Medical debt laws in Florida

In Florida, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 3 years (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b) (5 years, written); Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(j) (4 years, not founded on a written instrument, incl. store/open accounts); Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4) (3 years, facility medical debt)). Florida added a medical-debt-specific period in 2024: an action to collect medical debt for services rendered by a facility licensed under chapter 395 (hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers) must be brought within 3 years, running from the date the facility refers the debt to a third party for collection (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4), verified in the 2025 statutes). Caution: this covers facility debt only and the clock starts at referral to collections, not the service date; bills from non-facility providers (e.g., independent physician practices) still fall under 5 years if founded on a signed written instrument (§ 95.11(2)(b)) or 4 years if not (§ 95.11(3)(j)). That clock decides whether a collector can win a lawsuit against you — which changes what you should do next, so check the dates on the bill before you do anything else.

What the time limit actually means

The statute of limitations does not erase a debt — it limits how long a collector can successfully sue over it. A time-barred debt can still be requested, reported (within credit-reporting time limits), and settled. But if a collector sues after the period has run and you raise the statute of limitations as a defense, the case should be dismissed. The defense is not automatic: you must respond to the lawsuit to use it.

Careful: Partial payment of principal or interest on an obligation founded on a written instrument tolls/restarts the period under Fla. Stat. § 95.051(1)(f), and reviving an already-barred debt by acknowledgment or new promise requires a signed writing under Fla. Stat. § 95.04.

Florida protections for medical debt

• 3-year limit on hospital/facility medical-debt suits (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)) — 2024 legislation created a 3-year limitations period for collecting medical debt for services by chapter 395 facilities (hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers), running from referral of the debt to a third-party collector; the same reform package required facility charity-care screening and billing-practice transparency.

• Charity care is federal law. Nonprofit hospitals must maintain a written Financial Assistance Policy and publicize it (IRS §501(r)). If your bill is from a nonprofit hospital, ask for the FAP application before paying anything. How to apply →
• Surprise out-of-network bills. The federal No Surprises Act bans most out-of-network balance billing for emergency care and for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. When a bill is illegal →
• Credit reporting. The national bureaus no longer report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or those less than a year old.

Rules Florida sets for collectors

Beyond the federal FDCPA, Florida has its own collection statute — the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA) (Fla. Stat. §§ 559.55–559.785). Broader than the federal FDCPA — it applies to original creditors as well as collectors, bans 19 specific abusive practices (Fla. Stat. § 559.72), and gives consumers actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney's fees.

Yes — consumer collection agencies (in-state and out-of-state) must register with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation under Fla. Stat. § 559.553 before collecting consumer debts, with limited exemptions (original creditors, banks, Florida Bar members, etc.).

Under the FDCPA, within five days of first contacting you a collector must send a written validation notice (15 U.S.C. §1692g). If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of that notice, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails you verification. There is no legal deadline for the collector to respond — but until it does, it cannot lawfully keep collecting.

If a collector is calling: the first 24 hours

1. Do not confirm the debt is yours on the phone, and do not make a payment yet — get everything in writing first.
2. Ask for the collector’s company name, mailing address, and the amount claimed. Write down the date and time.
3. Check the dates: if the last activity on the bill is older than 3 years, the debt may be time-barred in Florida.
4. Send a written validation request within 30 days. Generate the letter free →
5. If the bill is from a hospital, request an itemized bill and ask about financial assistance — billing errors are common and assistance is often retroactive.

Where to complain in Florida

Florida Attorney General Consumer Protection Division handles collection complaints at the state level. Federally, file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — complaints become part of the public record collectors are judged on.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Statute of limitations on all debt in Florida
• Free debt validation letter generator — no account needed
• Look up a debt collector — CFPB complaint records for the biggest agencies
• Charity care: hospital financial assistance, applied
• Medical debt laws in Kansas
• Medical debt laws in Minnesota
• Medical debt laws in New Jersey
• Medical debt laws in Oregon
• Medical debt laws in Utah
• Medical debt laws in Alabama

Legal information, not legal advice. Statutes change and courts interpret them — for advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer or your state’s legal aid office. Last reviewed AUG 2026.