--- title: Florida Mechanics Lien Form: Requirements & Free Template slug: florida-mechanics-lien-form description: Get the Florida mechanics lien form requirements, statute citations, deadlines, and a free template. LienFlash covers everything subcontractors need. published: 2026-08-17T09:53:45.963Z updated: 2026-08-26T14:35:30.435Z canonical: https://lienflash.app/blog/florida-mechanics-lien-form author: Grant Larsen publisher: LienFlash --- # Florida Mechanics Lien Form: Requirements and Free Template Last updated: July 2025 To file a mechanics lien in Florida, subcontractors and suppliers must use a Claim of Lien form that complies with [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html), and that lien must be recorded in the county where the property is located within 90 days of the last day of furnishing labor or materials. Most subcontractors on private projects must also serve a Notice to Owner (NTO) within 45 days of first furnishing — under [Fla. Stat. § 713.06](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html)(2)(c) — or they permanently lose lien rights, regardless of how much work they performed. Missing either deadline is a complete bar to lien enforcement in Florida. ## What Is a Florida Mechanics Lien Form? A Florida mechanics lien form, formally called a Claim of Lien, is a legal document recorded in the public records of the county where the project is located to secure payment for unpaid labor or materials on a private construction project. The required contents are specified in [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(1) and include the lienor's name and address, a description of the real property, the owner's name, the amount owed, and the dates of first and last furnishing. A lien that omits any of these required elements can be challenged and potentially invalidated by a court. Florida does not accept a generic or informal document — the form must mirror the statutory language closely enough to put a property owner on clear legal notice of the claim. ## Who Can File a Mechanics Lien in Florida? Under [Fla. Stat. § 713.05](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.05.html) and § 713.06, the following parties have lien rights on Florida private construction projects: - **General contractors** with a direct contract with the owner - **Subcontractors** (first-tier and lower-tier) who furnish labor, materials, or both - **Material suppliers** who supply materials to a contractor or subcontractor - **Design professionals** (architects, engineers, surveyors) - **Equipment lessors** providing equipment with an operator One critical distinction: general contractors do not need to serve a preliminary Notice to Owner before filing a lien. Subcontractors, material suppliers, and any party without a direct contract with the property owner do need to serve the NTO first. Skip that step and the lien right is gone. ## What Are the Required Contents of the Florida Claim of Lien Form? Under [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(1), a valid Florida Claim of Lien must include: 1. **Lienor's name and address** — the subcontractor or supplier filing the lien 2. **Name of the party who hired you** — your direct customer (the GC, if you're a sub) 3. **Property description** — a legal description sufficient to identify the property, typically the parcel's legal description from county records 4. **Property owner's name** — as shown in public records 5. **Amount claimed** — the unpaid contract balance, including extras if properly documented 6. **First furnishing date** — the date you first provided labor or materials to the project 7. **Last furnishing date** — the date you last provided labor or materials 8. **Statement of the contract** — a brief description of the work or materials provided The form must be signed and notarized before recording. Florida does not allow an unnotarized Claim of Lien — a lien recorded without notarization is void. ## What Is the Deadline to File a Florida Mechanics Lien? A Florida Claim of Lien must be recorded within 90 days of the lienor's last day of furnishing labor, services, or materials to the project, per [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(5). "Last furnishing" means the final day of substantive work — not a return trip to fix punch-list items or retrieve tools. Courts have consistently excluded minor corrective work from extending the 90-day window, so do not bank on that. After recording the lien, the lienor must enforce it by filing a lawsuit within one year of recording, under [Fla. Stat. § 713.22](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.22.html)(1), or the lien becomes unenforceable. There is no extension or grace period. **Key deadlines at a glance:** | Action | Deadline | Statute | |---|---|---| | Serve Notice to Owner (NTO) | Within 45 days of first furnishing | [Fla. Stat. § 713.06](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html)(2)(c) | | Record Claim of Lien | Within 90 days of last furnishing | [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(5) | | File lien enforcement lawsuit | Within 1 year of recording | [Fla. Stat. § 713.22](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.22.html)(1) | [Florida lien deadline