US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

28 U.S.C. § 89

Florida

Florida is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida.

Northern District

(a) The Northern District comprises the counties of Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

Court for the Northern District shall be held at Gainesville, Marianna, Panama City, Pensacola, and Tallahassee.

Middle District

(b) The Middle District comprises the counties of Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, St. Johns, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia.

Court for the Middle District shall be held at Fernandina, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Live Oak, Ocala, Orlando, Saint Petersburg, and Tampa.

Southern District

(c) The Southern District comprises the counties of Broward, Dade, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie.

Court for the Southern District shall be held at Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach.

June 25, 1948, ch. 64662 Stat. 876July 17, 1952, ch. 92966 Stat. 757Pub. L. 87–36, § 3(f)75 Stat. 83Pub. L. 87–562, § 176 Stat. 247Pub. L. 91–272, § 1084 Stat. 298Pub. L. 95–408, § 4(a)92 Stat. 884Pub. L. 100–702, title X, § 1021(a)102 Stat. 4672(, ; , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 7636 Stat. 1108June 15, 1933, ch. 7748 Stat. 147Aug. 25, 1937, ch. 763, § 150 Stat. 800Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 149 (, ; , ; , ).

A provision requiring rooms and accommodations to be furnished at Orlando without cost to the United States was omitted as obsolete, upon advice of the Director of the Administrative Office for the United States Courts that Federal accommodations are now available in Orlando.

section 452 of this titleA provision requiring court to be open at all times was omitted as covered by .

A provision that no deputy clerk or deputy marshal should be appointed at Fort Pierce, was omitted as incongruous with other sections of this title. See sections 541 [see 561], 542 [see 561], and 751 of this title.

section 142 of this titleThe provision respecting court accommodations at Fort Pierce and Panama City was omitted as covered by .

Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 100–702, § 1021(a)(1)1988—Subsec. (b). , added Collier, Glades, and Hendry to the counties comprising the Middle District.

Pub. L. 100–702, § 1021(a)(2)Subsec. (c). , struck out Collier, Glades, and Hendry from the counties comprising the Southern District.

Pub. L. 95–408, § 4(a)(1)1978—Subsec. (a). , added Madison to the counties comprising the Northern District.

Pub. L. 95–408, § 4(a)(2)Subsec. (b). , struck out Madison from the counties comprising the Middle District.

Pub. L. 91–2721970—Subsec. (c). provided for holding court at Fort Lauderdale.

Pub. L. 87–5621962— struck out provisions which authorized court for the Northern District to be held at Live Oak, and for the Southern District at Fernandina, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, and Tampa, and removed the counties of Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, De Soto, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Saint Johns, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia from the Southern District and created the Middle District to comprise such counties.

Pub. L. 87–361961—Subsec. (a). provided for holding court at Live Oak.

1952—Subsec. (b). Act , provided for holding court at Fort Myers and West Palm Beach.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–702, title X, § 1021(b)102 Stat. 4672

“(b)

Effective Date .—

(1)
The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this title [].
“(2)
The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to any action commenced in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, on or after the effective date of this title [probably should be effective date of this section], and shall not affect any action pending in either such court on such effective date.
“(c)

Juries .—

The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall not affect the composition, or preclude the service, of any grand or petit jury summoned, empaneled, or actually serving on the effective date of this title [probably should be effective date of this section].”
, (c), , , provided that:

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment; Savings Provision

Pub. L. 95–408, § 592 Stat. 885

“(a)
section 81 of this title The amendments made by this Act [amending this section and sections 93, 97, 98, 104, 112, 114, and 133 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under ] shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [].
“(b)
Nothing in this Act shall affect the composition or preclude the service of any grand or petit juror summoned, empaneled, or actually serving in any judicial district on the effective date of this Act.”
, , , provided that:

Effective Date of 1962 Amendment

Pub. L. 87–562, § 576 Stat. 248

section 133 of this titlesection 142 of this title“This Act [amending this section and and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] shall become effective ninety days after the date of enactment [].”
, , , provided that:

District Judges, United States Attorneys, and United States Marshals Designations; Tenure; Appointments

Pub. L. 87–562, § 276 Stat. 248

“(a)
The district judge appointed , the district judge appointed , and the district judge appointed , all for the Southern District of Florida, shall hereafter be designated as district judges for the Middle District of Florida.
“(b)
The district judge for the Northern and Southern Districts of Florida shall hereafter be designated as the district judge for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida.
“(c)
section 133 of this titlesection 142 of this title Nothing in this Act [amending this section and , and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] shall in any manner affect the tenure of office of the United States Attorney and the United States Marshal for the Northern District of Florida who are in office at the time of the enactment of this Act [], and who shall be during the remainder of their present terms of office the United States Attorney and Marshal for such district as constituted by this Act.
“(d)
section 133 of this titlesection 142 of this title Nothing in this Act [amending this section and and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] shall in any manner affect the tenure of office of the United States Attorney and the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Florida who are in office at the time of the enactment of this Act [], and who shall be during the remainder of their present terms of office the United States Attorney and Marshal for the Middle District of Florida as constituted by this Act.
“(e)
The President is authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a United States Attorney and a United States Marshal for the Southern District of Florida.”
, , , provided that:

Elimination of District Judgeship for Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida

section 2(b) of Pub. L. 89–372section 133 of this titleDistrict judgeship for northern, middle, and southern districts changed to district judgeship for middle district only, see , set out as a note under .