When someone dies in Florida
The state-specific facts a family needs in the first weeks, with links to the official sources behind each one.
Last updated May 11, 2026. Sources are linked at the bottom of the page.
The first few days
You do not have to do everything at once, and most of it can wait a week. In the first days the real tasks are: get the death legally recorded (the funeral home or direct disposer does this), decide on burial or cremation, tell close family, and locate any instructions the person left. Everything else, the accounts, the house, the paperwork, comes after the death certificate is issued.
Florida at a glance
| Death certificates issued by | Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics |
|---|---|
| First certified copy costs | $5 (search) + $5 first certified copy |
| Probate court | Florida Circuit Court. Probate Division (per county) |
| Probate filing fee | approx $231–$401 depending on type (formal vs. summary) |
| Small-estate shortcut | Yes: Summary Administration |
| State estate tax | No |
| State inheritance tax | No |
| Wait before cremation | 48 hours |
Guides for Florida
- Death certificates
- Probate and small estates
- When there is no will
- Cremation rules
- Estate taxes and life insurance
Deadlines
| Death certificate filing by funeral director | Within 5 days of death (F.S. §382.008) |
|---|---|
| Probate petition for administration | No strict statutory deadline, but creditors' period and beneficiary interests favor prompt filing |
| Claims against estate after notice | 30 days from served notice OR 3 months from publication of notice to creditors |
Official agencies in Florida
| Vital records (death certificates) | floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/death |
|---|---|
| Probate court directory | flcourts.gov/Find-a-Court |
| State bar lawyer referral | floridabar.org/public/lrs |
| Funeral and cremation board | myfloridacfo.com/division/funeralcemetery |
| Insurance regulator | myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers |
| Attorney General consumer protection | myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection |
Want this organized for your situation? The free walkthrough asks a few questions about who died, where, and your relationship to them, and builds a checklist for the first days and weeks in Florida.