Florida lemon law arbitration: what to expect (2026)

Florida doesn't send lemon cases to regular court first — they go to the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, run by the Attorney General's office. No attorney is required. Here's how it works, according to the Attorney General's office. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.

Before the hearing day: forum, screening, and the filing deadline

What happens before the hearing is covered in full in our Florida lemon law arbitration guide, so here it is in brief. If the manufacturer had a state-certified program when you bought or leased and the warranty materials explained how to file with it, that program comes first; the Arbitration Board takes the case if there is no certified program, the program does not decide within 40 days, or you are unsatisfied with its decision or the manufacturer's compliance. You start a Board case by filing a Request for Arbitration with the AG's office, whose Lemon Law Arbitration Division screens every request for eligibility first — and remember the AG's warning that filing a copy of your Motor Vehicle Defect Notification with that division is not the equivalent of filing a claim, only a step toward becoming eligible. The filing deadline, the Defect Notification steps, and the presumption tests are in the main guide's deadline section and the sections around it. Questions: Lemon Law Hotline 1-800-321-5366 (850-414-3500 outside Florida). This page picks the story up on hearing day itself.

Who decides: the 3-member panel

Hearings are decided by panels of 3 members appointed by the Attorney General — one member may have auto-mechanics knowledge. AG lawyers advise the board, but the AG represents neither party. Hearings happen on weekdays during business hours in various locations throughout the state, in a location as convenient as possible for the consumer. The Board is administered by the AG's offices in Tallahassee, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Hearings are open to the public and conducted in English.

The hearing: informal by design

• No technical rules of evidence — bring your documents and tell your story plainly;
• No attorney required — both sides may bring one at their own expense;
• Testimony under oath, with cross-examination allowed;
• The board may inspect and test-drive your vehicle — bring it in the condition that shows the defect;
• Bring every repair order, your certified/registered/express-mail notice proof, correspondence, and your days-out-of-service log.

The two-part hearing: lemon first, remedy second

The hearing has two parts. First, the panel decides whether the vehicle is a lemon — did the defect substantially impair use, value, or safety, and were a reasonable number of repair attempts made (the 3-attempt or 30-day tests). Only then does it decide the remedy and the amounts: purchase-price refund (less a reasonable offset for use) or replacement vehicle. You have an unconditional right to choose the refund, and either remedy must include all reasonably incurred collateral and incidental charges (Fla. Stat. § 681.104(2)(a)). Keep the dates, repair-order numbers and reported problems together in the free repair log.

The decision — and what happens next

The decision is generally announced verbally at the close of the hearing, with a written decision mailed by the AG's office afterward. If nobody appeals, the manufacturer must comply within 40 days of receiving the written decision. An appeal goes to Circuit Court within 30 days after receipt of the written decision — and that appeal is a trial de novo (a fresh trial, not a review of the arbitration).

Primary sources: FL AG — How the Florida Lemon Law Works · FL AG — Hearings Before the Arbitration Board · Fla. Stat. § 681.104 · Fla. Stat. § 681.109