Key Florida Laws Now in Effect: What You Need to Know

With the recent legislative session, Florida is bringing new changes. Almost three dozen new laws will take effect in Florida. As a part of the legal industry, we thought it’s important to make everyone aware of these Florida new laws . Whether you are a Florida resident, business owner or just visiting, it’s important to stay updated with the new rules. Our newsletter is the breakdown of these key law sessions that will be impacting in Florida.

Retail Theft

The new law targets retail theft and porch piracy by increasing penalties and lowering the threshold for grand theft. According to the, if you are stealing packages worth $40 or more from a home, it will now be considered a third-degree felony.?

Public Camping and Public Sleeping

This law bans public sleeping or camping on public property like sidewalks. Additionally, the Counties can set up homeless camps if they meet minimum standards and aren't used for more than a year. Starting from January 1, 2025, residents, business owners, or the Florida Attorney General can sue counties or cities that allow unlawful public sleeping or camping.

Hope Cards for Persons Issued Orders of Protection

A new law allows domestic violence victims to carry a laminated "Hope Card" with key details from their protection order, instead of the full hard copy. This card will have all the necessary information, including information like restrained persons, those protected, and the statewide domestic violence hotline.?

Exposure of First Responders to Fentanyl

A new Florida law creates a second-degree felony for anyone who recklessly exposes a first responder to fentanyl, causing an overdose or serious injury. This includes law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.?

Digital Voyeurism

This law will focus mainly on digital voyeurism and strengthen the penalties for the same. The law also makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for offenders under 19 and a third-degree felony for those 19 or older.?

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders

A new Florida law tightens regulations for sex offenders by:

• Banning the use of temporary residences
• Requiring registration of vehicles and vessels used as living quarters
• Allowing offenders to report vehicle changes via FDLE's online system
• Clarifying timing for reporting out-of-state residence changes
• Mandating advance reporting of international travel
• Treating each failure to register or report as a separate offense
• Requiring jails to register offenders within three business days of intake.

Child Exploitation Offences

A new Florida law targets online child exploitation by making it a third-degree felony for adults to engage in repeated explicit sexual communication with minors.

Tracking Devices

This law makes it a third-degree felony to unlawfully track individuals using devices like AirTags placed on their property. Lawful use by parents, caregivers, and law enforcement is still allowed.

Nicotine Products

This law majorly targets illegal vape products appealing to children and increases penalties for selling nicotine products to those under 21. It allows the Attorney General to create a directory of nicotine devices attractive to minors and raises the penalty for repeat offenses from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.

Designation of a Diagnosis on Motor Vehicle Registrations

This law requires motor vehicle registration applications to allow individuals to voluntarily indicate if they or their child have certain mental or physical disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, autism, or PTSD. If indicated, the DHSMV will mark the motor vehicle record with "SAFE."

Reclassification of Criminal Penalties

New Florida laws impose harsher penalties to deter illegal immigrants from returning and committing serious crimes like carjacking and burglary. The bill also increases penalties for drug trafficking to combat organized crime, including drug cartels.?

Campus Emergency

Response agencies, including public postsecondary institutions and law enforcement, must keep campus emergency response records confidential and exempt from disclosure.

Treatment by a Medical Specialist

The new bill allows first responders, including firefighters and law enforcement officers, to seek out-of-network specialty medical care for compensable presumptive conditions in a timely manner.

Yacht and Ship Brokers’ Act?

The Yacht and Ship Brokers’ Act revises the definition of "yacht," exempts out-of-state brokers or salespersons from Florida licensure for specific transactions, and mandates the denial of licenses for applicants who do not meet certain requirements.?

Most of these laws will get into effect on October 1, 2024. Share your thoughts about these new laws, how it will change the legal landscape of Florida and impact its citizens.?

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