How long does it take to get the certificate of title in Florida?

The clerk may issue it once ten full days have passed since the certificate of sale was filed, as long as no objection is pending.

Can the former owner get the house back after the auction?

Not after the certificate of sale is filed. Florida has no redemption period after that point, unless the judgment says otherwise.

What happens if I cannot pay the balance in time?

You forfeit the 5% deposit, the sale is void, and the clerk resets it. Some counties also restrict bidders who default.

After You Win a Florida Foreclosure Auction

After you win a Florida foreclosure auction you pay the balance and fees by the clerk's deadline, the clerk files a certificate of sale, and a 10-day objection period begins. If nobody objects, the clerk issues the certificate of title and you own the property as is. Possession is separate: if it is occupied, you ask the court for a writ of possession.

Reviewed September 19, 2026 by NEWLEVEL Investment RE, a Florida real estate brokerage.

Hour one: pay on the clerk's deadline

Your 5% deposit is applied at once. The balance, the court registry fee and documentary stamps are due on the county's deadline. In most counties that is a set hour on the next business day. In a good number of others it is the same day.

Miss it and you forfeit the deposit and lose the property. Have the wire ready before you bid, not after.

What we watch: Same-day counties include Duval, Sarasota, Brevard, Pasco and Escambia. Check the county page before every sale.

The certificate of sale ends redemption

Once you have paid, the clerk files a certificate of sale. Under Florida Statute 45.0315 that filing ends the former owner's right to redeem the property, unless the judgment sets a different time.

Ten days for objections

Anyone with standing has ten days after the certificate of sale is filed to object to the sale. Objections are uncommon and are about how the sale was conducted, not about the price being low. If one is filed, the clerk waits for the court to rule.

Your money is committed throughout. Do not start work on a property you do not yet own.

The certificate of title

With no objection, the clerk issues and records the certificate of title. That is your ownership document. It carries no warranty: you own whatever the foreclosure delivered, subject to anything that survived it.

Insure the property the day title issues
Secure it if it is vacant
Order title work if you did not before the sale
Check for open permits and code cases

Possession is a separate step

Title does not remove anyone. If the former owner or a tenant is in the house, you ask the court in the same foreclosure case for a writ of possession, which the sheriff carries out.

Common questions

How long does it take to get the certificate of title in Florida?: The clerk may issue it once ten full days have passed since the certificate of sale was filed, as long as no objection is pending.
Can the former owner get the house back after the auction?: Not after the certificate of sale is filed. Florida has no redemption period after that point, unless the judgment says otherwise.
What happens if I cannot pay the balance in time?: You forfeit the 5% deposit, the sale is void, and the clerk resets it. Some counties also restrict bidders who default.

What this guide relies on

Fla. Stat. §45.031(3)–(5)
Fla. Stat. §45.0315
Fla. Stat. §28.24(10)
Fla. Stat. §201.02

Education, not legal, tax or investment advice. Statutes and clerk procedures change, and lien priority turns on the records in a specific case. Have a Florida attorney or title company review a property before you commit money to it.