reference](/deadlines/florida) ## What Is the Florida Notice to Owner (NTO) and Why Does It Come First? The Notice to Owner is a mandatory preliminary notice that most subcontractors and suppliers must serve before they can file a mechanics lien in Florida. Under [Fla. Stat. § 713.06](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html)(2)(c), this notice must be served on the property owner — and the construction lender, if any — within 45 days of the lienor's first furnishing of labor or materials. The NTO must be served by certified mail or by hand delivery. Serving it late or not at all permanently eliminates your right to lien the property for all work performed before service. If you serve it on day 50, you only have lien rights for work performed in the 45 days before service — everything prior is gone. The required contents of the NTO are set out in [Fla. Stat. § 713.06](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html)(2)(c) and include: - Lienor's name and address - Name of the person who hired you - Description of the services or materials being provided - Legal description or address of the property Do not confuse the NTO with the Claim of Lien — they are separate documents with separate deadlines and separate delivery requirements. The NTO goes to the owner before you're owed money. The Claim of Lien gets recorded after you're not paid. [Florida lien resources](/resources/florida-notice-to-owner) ## How Do You File a Florida Mechanics Lien? Filing a Florida mechanics lien is a four-step process: **Step 1: Confirm you served the NTO on time.** If you're a subcontractor or supplier without a direct contract with the owner, and you didn't serve a valid NTO within 45 days of first furnishing, stop here. Filing the lien anyway exposes you to liability for a fraudulent lien claim under [Fla. Stat. § 713.31](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.31.html). **Step 2: Complete the Claim of Lien form.** Include all required elements under [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(1). Use the statutory form as your template, or use an attorney-reviewed template that mirrors it exactly. **Step 3: Have the form notarized.** The lienor or an authorized agent must sign in front of a notary. No notarization, no valid lien. **Step 4: Record the lien with the county clerk.** File the notarized form with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the property is located. Recording fees vary by county — most Florida counties charge between $10 and $30 for the first page, plus additional per-page fees. After recording, serve a copy of the recorded lien on the owner within 15 days of recording, per [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(4)(a). ## Where Do You Find a Florida Mechanics Lien Form? The Florida mechanics lien form language is set out directly in [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(3), which provides a statutory form. Subcontractors can use this statutory template, download an attorney-reviewed version from a lien service, or work from their county clerk's website. **What to avoid:** Generic online legal form databases that don't update their templates when Florida statutes change. Florida's lien law has been amended multiple times, and an outdated form can get your lien challenged on technical grounds. LienFlash generates a Florida-compliant Claim of Lien automatically based on your job information — attorney-reviewed, notary-ready, and filed via USPS Certified Mail with a Certificate of Mailing PDF for $24.99 per filing. [Florida Mechanics Lien Guide](/learn/florida-mechanics-lien) ## What Happens If You Miss the Florida Mechanics Lien Deadline? Missing the 90-day filing deadline or the 45-day NTO deadline is not a technicality you can argue around — it is a hard statutory bar. Under Florida law, a lien recorded after 90 days is void on its face and cannot be enforced. Similarly, a subcontractor who never served the NTO has no lien rights at all, regardless of how much unpaid work they performed. This is not a hypothetical risk. According to Rabbet's 2024 Construction Payments Report, 82% of contractors face payment waits of over 30 days, and the average days sales outstanding in construction is approximately 90 days — double the 45-day threshold financial experts consider healthy. In other words, the payment timeline in construction almost guarantees that unpaid subcontractors will need their lien rights intact. Losing lien rights doesn't mean you have no recourse — you may still pursue breach of contract claims or file a lawsuit — but you lose the most powerful collection tool available to Florida subcontractors. A property owner with a clear title has little incentive to settle quickly. ## Florida Mechanics Lien Form: Free Template Language The following template mirrors the statutory form under [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(3). This is a starting point — review it against current statute language before use, or use an attorney-reviewed service. --- **CLAIM OF LIEN** State of Florida, County of ___________ Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared _________________________ [name of lienor or authorized agent], who being duly sworn, says that he/she is [the