Franklin County, Florida

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Franklin County?

Franklin County is assigned to the Tallahassee Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(3)). That is the division whose procedures govern your case, and the division's material is what applies to Franklin County residents — the court does not publish a separate rule set per county.

The assignment is not the whole venue question. A case under title 11 may be commenced in the district where the debtor's domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States were located for the 180 days immediately preceding commencement, or for a longer portion of that period than in any other district (28 U.S.C. § 1408). So someone who moved to Franklin County recently, or who runs a business in another district, may find that venue analysis points elsewhere. The district court has original and exclusive jurisdiction of cases under title 11 (28 U.S.C. § 1334(a)); a voluntary case begins when the petition is filed with the bankruptcy court (11 U.S.C. § 301(a)).

What does this court require of someone filing without a lawyer?

Only individuals, including married couples, can file bankruptcy or appear before this court without a lawyer; any other debtor must be represented by counsel (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment). Self-represented debtors must still comply with the Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and the district's Local Rules exactly as if represented, and the court states that failure to do so can result in dismissal or other sanctions (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).

The court also does not allow self-represented debtors to file electronically through CM/ECF unless the Chief Bankruptcy Judge has ordered an exception. Filings must instead be mailed to the Tallahassee Division, presented at the Tallahassee or Pensacola intake counter, or placed in a courthouse lobby drop box; documents are not accepted at the District Court Clerk's Office in Gainesville. Judges, chambers staff, the Clerk and Clerk's staff are prohibited from giving legal advice, helping prepare your petition or schedules, or recommending an attorney.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

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(a), (c)). Before that meeting closes, the trustee orally examines a Chapter 7 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 (11 U.S.C. § 341(d)).

For this district, the Assistant U.S. Trustee's office and the panel Chapter 7 trustees are listed on the court's Trustee Information page, which also notes that bankruptcy trustees cannot give legal advice to parties in a pending matter. Spoken-language and sign-language assistance must be requested before the meeting date, and unrepresented debtors are directed to contact the trustee assigned to their case. Meeting date, time and location are available through the court's automated case information line (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several standing and administrative orders shape practice in this district, and they are the part of your case that would read differently in another state.

Effective April 30, 2026, parties must use the court's Required Local Form Orders, without material alteration, for any motion, application or objection for which the court has posted one; failure to do so may result in rejection of the order or denial of the underlying relief (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001). The district also publishes its own local forms and a Chapter 13 plan form, and warns filers to use only the federal and local forms on its site (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms).

In Chapter 13, Standing Order No. 19 sets presumptively reasonable debtor's attorney fees, adequate-protection procedures, annual statement requirements and the form plan; Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-006 augments it. Motions to extend or impose the automatic stay must generally be filed within five days of the petition and carry sworn factual support (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002).

What does this court expect about credit counseling and filing fees?

An individual debtor must file a certificate from the approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency that provided services under § 109(h), plus any debt repayment plan developed through that agency (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)). This court states that Chapter 13 debtors must obtain credit counseling from an approved provider within six months before filing and must complete a personal financial management course after filing, and that missing certifications may result in dismissal or withholding of the discharge (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment). A local form exists for requesting a waiver of the counseling requirement.

The fee must be paid when the petition is filed unless the court approves Official Form 103A, an application to pay in installments, or Official Form 103B, an application to have the Chapter 7 fee waived. 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." Failure to pay as directed results in dismissal (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees).

What do the federal filing fees actually come to?

The statutory filing fee is $245 for a Chapter 7 individual or joint case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)) and $235 for a Chapter 13 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). Each chapter also carries a $78 administrative fee (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8), and a Chapter 7 petition carries an additional $15 trustee payment (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9).

These are federal amounts, identical in every district. What varies locally is the procedure for paying them, which this district publishes on its own fee page, and the court's own schedule lists suggested installment amounts for each chapter. Confirm the current figures and installment suggestions against the court's posted schedule before you file (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Fee Schedule Effective December 1, 2023).

Which Florida questions should you settle before filing?

Florida law decides a large share of what you keep, and those questions are worth settling before the petition rather than after. Florida's constitutional homestead exemption carries no state-law dollar ceiling but is limited to 160 contiguous acres outside a municipality or one-half contiguous acre within one, subject to the constitutional creditor exceptions and federal bankruptcy caps (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(1)). The single motor vehicle exemption covers up to $5,000 of the debtor's interest (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(1)), and a debtor who does not claim homestead may claim up to $4,000 in personal property (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(4)), which is unavailable for support debt.

