Courthouses in Tampa, FL
This article gives some background information about the courthouses in Tampa, FL, including the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex, and the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse.
State court cases are heard in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Hillsborough County. The courthouse you go to depends on whether your case is for civil traffic court, county court, or circuit court. For example, civil traffic cases are heard in traffic court, misdemeanor and traffic misdemeanor cases are heard in county court, felony cases are heard in circuit court.
The courthouse for the United States District Court in the Middle District of Florida in the Tampa Division is the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse.
George E. Edgecomb Courthouse
Most family law and civil cases are heard at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse located at 800 Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602. The courthouse is named after the first African-American county judge in Hillsborough County.
Building the 332,000 square foot courthouse cost more than $42.9 million. The courthouse was dedicated in January 2004.
A bronze bust of George E. Edgecomb is housed in the lobby of the courthouse. Outside the front doors of the courthouse is a statute of Veritas et Justitia (Lady Justice).
Civil cases might be heard in county court or circuit court at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse.
The jurisdiction for Circuit Civil is for amounts over $30,000. Cases handled in circuit civil include mortgage foreclosure, other real property, lien foreclosure, medical and professional malpractice, auto negligence, contract and indebtedness, personal injury, and eminent domain.
The jurisdiction for County Civil involves lawsuits with damages of less than $30,000. Those types of lawsuits often involve evictions and small claims.
Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex
Most criminal cases in Tampa, FL, both felony and misdemeanor, are heard at the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex.
The Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex is connected to the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse with a skywalk corridor. You must enter the courthouse at the Jefferson and Twiggs entrance.
After you get through security, go to the second floor and head to your left across the skywalk corridor that connects the two courthouses. The address of the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex is 401 N. Jefferson Street, Tampa, FL 33602.
Old Courthouse
The courtrooms for civil traffic cases and citations are held in the old courthouse across the street and to the east of the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex. The address for the traffic courtroom, Room #100, is 419 Pierce Street, Tampa, FL 33602.
Plant City Courthouse
The Plant City Courthouse is located at 301 North Michigan Ave, Room 1071, Plant City, FL 33563. Misdemeanor charges that originate in the westside of the county go to this courthouse along with restraining order and mental health cases.
Federal Courthouse in Tampa
The courthouse for the United States District Court in the Middle District of Florida in the Tampa Division is the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse.
You need a photo ID to enter the building and you are not permitted to bring in any electronic device, including a cell phone. The federal courthouse is located at 801 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602.
This article was last updated on Friday, December 11, 2020.
