Florida Judgment Liens: Recorded Claims and Dollar Volume (2026)
When a creditor wins in court and records the certified judgment, every parcel the debtor owns in that county becomes collateral. The owner usually cannot sell or refinance without paying it, which is exactly the pressure a buyer can relieve. This report totals the judgment liens DLRadar has recorded from Florida official records and the amounts written on them.
- 220,459 judgment liens recorded across 56 counties, 69,157 in the last twelve months.
- $236,613 in face value on the 17 instruments that state an amount.
- 4,789 parcels carry an open JL flag in the pool.
- Hillsborough County has the largest count at 103,815; newest instrument October 19, 2026.
JL-signal: the JL signal figures as of 2026-10-20; Florida official-record judgment lien instruments.
| County | Liens recorded | Last 12 months | Stated amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | 103,815 | 54,923 | $236,590 |
| Broward County | 48,271 | 205 | $0 |
| Okaloosa County | 24,831 | 236 | $0 |
| Pinellas County | 10,491 | 149 | $20 |
| Duval County | 7,920 | 7,861 | $3 |
| Alachua County | 6,616 | 450 | $0 |
| Citrus County | 4,549 | 391 | $0 |
| Brevard County | 3,273 | 3,203 | $0 |
| Indian River County | 2,333 | 141 | $0 |
| Hernando County | 1,276 | 166 | $0 |
| Polk County | 1,081 | 375 | $0 |
| Okeechobee County | 1,016 | 92 | $0 |
Judgment liens by county with summed face value where stated.
County ranking with amounts
Hillsborough County 103,815 liens worth $236,590; Broward County 48,271 liens worth $0; Okaloosa County 24,831 liens worth $0; Pinellas County 10,491 liens worth $20; Duval County 7,920 liens worth $3; Alachua County 6,616 liens worth $0.
From judgment to parcel
A judgment lien is recorded against a name, not a parcel. DLRadar attaches it to a parcel only when the official-record index ties the instrument to the property or the debtor matches the owner of record at the full address. The JL flag is therefore smaller than the raw instrument count.
Why the dollar figure matters
A small judgment on a high-equity parcel is a nuisance the owner will clear at closing. A judgment larger than the owner's equity is a reason to sell short or walk away. The table carries the summed amounts so the two cases can be told apart county by county.
Work the JL signal
Judgment-lien parcels are listed on the hub by county, and the distress-stack list bundles them with every other open signal on the same parcel.
JL parcels update as the records refresh.
Florida Judgment Liens: Recorded Claims and Dollar Volume (2026): questions
How long does a Florida judgment lien last?
A certified judgment lien on real property runs ten years from recording and can be re-recorded once for another ten.
Do the amounts include interest?
No. The figure is the amount written on the recorded instrument. Statutory interest accrues on top.
Is a satisfaction tracked?
Yes. When a satisfaction of judgment is indexed the lien closes and the parcel drops the JL flag.
More on the JL signal
Florida Judgment Liens: Recorded Claims and Dollar Volume (2026) (JL-signal) is fed by Florida official-record judgment lien instruments and is not legal advice. Nothing in the JL signal is tax or investment advice; verify every JL-signal record with the issuing office before acting.