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The "recognition" of a foreign judgment occurs when the court of one country or jurisdiction accepts a judicial decision made by the courts of another "foreign" country or jurisdiction, and issues a judgment in substantially identical terms without rehearing the substance of the original lawsuit.

Florida Enforcement of Foreign Judgment Act was established to allow holders of uncollected foreign judgments to domesticate the judgment and have a writ of execution issued in the Florida county where the judgment is recorded without having to file suit or pay a filing fee.

Section 55.509 - Stay of enforcement of foreign judgment (1) If, within 30 days after the date the foreign judgment is recorded, the judgment debtor files an action contesting the jurisdiction of the court which entered the foreign judgment or the validity of the foreign judgment and records a lis pendens directed ...

The act gives a foreign judgment recorded pursuant to its provisions the status of a Florida court judgment, enforceable in the same manner as and subject to the same defenses as a Florida court judgment. A Florida court judgment is enforceable during a life span of 20 years from its rendition.

The act applies to final, conclusive, and enforceable money-judgments of other countries. Generally, such judgments are entitled to recognition under the act; however, there are several mandatory and discretionary grounds set forth in Section 55.605, Fla.

file with court OR submit paper documents to recording department: One document (PDF) containing (1) certified or authenticated copy of the foreign judgment; and (2) affidavit with the judgment debtor's name, last known address, and social security number, if known, the judgment creditor's address.