When must a Florida tortfeasor present a government contribution claim?

Establish that the claim seeks contribution rather than indemnity.

Preserve actual judgment finality or the qualifying payment and pending-action agreement history.

Present the written claim to each legally required recipient and assess separate enforcement.

1. Establish that the claim seeks contribution rather than indemnity.
2. Do not convert statutory years or months into fixed day counts. Establish the governing computation provision for the actual presentment, denial or court-filing act. This conditional guide computes no date.
3. Check the observed statutory holidays, actual clerk calendar and chief-justice directions.
4. Complete the required act with the proper court or recipient.

A court clerk holiday does not by itself establish agency presentment or a statutory denial date. Establish the applicable computation provision and recipient procedure. 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.

The preset’s single judgment-or-payment event omits appeal finality and the express pending-action agreement branch. It cannot establish contribution entitlement, complete presentment or separate enforcement. No computed or paid date is released.

Entry of judgment is not necessarily finality

The six-month judgment branch runs after the judgment becomes final through lapse of appeal time or appellate review. Preserve entry, appeal history and the actual finality event instead of using the first judgment date automatically.

The nonjudgment branch includes an agreement

Without the stated judgment, paragraph 1. uses either payment discharging common liability or an agreement to discharge it made while the action is pending. A later payment date must not silently replace a qualifying earlier agreement event.

Contribution entitlement has substantive conditions

Section 768.31(2) addresses joint or several tort liability, payment beyond the pro rata share, intentional conduct and settlement extinguishing another tortfeasor’s liability. It also distinguishes indemnity. A selected notice date proves none of those conditions.

Presentment is not the separate enforcement limit

Section 768.31(4)(c) uses one year after judgment finality for a separate action. Paragraph (d) has distinct timely-payment and pending-action agreement branches, including completing both payment and the action within the stated agreement interval. Six-month government presentment does not automatically satisfy them.

Identify each legally required notice recipient

Section 768.28(6)(a) requires written presentment to the appropriate agency. It also requires DFS presentment, subject to its express municipality, county and Florida Space Authority exception. The wrongful-death subparagraph expressly names DFS. Preserve the actual defendant classification and applicable treatment before omitting any notice.

• This guide does not establish accrual, a sovereign-immunity waiver, completed presentment, an applicable tolling period or permission to file suit.
• Check the governing historical edition, actual motions, orders, clerk holidays and filing receipts.

• Establish that the claim seeks contribution rather than indemnity.
• Preserve actual judgment finality or the qualifying payment and pending-action agreement history.
• Present the written claim to each legally required recipient and assess separate enforcement.
• The six-month judgment branch runs after the judgment becomes final through lapse of appeal time or appellate review. Preserve entry, appeal history and the actual finality event instead of using the first judgment date automatically.
• Without the stated judgment, paragraph 1. uses either payment discharging common liability or an agreement to discharge it made while the action is pending. A later payment date must not silently replace a qualifying earlier agreement event.
• Section 768.31(2) addresses joint or several tort liability, payment beyond the pro rata share, intentional conduct and settlement extinguishing another tortfeasor’s liability. It also distinguishes indemnity. A selected notice date proves none of those conditions.
• Section 768.31(4)(c) uses one year after judgment finality for a separate action. Paragraph (d) has distinct timely-payment and pending-action agreement branches, including completing both payment and the action within the stated agreement interval. Six-month government presentment does not automatically satisfy them.
• Section 768.28(6)(a) requires written presentment to the appropriate agency. It also requires DFS presentment, subject to its express municipality, county and Florida Space Authority exception. The wrongful-death subparagraph expressly names DFS. Preserve the actual defendant classification and applicable treatment before omitting any notice.
• Preserve the actual written claim, each legally required recipient, delivery or filing evidence and the actual disposition. Presentment is not court filing or service of process. Section 768.28(7) separately requires process on the agency head and DFS, subject to its stated local-government and Space Authority exceptions. A compliant notice does not establish a waiver, timely suit or successful service.