United States · Florida appellate procedure

When is a Florida appellant’s reply brief due?

An authorized reply, if filed, ordinarily must be served within thirty days after the controlling answer-brief event under Rule 9.210(g). For multiple authorized answer briefs, use the last service; for an unserved last authorized brief, establish when it could last have been timely served. This calculator excludes mail-only additions and modified schedules. A reply responds to the answer rather than creating a second initial brief.

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Period: Thirty calendar days after the established answer-brief event, without a mail-only addition
Trigger: Established last authorized answer-brief service, or last timely-service date if that last authorized brief was not served
Rule: Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210(g)

Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure and Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration

Official appellate compilation published October 1, 2026 and general practice compilation published July 1, 2026

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Established last authorized answer-brief service, or last timely-service date if that last authorized brief was not served

Use after establishing reply permission and the controlling answer event, with no mail-only addition or applicable modified schedule.

Entry rules and timing exceptions

30 days from Established last authorized answer-brief service, or last timely-service date if that last authorized brief was not served

Fla. R. App. P. 9.210(g)Binding

Calculation software, not legal advice. Check the current rule, orders and facts.

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Which actual event starts this Florida appellate period?

Establish whether a reply is permitted in this proceeding.

Identify the last authorized answer and its actual service, or independently established last timely-service date if unserved.

Review the service method and actual motion or briefing orders.

Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210(g)

How does Florida count this appellate period?

Establish whether a reply is permitted in this proceeding.
Rule 9.420(e) incorporates Rule 2.514(a). Exclude the established event. For seven days or longer, begin with the next day that is not Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday. Count intermediate calendar days. For fewer than seven days, omit intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Do not treat a seven-day period as seven business days.
Check the observed statutory holidays, actual clerk calendar and chief-justice directions.
Complete the required act with the proper court or recipient.

Apply the observed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day holidays. Section 110.117 observes Saturday holidays on the preceding Friday and Sunday holidays on the following Monday. Rule 2.514 also includes clerk-observed holidays and days designated by the chief justice or chief judge. An ineligible final day moves in the counting direction. The bundled Florida calendar covers 2026 through 2028. Verify additional closures and chief-justice extensions separately.

Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.514(a)

What do the independently derived facts show?

Fictitious example

Fictitious facts. The controlling authorized answer is electronically or personally served and a merits reply is permitted. The independently established event is August 2, 2027. No additional holiday, mail-only addition, tolling or different order applies.

Example counting steps
Step	What is counted	Date
Established event	Established last authorized answer-brief service, or last timely-service date if that last authorized brief was not served	August 2, 2027
Applicable period	Thirty calendar days after the established answer-brief event, without a mail-only addition	Wednesday, September 1, 2027

Example resultWednesday, September 1, 2027

Fictitious facts. Establish the stated procedure and actual event separately. No mail-only addition, further clerk holiday, tolling motion, chief-justice extension or different actual court order is assumed.

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Which Florida appellate qualifications change the procedure?

Multiple authorized briefs change which service event controls: Rule 9.210(g) uses service of the last authorized initial or answer brief when more than one is authorized. If that last brief is not served, the responsive period starts from the last date it could have been timely served. Establish that date independently instead of using the first brief received.
This service-based calculator excludes the mail-only addition: Rule 2.514(b) adds five days after the otherwise computed expiration when service was made only by mail and the act is measured after service. This calculator covers an independently established electronic, personal or other service event without that addition. Mail-only facts need a separate computation; do not silently treat mail as email.
Actual motions and extension orders can change the briefing schedule: Rule 9.300(b) tolls the proceeding schedule on service of a motion unless paragraph (d) excepts it. Actual extension orders can change related acts and the next brief after record, index or transcript extensions. Establish the applicable motion, exception, disposition and order before using the ordinary unmodified period.
The reply responds to the answer: Rule 9.210(d) confines the reply to argument responding to and rebutting the answer and requires the stated tables and certificates. Paragraph (a) supplies its applicable word or page limits.
No jurisdictional reply is permitted under Rule 9.120(d): The discretionary-review jurisdictional brief procedure expressly prohibits a reply. This ordinary merits-reply calculator does not create permission in that proceeding.

Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210(g)

This page does not establish appealability, jurisdiction, disputed facts, sufficiency or an extension.
Check the governing historical edition, actual motions, orders, clerk holidays and filing receipts.

What must be filed, served and preserved?

Establish whether a reply is permitted in this proceeding.
Identify the last authorized answer and its actual service, or independently established last timely-service date if unserved.
Review the service method and actual motion or briefing orders.
Rule 9.210(g) uses service of the last authorized initial or answer brief when more than one is authorized. If that last brief is not served, the responsive period starts from the last date it could have been timely served. Establish that date independently instead of using the first brief received.
Rule 2.514(b) adds five days after the otherwise computed expiration when service was made only by mail and the act is measured after service. This calculator covers an independently established electronic, personal or other service event without that addition. Mail-only facts need a separate computation; do not silently treat mail as email.
Rule 9.300(b) tolls the proceeding schedule on service of a motion unless paragraph (d) excepts it. Actual extension orders can change related acts and the next brief after record, index or transcript extensions. Establish the applicable motion, exception, disposition and order before using the ordinary unmodified period.
Rule 9.210(d) confines the reply to argument responding to and rebutting the answer and requires the stated tables and certificates. Paragraph (a) supplies its applicable word or page limits.
The discretionary-review jurisdictional brief procedure expressly prohibits a reply. This ordinary merits-reply calculator does not create permission in that proceeding.
Prepare the Rule 9.210(d) reply limited to response and rebuttal, with the prescribed tables and certificates. Serve the authorized reply by the established deadline and complete filing. Identify the proper clerk and complete filing and service as separate acts. Rule 9.420(a) incorporates Rule 2.525. Attorneys ordinarily file through the portal or designated electronic facility. An eligible unrepresented party may elect electronic filing; prescribed paper exceptions remain. Preserve the successful portal or clerk filing timestamp under Rule 2.525(e). Unless another controlling time applies, Rule 2.514(a)(4) sets 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time for electronic filing or service by any means, and scheduled clerk closing for nonelectronic filing. Rule 9.420(a)(2) separately addresses qualifying unrepresented inmate filings and their proof. This calculator does not establish successful submission, sufficiency, a tolling motion or permission to extend a jurisdictional period. Rule 9.420(b)–(d) incorporates Rule 2.516 service and proof. Portal service is complete on filing for listed recipients, subject to promptly serving a recipient known not to have received the document. Email service is complete when sent. Permitted paper mail service is complete on mailing; delivery is complete on delivery. Rule 2.514(b) adds five days after the otherwise computed expiration only when the act is measured after service and service was made only by mail. Email or portal service does not automatically add five days. A filing-based or rendition-based period does not gain five days because another document was mailed. Establish the actual applicable service before choosing a service-based period.

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