Subject matter jurisdiction defines a court’s power to decide a lawsuit involving a particular subject matter, and to render an enforceable judgment. A court generally has jurisdiction when the particular claim raised in the case is within its constitutional jurisdiction—as provided by the state constitution or the U.S. Constitution—or because jurisdiction has been mandated by the state legislature or the United States Congress.

In Florida, subject matter jurisdiction refers to a court's authority to hear cases of a particular type or cases relating to specific subject matter. The Florida Constitution, statutes, and rules of procedure outline the jurisdiction of various courts within the state. For example, the Florida Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction over certain types of appeals and mandatory jurisdiction in cases such as those involving the death penalty. The Florida District Courts of Appeal have jurisdiction to hear appeals from final judgments of trial courts, as well as certain non-final orders. Circuit courts have general jurisdiction over civil disputes involving larger amounts of money and serious criminal offenses, while county courts handle less serious criminal offenses and smaller civil disputes. Federal courts, on the other hand, have jurisdiction as provided by the U.S. Constitution and federal laws enacted by Congress, which typically include cases involving federal law, disputes between states, and cases where the parties are from different states and the amount in controversy exceeds a certain threshold. It is important for a case to be filed in a court with proper subject matter jurisdiction, otherwise, the court may dismiss the case without considering the merits of the claim.