Title: In Re: Amendments To Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC14-721 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL 
ADMINISTRATION 2.520. 
 
[November 26, 2014] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
We have for consideration an out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to 
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520 (Documents) filed by The Florida 
Bar’s Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (Committee).  See Fla. R. Jud. 
Admin. 2.140(e).  We have jurisdiction1 and adopt these noncontroversial 
amendments as proposed. 
BACKGROUND 
According to the Committee’s report, the more significant amendments 
address format requirements for paper documents filed with the court and the use 
of margins by the clerks of court, which are issues of great concern to the clerks.  
                                          
 
 
1.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
 
- 2 - 
The proposed amendments were approved by the Committee by a vote of 36-1 and 
were unanimously approved by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar.  The 
Committee did not publish the proposals before filing them with the Court.  The 
Court published the proposals for comment after they were filed.  But, no 
comments were filed. 
AMENDMENTS 
The more significant amendments are to subdivisions (b) (Type and Size) 
and (d) (Recording Space) of the rule.  In order to make it easier for clerks to scan 
paper documents, subdivision (b) is amended, as proposed, to require paper 
documents filed with the court to be legibly typewritten or printed, on only one 
side of letter-sized white recycled paper with one-inch margins and consecutively 
numbered pages.  Subdivision (b) also is amended, as proposed, to clarify that all 
documents electronically filed must be filed in a format capable of being 
electronically searched consistent with state and federal accessibility requirements.  
Subdivision (d) (Recording Space) is amended, as proposed, to add a one-inch 
margin requirement and format, location, and font-size requirements for the date 
and time stamp on electronically filed documents. 
CONCLUSION 
 
Accordingly, we amend the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration as 
reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by 
 
 
- 3 - 
underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  The amendments 
shall become effective January 1, 2015, at 12:01 a.m. 
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.  
 
Original Proceedings – Florida Rules of Judicial Administration  
 
Murray Bruce Silverstein, Chair, Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, 
Greenberg Traurig, P.A., Tampa, Florida, Judge Jon Berkley Morgan, Past Chair, 
Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, Kissimmee, Florida, John F. 
Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Krys Godwin, Bar Staff Liaison, The 
Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
 
 
- 4 - 
APPENDIX 
RULE 2.520. 
DOCUMENTS 
(a) 
Electronic Filing Mandatory. All documents filed in any court shall 
be filed by electronic transmission in accordance with rule 2.525.  “Documents” 
means pleadings, motions, petitions, memoranda, briefs, notices, exhibits, 
declarations, affidavits, orders, judgments, decrees, writs, opinions, and any other 
paper or writing submitted to a court. 
(b) 
Type and Size. Documents subject to the exceptions set forth in rule 
2.525(d) shall be legibly typewritten or printed, on only one side of letter sized (8 
1/2 by 11 inch) white recycled paper with one inch margins and consecutively 
numbered pages filed on recycled paper measuring 8 ½ X 11 inches. For purposes 
of this rule, paper is recycled if it contains a minimum content of 50 percent waste 
paper.  Xerographic rReduction of legal-size (8 1/2 by 14 inches) documents to 
letter size (8 1/2 by 11 inches) is prohibited. All other documents filed by 
electronic transmission shall comply with rule 2.526 and be filed in a format 
capable of being electronically searched and printed in a format consistent with the 
provisions of this rule. 
(c) 
Exhibits. Any exhibit or attachment filed with pleadings or papersto 
any document may be filed in its original size. 
(d) 
Recording Space and Space for Date and Time Stamps. 
(1) 
On all papers and documents prepared and filed by the court or 
by any party to a proceeding which are to be recorded in the public records of any 
county, including but not limited to final money judgments and notices of lis 
pendens, a 3-inch by 3-inch space at the top right-hand corner on the first page and 
a 1-inch by 3-inch space at the top right-hand corner on each subsequent page shall 
be left blank and reserved for use by the clerk of court.  
(2) 
On all documents filed with the court, a 1-inch margin on all 
sides must be left blank for date and time stamps. 
(A) 
Format. Date and time stamp formats must include a 
single line detailing the name of the court or Portal and shall not include clerk 
seals.  Date stamps must be eight numerical digits separated by slashes with two 
digits for the month, two digits for the date, and four digits for the year.  Time 
 
 
- 5 - 
stamps must be formatted in twelve hour time frames with a.m. or p.m. included. 
The font size and type must meet the Americans with Disabilities Act 
requirements. 
(B) 
Location. The Portal stamp shall be on the top left of the 
document.  The Florida Supreme Court and district courts of appeal stamps shall 
be on the left margin horizontally.  Any administrative agency stamp shall be on 
the right margin horizontally.  The clerk’s stamp for circuit and county courts shall 
be on the bottom of the document.  
(e) 
Exceptions to Recording Space. Any papers or documents created 
by persons or entities over which the filing party has no control, including but not 
limited to wills, codicils, trusts, or other testamentary documents; documents 
prepared or executed by any public officer; documents prepared, executed, 
acknowledged, or proved outside of the State of Florida; or documents created by 
State or Federal government agencies, may be filed without the space required by 
this rule. 
(f) 
Noncompliance. No clerk of court shall refuse for filingto file any 
document or paper because of noncompliance with this rule. However, upon 
request of the clerk of court, noncomplying documents shall be resubmitted in 
accordance with this rule.  
Court Commentary 
[No Change]