lienor] [the agent of the lienor]; that the lienor, _________________________ [name and address of lienor], has furnished _________________________ [describe labor, services, or materials] commencing _________ [date], for the improvement of real property identified as _________________________ [describe property]; that the owner of the real property is _________________________ [name and address of owner]; that the lienor was employed by _________________________ [name of person employing lienor]; that the amount now due and unpaid, after allowing all just credits, is $____________; and that the lienor's first furnishing date was _________. Signature: _________________________ Sworn to and subscribed before me this _____ day of ____________, 20___. _________________________ [Notary Public Signature] --- This template is provided for reference. Always verify the current form language against [Florida Statutes § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html) before recording. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do all subcontractors in Florida need to serve a Notice to Owner before filing a lien? Almost all subcontractors do. Any party without a direct contract with the property owner must serve a Notice to Owner within 45 days of first furnishing under [Fla. Stat. § 713.06](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html)(2)(c). The only parties exempt from the NTO requirement are general contractors who have a direct contract with the owner and are listed in the recorded Notice of Commencement. ### Can a Florida mechanics lien be filed on a public project? No. Florida mechanics lien rights apply only to private construction projects. On public projects — such as work for a state agency, county, or municipality — the payment protection mechanism is a Payment Bond claim under Fla. Stat. § 255.05, not a lien. The notice and claim deadlines on public projects are different from private lien deadlines. ### What county do I file the Florida mechanics lien in? File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the improved property is physically located. If a project is in Miami-Dade County, you file in Miami-Dade — not in the county where your business is located. ### Does the Florida mechanics lien have to be notarized? Yes. [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(3) requires that the Claim of Lien be signed under oath in front of a notary public. A lien recorded without notarization is void and unenforceable. ### How much does it cost to record a mechanics lien in Florida? Recording fees are set by each county clerk and vary. Most Florida counties charge $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page, but this can differ. Contact the specific county clerk's office for current fees before filing. ### Can I file a Florida mechanics lien without a lawyer? Yes. Florida law does not require an attorney to file a mechanics lien. Subcontractors can complete and record the form themselves. That said, errors in the required contents or missed deadlines can void the lien, so using an attorney-reviewed template or lien filing service reduces that risk significantly. ### What is the difference between a Florida mechanics lien and a Notice to Owner? They are two separate documents with separate purposes and deadlines. The Notice to Owner (NTO) is a preliminary notice served on the property owner before you are owed money — it is a prerequisite to lien rights for most subcontractors, due within 45 days of first furnishing. The Claim of Lien (the mechanics lien itself) is recorded after you are not paid, within 90 days of last furnishing. One cannot substitute for the other. ### What happens after I record a Florida mechanics lien? Within 15 days of recording, you must serve a copy of the recorded lien on the property owner, per [Fla. Stat. § 713.08](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html)(4)(a). After that, you have one year from the recording date to file a lawsuit to enforce the lien, under [Fla. Stat. § 713.22](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.22.html)(1). If you settle or get paid, you must record a Satisfaction of Lien within 60 days of receiving payment or the owner's written demand, under [Fla. Stat. § 713.21](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.21.html). ## Protect Your Lien Rights Today Florida's 45-day NTO deadline and 90-day lien deadline move fast — especially when you're juggling multiple jobs. Missing either one means working for free with no legal leverage to recover it. LienFlash generates your Florida-compliant Notice to Owner or Claim of Lien in under 2 minutes, sends it via USPS Certified Mail, and gives you a Certificate of Mailing PDF to keep in your records. At $24.99 per notice, it costs less than one hour of your time — and protects everything you've earned. [Sign up and file your first notice today.](/signup) Not sure where your deadlines stand? Use the free deadline calculator to see exactly how much time you have left on each active job. [lien deadline calculator](/tools/lien-deadline-calculator) --- Source: https://lienflash.app/blog/florida-mechanics-lien-form Author: Grant Larsen, President, LienFlash Publisher: LienFlash (https://lienflash.app)