Florida Speedy Trial Calculator

What changed on July 1, 2025

For years the speedy-trial clock started at arrest. The amended rule ties it instead to the date the State files formal charges by information or indictment. The 90-day and 175-day periods stayed the same length; only the starting point moved. Three other parts of the rule changed on the same date. A defendant who files a demand for speedy trial must now be tried between 5 and 60 days after the demand, where the outside limit used to be 45 days. The recapture period after a missed deadline grew from 10 days to 30 days and now applies in every case. And a dismissal for a speedy-trial violation is without prejudice unless the court finds that the defendant’s constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated, in which case it is with prejudice.

How the speedy-trial clock works

Once the State files formal charges, it has 90 days to try a misdemeanor and 175 days to try a felony. The defendant does not have to ask for this; the deadline applies on its own. The period can pause or reset in the situations described below, so the date this calculator produces is a baseline figure rather than a guarantee.

The 60-day deadline to file charges

Rule 3.134 sets a separate, earlier deadline. When a defendant is on pretrial release, the State has 60 days from the arrest to file formal charges. If it misses that deadline, the defendant is entitled to release on their own recognizance unless the State shows good cause. Because the speedy-trial clock now begins at the charging date, this 60-day window is worth tracking alongside the speedy-trial deadline itself, which is why the calculator reports both.

Demanding a speedy trial

A defendant who wants to move faster than the 90 or 175-day schedule can file a demand for speedy trial. After the demand, the court holds a calendar call, and trial must begin no fewer than 5 and no more than 60 days later. A demand is also a representation that the defense is ready to try the case, so filing one before the defense is prepared can work against the defendant.

When the deadline passes

Missing the deadline does not dismiss the case by itself. The defendant first files a Notice of Expiration of Speedy Trial Time. The court then has 5 days to hold a hearing, and after that hearing the State has 30 days to bring the defendant to trial. That 30-day window is the recapture period, and under the amended rule it applies in every case. Only if the State fails to try the defendant within those 30 days is the charge dismissed, and that dismissal is usually without prejudice, meaning the State can refile. A common misconception is that an expired deadline discharges the defendant automatically. It does not. It starts a process.

Waivers, tolling, and exceptions

Several things stop or reset the clock. A continuance requested by or agreed to by the defense generally waives the speedy-trial period. Delay caused by the defendant, such as failing to appear or being unavailable for trial, is charged to the defense rather than the State. Courts can also extend the period for the exceptional circumstances defined in the rule, such as unusual complexity or evidence that cannot be obtained despite diligent effort. These exceptions turn on the facts of the case and the state of the docket, so treat the calculator’s output as the deadline before any of them apply.

A worked example

Say a defendant is arrested on January 10, 2026, and the State files felony charges on February 3, 2026. The 175-day speedy-trial clock runs from February 3, which puts the trial deadline at July 28, 2026, rather than at the January arrest date. Because the defendant was on pretrial release, the State also had until March 11, 2026, which is 60 days after the arrest, to file those charges. If July 28 passes without a trial and the defendant files a Notice of Expiration on July 29, the court must hold a hearing by August 3, and the State then has until about September 2 to start the trial before dismissal becomes available.

Who this tool is for

Criminal-defense attorneys and paralegals use it to check custody and trial deadlines at intake and while managing a docket. It is a quick reference, not a replacement for reading the current rule or for case software that tracks the dates for you. The Legal Assistant records these deadlines automatically across a caseload, so a charging date entered once fills in the speedy-trial, 60-day, and recapture dates on the case without anyone recalculating them by hand.

Frequently asked questions

When does the speedy-trial clock start in Florida?

For cases with formal charges filed on or after July 1, 2025, it starts on the date the State files those charges. For earlier cases it generally started at arrest.

How long does the State have to bring someone to trial?

90 days for a misdemeanor and 175 days for a felony, measured from the date formal charges are filed.

If the deadline passes, is the case automatically dismissed?

No. The defendant files a Notice of Expiration, the court holds a hearing within 5 days, and the State then has 30 days to start the trial. The charge is dismissed only if the State misses that 30-day recapture window.

What is the recapture period?

It is the 30-day window the State has to bring a defendant to trial after the recapture hearing. The amendment effective July 1, 2025, raised it from 10 to 30 days and made it mandatory in every case.

What is a demand for speedy trial?

A defense filing that shortens the schedule. After the demand, trial must begin between 5 and 60 days later. It only helps if the defense is ready to proceed.

How long does the State have to file charges after an arrest?

Under Rule 3.134, 60 days when the defendant is on pretrial release. Missing that deadline entitles the defendant to release on recognizance unless the State shows good cause.