Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH)
This guide is published by Dennis Gonzalez Law, P.A. It is not affiliated with any court. Information copied from official sources on Oct 26, 2026. Always confirm with the court.
What is DOAH?
The Division of Administrative Hearings is a Florida state agency whose full-time Administrative Law Judges conduct hearings in most cases where an agency is deciding a person's substantial interests and the facts are disputed. By statute, DOAH sits within the Department of Management Services but is not subject to that department's control, supervision, or direction. Its director, who also serves as chief judge, is appointed by the Administration Commission and confirmed by the Senate.
Is the Administrative Law Judge part of the agency?
No. DOAH describes its judges as not employed by the state agency involved in the case.
Formal or informal hearing?
It depends on whether you dispute the facts. Disputed facts go to a formal hearing before an Administrative Law Judge at DOAH. If you do not dispute the facts, the matter goes to an informal proceeding.
DOAH's official pages
This guide is published by Dennis Gonzalez Law, P.A. It is not affiliated with any court. Information copied from official sources on Oct 26, 2026. Always confirm with the court.