Calculator · statute-sourced · checked 2026-10-01
How Long Does an Eviction Take? Eviction Timeline Calculator
Enter the date the notice was delivered and get every step of the eviction process with its earliest legal date — filing, the tenant’s deadline to respond, trial, writ of possession and lockout — counted the way the statute counts (court days, holidays, weekend extensions), with the statute linked on each step. Texas, California and Florida for now.
Texas holdover: first end the tenancy under Prop. Code §91.001 (for a month-to-month, at least one month after your termination notice); then deliver the notice to vacate and enter that date (§24.005(a)).
Texas default is 3 days unless a written lease sets another period.
Case already moving? Enter the real dates to recalculate
Earliest legal dates only: the court and the sheriff set the real ones. Not legal advice — check the statute linked on each step and talk to a lawyer or legal aid office. Calculated in your browser; the dates (never names or addresses) are kept in the page address so you can bookmark or share it.
Pick the reason and the date to see every step with its date and statute.
The eviction process, step by step
The order is the same in the three states; the number of days and how they are counted are not.
- Written notice. Pay or leave, fix the violation or leave, or the tenancy ends. Its period has to run out before anything is filed.
- Filing. The landlord files the eviction case (a forcible detainer in Texas, an unlawful detainer in California, an action for possession in Florida).
- Service and the tenant’s response. The tenant is served and has a short, fixed time to respond — and in Florida, to deposit the rent into the court registry.
- Judgment. By default if the tenant does not respond, or after a trial.
- Writ of possession and lockout. The court issues the writ; the sheriff or constable gives a final notice and then removes the occupants.
| Step | Texas | California | Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice expires | Thu, Oct 8, 2026 | Thu, Oct 8, 2026 | Thu, Oct 8, 2026 |
| Earliest filing | Fri, Oct 9, 2026 | Fri, Oct 9, 2026 | Fri, Oct 9, 2026 |
| Tenant’s response due | — | Fri, Oct 23, 2026 | Fri, Oct 16, 2026 |
| Earliest default judgment | Mon, Oct 19, 2026 | Mon, Oct 26, 2026 | Mon, Oct 19, 2026 |
| Earliest lockout | Tue, Oct 27, 2026 | Tue, Nov 3, 2026 | Tue, Oct 20, 2026 |
| Days from notice to lockout | 22 | 29 | 15 |
Texas has no general written answer deadline: the tenant appears at the trial, held 10 to 21 days after filing (or, if the landlord moved for summary disposition, responds within 4 days of service); the Texas column shows the earliest trial day as the judgment date. Dates assume service on the filing day and a default judgment on the first legal day.
What is a writ of possession?
A writ of possession is the court order, issued after a judgment for the landlord, that tells the sheriff or constable to put the landlord back in possession — removing the occupants if they have not left. It is the last step of an eviction, and each state sets its own minimum timing:
- Texas. The writ cannot issue before the 6th day after the judgment (unless a possession bond was approved). The officer must serve it by the 5th business day after it issues and posts a warning on the front door at least 24 hours before executing it. Prop. Code §24.0061
- California. The writ tells the occupants that if they have not left within five days of service, the levying officer will remove them. CCP §715.010
- Florida. After judgment the clerk issues the writ, and the sheriff puts the landlord in possession after 24 hours’ notice posted on the premises — weekends and holidays included. Fla. Stat. §83.62
Eviction process by state
Eviction process in Texas
Notices, counting rules, holidays and FAQ — justice court of the precinct where the property is.
Eviction process in California
Notices, counting rules, holidays and FAQ — superior court of the county where the property is.
Eviction process in Florida
Notices, counting rules, holidays and FAQ — county court of the county where the unit is.
Other states: start with the eviction notice wizard and the notice deadline calculator, or compare the notice periods in all 50 states. Ending a month-to-month tenancy instead? The notice to vacate generator works out the earliest move-out date.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an eviction take?
It depends on the state, the reason and, above all, on the court’s calendar. The statutes set minimums: for unpaid rent with the notice delivered on Monday, October 5, 2026, the fastest legal path to removal by the sheriff is Texas 22 days (Tue, Oct 27, 2026), California 29 days (Tue, Nov 3, 2026), Florida 15 days (Tue, Oct 20, 2026) — and only if every step happens on the first day the law allows and the tenant does not contest. A contested case, a trial date set later, an appeal or a busy sheriff adds weeks.
What is the fastest an eviction can legally happen?
The calculator’s “earliest legal date” for each step: the day after the notice expires for filing, the last day of the tenant’s response period, the first day the writ can issue, and the shortest notice period before the officer acts. A landlord who acts earlier than the law allows can have the case dismissed and have to start over.
Do weekends and holidays count in eviction deadlines?
It depends on the deadline. California’s 3-day notices and 10-day response, and Florida’s 3-day notice and 5-day rent deposit, skip Saturdays, Sundays and court holidays. Texas counts every day but moves a deadline that lands on a weekend or a state or federal holiday to the next day that is not (Prop. Code §24.0042). The calculator names the holidays it skipped.
Why does the calculator sometimes show two dates?
Some days are holidays for some courts and not others: Florida circuits close on different days, and Texas courts may or may not treat a federal holiday “observed” on a Friday, or one of Texas’s optional holidays (Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Cesar Chavez Day), as a holiday. When one of those days changes the result, you see both dates. Tenants should act by the earlier one; landlords should not act before the later one.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a calculator that applies the counting rules written in each state’s statute to the dates you enter, with the statute cited on every step. The court and the sheriff set the real dates, local rules and your lease can change some periods, and a lawyer or legal aid office can tell you what applies to your case.
Not legal advice. This calculator applies the statutes cited on each step to the dates you enter. Courts and sheriffs set the real dates, and local rules or your lease can change some periods. For your case, talk to a landlord-tenant lawyer or a legal aid office.