Cases
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004 — Modifying the Means of Filing Pleadings By Self-Represented Parties
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Trustee Information
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. SO #19 — Chapter 13 Attorneys Fees, Adequate Protection Payments, Annual Statements, Form Plan and Tax Returns
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-006 — Increasing Presumptively Reasonable Debtor's Attorney Fees in Chapter 13 Cases
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001 — Mandating Use of Required Local Form Orders
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002 — Procedures for Motions to Extend or Impose the Automatic Stay
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Fees
- Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
- Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9
- 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1) · official source
- 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B) · official source
- Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment
By Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq. · Florida Bar No. 21022
Sources verified October 30, 2026 · How we verify
Every figure on this page is drawn from a primary legal source and checked against our canonical legal database before publication. Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
Related
The court Bay County is assigned to
Panama City Division, Northern District of Florida (flnb)
Bankruptcy venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, not by county alone. It can rest on domicile, residence, a principal place of business, or principal assets in the United States, measured over the 180 days before filing — so a recent move can change which district is available. Confirm venue before filing.
N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2)
What it costs to file here
- Chapter 7 — total court charges at filing
- $338
- Chapter 13 — total court charges at filing
- $313
28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
Court charges only. What a lawyer charges is separate and varies by district and by case. Estimate the full cost →
Florida median income
The means test compares household income to the published median for the same household size. Being above it is not a bar to filing. Compare your household →
What Florida law protects
This state has opted out of the federal exemption list for debtors whose applicable exemption law is this state's law. Which state's law applies is set by 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A) from where the filer was domiciled before filing, not from where they live today — and § 522(b)(3) still allows the federal list where that domicile rule would otherwise leave a debtor with no exemptions at all.
Homestead
- No fixed dollar capFlorida constitutional homestead
Vehicle
- $5,000Florida single motor vehicle
Wildcard
- $4,000Florida no-homestead personal-property exemption
Bankruptcy lawyers serving Bay County
No firm currently participates in Bay County. Tell Arthur what is happening and ask to be connected — the request reaches a person either way, and nothing is shared until you say so.
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