Florida Statute 24.1153
“Assignment of prizes payable in installments”
What it means
A lottery prize paid in installments over time may be voluntarily assigned, in whole or in part, only to a person or entity designated by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction in the judicial district where the winner resides or where the department's headquarters is located. The court must find that the assignment is in writing and subject to Florida law, and that the purchase price reflects the present value of the payments discounted at an annual rate not exceeding the state's usury limit for loans.
The assignor must give a sworn affidavit. It states sound mind and no duress, advice from independent legal counsel and independent financial or tax advice from professionals not compensated by the assignee, receipt of a one-page disclosure in bold type of not less than 14 points, and written notice of a right to cancel within 3 business days. The department's counsel must receive written notice at least 10 days before any hearing. Payments subject to offset for delinquent child support or state-agency debt cannot be assigned.
- Assignment requires an order of a court in the judicial district where the winner resides or where the department's headquarters is located. (§ 24.1153(1))
- The purchase price must reflect present value discounted at an annual rate that does not exceed the state's usury limit for loans. (§ 24.1153(1)(b))
- The assignor's sworn affidavit must state advice from independent legal counsel and independent financial or tax advice. (§ 24.1153(1)(c)2.)
- A one-page disclosure in bold type of not less than 14 points is required, and the assignor may cancel within 3 business days. (§ 24.1153(1)(c)5.-6.)
- The department's counsel must receive written notice at least 10 days before any court hearing. (§ 24.1153(1)(d))
- A voluntary assignment may not cover payments subject to offset for delinquent child support or a debt owed to a state agency. (§ 24.1153(3))
Text of the statute (2026)
(1) The right of any person to receive payments under a prize that is paid in installments over time by the department may be voluntarily assigned, in whole or in part, if the assignment is made to a person or entity designated pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction located in the judicial district where the assigning prize winner resides or where the headquarters of the department is located. A court may issue an order approving a voluntary assignment and directing the department to make prize payments in whole or in part to the designated assignee, if the court finds that all of the following conditions have been met:
(b) The purchase price being paid for the payments being assigned represents a present value of the payments being assigned, discounted at an annual rate that does not exceed the state’s usury limit for loans.
2. Has been advised regarding the assignment by his or her own independent legal counsel, who is unrelated to and is not being compensated by the assignee or any of the assignee’s affiliates, and has received independent financial or tax advice concerning the effects of the assignment from a lawyer or other professional who is unrelated to and is not being compensated by the assignee or any of the assignee’s affiliates;
5. Has been provided with a one-page written disclosure statement setting forth, in bold type of not less than 14 points, the payments being assigned, by amounts and payment dates; the purchase price being paid; the rate of discount to present value, assuming daily compounding and funding on the contract date; and the amount, if any, of any origination or closing fees that will be charged to him or her; and 6. Was advised in writing, at the time he or she signed the assignment contract, that he or she had the right to cancel the contract, without any further obligation, within 3 business days following the date on which the contract was signed.
(d) Written notice of the proposed assignment and any court hearing concerning the proposed assignment is provided to the department’s counsel at least 10 days prior to any court hearing. The department is not required to appear in or be named as a party to any such action seeking judicial confirmation of an assignment under this section, but may intervene as of right in any such proceeding.
(3) In accordance with the provisions of s. 24.115(4), a voluntary assignment may not include or cover payments or portions of payments that are subject to offset on account of a defaulted or delinquent child support obligation or on account of a debt owed to a state agency. Each court order issued under subsection (1) shall provide that any delinquent child support obligations of the assigning prize winner and any debts owed to a state agency by the assigning prize winner, as of the date of the court order, shall be offset by the department first against remaining payments or portions thereof due the prize winner and then against payments due the assignee.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 24.1153.
History. s. 1, ch. 99-184.
How it applies
The statute lists the conditions a court must find before approving an assignment, so the court record shows the discount rate, the sworn affidavit, and notice to the department. The department is not required to appear or be named as a party but may intervene as of right (§ 24.1153(1)(d)). The department may establish a reasonable fee for administrative expenses (§ 24.1153(5)). A court may not approve assignments after a ruling described in subsection (6) is filed with the Secretary of State and the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 24.1153 does real work:
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 24.1153 (2026), Florida Senate (Court-ordered assignment: a prize paid in installments may be voluntarily assigned, in whole or in part, only under a court order.)
- Fla. Stat. § 24.115 (2026), Florida Senate (Subsection (1)(a) cross-references this section; subsection (4) sets the offsets.)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
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