Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office

Your Sheriff's Office is responsible for serving a great many types of paperwork generated by the court system. The Florida Statutes under Statute 30.15 outline the powers, duties and obligations of the Sheriffs in Florida. This statute begins by stating that Sheriffs, in their respective counties, in person or by deputy, shall:
(a) Execute all process of the Supreme Court, circuit courts, and boards of county commissioners of this state, to be executed in their counties.
(b) Execute such writs, processes, warrants, and other papers directed to them, as may come to their hands to be executed in their counties.

These first two duties and obligations of the Sheriff are accomplished by the Judicial Process Division which is primarily made up of the criminal process and the civil process sections.

The Civil Process Unit is located at the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, 1250 N. Eglin Parkway in Shalimar, Florida 32579. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To have non-enforceable process served, the Sheriff requires a fee of $20.00, sufficient original or certified copies of the process for service, and a proper physical address to serve the process. All fees for process are set by Florida Statute and is detailed below in the fee schedule.

NOTE* Effective January 1, 2007 the Sheriff’s Office will no longer mail a Sheriff’s Return Of Service to the plaintiff without a stamped self addressed envelope.

The Civil Process Unit is supported by seven full-time and two part-time deputies in the field that serve from 1500 to 1800 subpoenas, summons, writs, and other civil papers per month. Civil paperwork may also be picked up at the civil office in Shalimar or the District Office in Crestview.

A Writ of Execution is a document that is the result of civil lawsuit in which a judgment was rendered and commands the Sheriff to "levy on the goods and chattels of the defendant". The Civil Office also acts on the "Instructions of Levy" in conjunction with the Writ of Execution. This is the instrument that allows having the Sheriff "levy" on goods and property of a judgment debtor to collect the judgment. This is accomplished by means of a Sheriff's Sale if the judgment is not satisfied by the "judgment debtor" or defendant. 

The Sheriff is allowed under Florida Statute 83.62 to charge a "reasonable fee" as a deputy stands by to maintain the peace while a landlord changes the locks and removes a tenant's property from the premises when a Writ of Possession is served. The Sheriff in Okaloosa County, however, does not impose such a charge.

SERVICE OF PROCESS FEES - UPDATED JANUARY 1, 2007

THESE FEES ARE FIXED AND NON-REFUNDABLE AS PER FLORIDA STATUTE 30.231

SUMMONS                                                $20.00

SUBPOENA                                              $20.00

NOTICE OF HEARING, ORDER           $20.00
TO SHOW CAUSE, ETC.

WRIT OF GARNISHMENT                     $20.00 

ENFORCEABLE WRITS                        $70.00  These include Writ of Possession, Replevin, and 
                                                                                                                           Enforceable Orders of the Court 

EXECUTIONS                                           

Effective October 1, 2001 and pursuant to Florida Statute Chapter 55, the Sheriff no longer dockets and indexes Writs of Execution.

TO CERTIFY AN EXISTING                  $20.00
WRIT OF EXECUTION

PROCESSING FEE FOR                       $20.00
SHERIFF'S LEVY   

LEVY FEES                                              $50.00

ALL OTHER FEES ASSOCIATED WITH SHERIFF'S LEVY TO INCLUDE:
*  ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE UNDER PROCESS            
*  SALE UNDER PROCESS                                         $20.00
*  DEED, BILL OF SALE OR SATISFACTION
    OF JUDGMENT                                                      $20.00
*  NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S LEVY                                 $20.00

*  RELEASE OF SHERIFF'S LEVY                                $20.00

LEVY DEPOSITS

VEHICLES, BOATS, ETC.                      $1,500.00 PER UNIT MINIMUM

REAL PROPERTY                                    $1,000.00 MINIMUM

PERSONAL PROPERTY                         call civil office for estimate

BUSINESS INVENTORY                         $5,000.00

DURING THE EXECUTION OF A WRIT OF REPLEVIN OR WRIT OF POSSESSION, A DEPUTY WILL STAND BY TO KEEP THE PEACE FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME. IF THE ACTION IS GOING TO TAKE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE PLAINTIFF WILL NEED TO CONTRACT WITH AN OFF DUTY DEPUTY SHERIFF FOR THE STAND-BY. Rev. 10-01

To have papers served: Provide the original or certified copy and copy to serve. Please provide as much information as possible so the individual being served can be found as easily as possible.

For more information about The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Civil Process Division please call 651-7414.

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Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
1250 North Eglin Parkway
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850) 651-7410