ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., May 26, 2026 — The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s Office is pleased to announce that Governor Ron DeSantis has signed CS/HB 925: Clerks of the Court into law. The legislation strengthens long-term funding for Clerks’ Offices throughout Florida by allowing Clerks to retain more of the court-related revenues they already collect locally.
“This was truly a collective effort by Clerks across Florida who share a commitment to ensuring our offices have the resources necessary to continue serving the public,” said Clerk and Comptroller, Brandon J. Patty, who has taken an increasingly active role within the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers association (FCCC). “I deeply appreciate the leadership and advocacy of the FCCC and their role in helping move this bill through the Legislature and ultimately to the Governor’s desk.”
The legislation addresses a longstanding challenge facing Clerks’ Offices where court-related fees and fines collected locally have been pooled and redistributed statewide under Florida’s court funding structure. By allowing Clerks to retain more of the revenues they already collect, the new legislation helps bridge the approximately $75 million funding gap between the cost of operating Clerks’ Offices statewide and the revenues available to support them.
For St. Johns County, the legislation will reduce the amount of locally generated court revenues the Clerk’s Office is required to return to the state, allowing more of those dollars to remain here locally to support court operations. The change is projected to provide an estimated $79,098 in additional funding for Fiscal Year 2027–2028 and $189,836 in Fiscal Year 2028–2029.
The additional funding flexibility will also help reduce reliance on local court subsidy funding provided by St. Johns County and strengthen the Clerk’s Office’s ability to operate more sustainably over time.