Other categories sit outside those caps entirely — qualifying tax-exempt retirement funds (Fla. Stat. § 222.21(2)), workers' compensation (Fla. Stat. § 440.22) and prescribed health aids (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(2)) among them. Which list applies, how the homestead conditions interact, and how Florida treats wages are separate questions this page cannot resolve from the sources supplied here.

• Whether the homestead acreage and conditions fit your property
• Which exemption list you may use, and what that choice costs you elsewhere
• How your wages are treated while a judgment creditor is collecting

Where can a Franklin County resident get help?

The court itself lists free and reduced-cost legal resources, and notes that assistance from these organizations may depend on their resources or your income and is not guaranteed. Those listed include the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic, the district's Bankruptcy Bar Association pro bono initiative, the Florida State University College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic certified under Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 24-003's companion orders, the Florida Bar lawyer referral service, FloridaLawHelp.org, FloridaFreeLegalAnswers.org, Legal Services of North Florida and Three Rivers Legal Services (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).

On this site, Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can walk through your situation and build a roadmap using the court and Florida data above. If you would like to speak with a local firm, Arthur can show you a consent card so an introduction happens only when you ask for it. Nothing here is legal advice, and this platform is not a law firm.

Frequently asked questions

Does living in Franklin County guarantee my case goes to Tallahassee?

Franklin County is assigned to the Tallahassee Division (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(3)), but venue itself looks back further. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, the district is where your domicile, residence, principal place of business or principal assets sat for the greater part of the 180 days before filing. A recent move or a business in another district can change the analysis.

Can I email or fax my documents to the clerk?

Not as routine filings. Effective October 21, 2025, the court stopped accepting routine filings by email or facsimile from self-represented parties (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004). Documents go by mail or commercial carrier to the Tallahassee clerk's office, in person at the Tallahassee or Pensacola courthouses, or into a lobby drop box. A separate Emergency Filing Service covers certain documents when the clerk's office is closed.

Will filing through the Emergency Filing Service stop a foreclosure sale the next morning?

The court states plainly that it does not guarantee that. Documents submitted through the service are not reviewed, processed or docketed until the next business day, and new case numbers are not issued outside normal business hours absent a published exception, so a case number will not generally be generated in time for a morning sale (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us). The court advises planning ahead.

Can the clerk's office tell me which chapter to file?

No. The judges, chambers staff, Clerk and Clerk's staff are prohibited from providing legal advice, assisting with preparation of your petition or schedules, recommending attorneys, or discussing the substance of your case (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney). They can answer administrative questions, handle copy requests and run records searches. For substantive questions, the court's list of free and reduced-cost legal resources is the starting point.

How long does a bankruptcy stay on a credit report?

A consumer reporting agency generally may not report a case under title 11 that antedates the report by more than ten years from the date of entry of the order for relief (15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(1)). An agency reporting a title 11 case must also identify the chapter when the source of the information provides it, and must note a withdrawal before final judgment on receiving certifying documentation.

Are there special rules here after a hurricane?

This district has issued storm-specific administrative orders. After Hurricane Idalia, it suspended the Chapter 13 Trustee's customary practice of moving to dismiss cases two payments in arrears in the Tallahassee and Gainesville Divisions through November 1, 2023, and addressed insurance proceeds, gifts, grants and loans (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-004; Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-005). Those orders were time-limited; check the court's site for anything current.

Sources

• N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(3)
• 28 U.S.C. § 1408
• 28 U.S.C. § 1334
• 11 U.S.C. § 301
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 · official source
• 15 U.S.C. § 1681c
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Trustee Information
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. SO #19
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-006
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. Fee Schedule Effective December 1, 2023
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 24-003
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-004
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 23-005
• Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(1)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.25(1)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.25(4)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.25(2)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.21(2)
• Fla. Stat. § 440.22

Related

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• Find a bankruptcy lawyer by state

What it costs to file here

Chapter 7 — total court charges at filing

$338

28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8; Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9

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

Median annual income, household of one

$69,876

USTP Median Family Income (2026-07-15 period)

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.

All Florida exemptions, with their statutes →