Florida cases are reported in the Southern Reporter series (So., So. 2d, So. 3d). Florida discontinued its official reporters — Florida Reports (Fla.) and Florida Supplement (Fla. Supp.) — in 1948. Under Bluebook Table T1, cite Florida cases to the Southern Reporter.
Florida's intermediate appellate courts are the District Courts of Appeal (DCAs), organized into six districts. When citing DCA opinions, you must identify the district number in the parenthetical: "Fla. 1st DCA," "Fla. 2d DCA," "Fla. 3d DCA," "Fla. 4th DCA," "Fla. 5th DCA," or "Fla. 6th DCA." For the Florida Supreme Court, use simply "Fla." in the parenthetical.
This district identification is particularly important in Florida practice because the DCAs sometimes reach conflicting results, and identifying the deciding court helps establish the precedential value. The Florida Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction to resolve inter-district conflicts.
| Court | Bluebook Abbreviation | Reporter |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Florida | Fla. | So. 3d (So. 2d) |
| District Courts of Appeal (1st-6th) | Fla. [#] DCA | So. 3d |
Florida Supreme Court
Engle v. Liggett Grp., Inc., 945 So. 2d 1246 (Fla. 2006)
Third DCA
Grinnell v. Charles Pfizer & Co., 274 So. 2d 13 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973)
Fifth DCA
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Nichols, 932 So. 2d 1067 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006)
Cite to the Southern Reporter (So. 3d for recent cases). Florida has not published official reporters since 1948.
Include the district number and "DCA" in the parenthetical, e.g., (Fla. 3d DCA 2006). Florida has six DCAs.
Use "DCA" (e.g., "Fla. 3d DCA"). The Bluebook uses this abbreviation for Florida's District Courts of Appeal, not the longer form.
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