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State Laws & Funding
Florida
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Florida. For more information, contact the Florida State Safety Office.
| Aggressive Driver Actions | Comments |
| At least two of the following: speeding, unsafe or improper lane change, following too closely, failure to yield right of way, improper passing, failure to obey traffic control devices. | Statute does not permit enforcement |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| No state law | |||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <3 | 4 - 5 | $60 + points |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 6 months for DUBAL | After 30 days | .20 | Yes | Yes | Impoundment, vehicle forfeiture | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) convictions | Yes | |
| 12 months for refusal | After 90 days | |||||||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
||||
| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
|||
| 15 | 12 | 16 | Age 16 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. Age 17 1 a.m. - 5 a.m. |
None | 18 | 50 (10) | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| <21 (>21 with <$10,000 in medical insurance) | 2000 | <16 | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 8 | >80 must take a vision test in person or submit test verification by physician or optometrist if renewing by mail |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >6 | Front | $30 |
| 6-17 | All | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks and bicycle paths | Yes on streets w/ speed limits up to 25 mph | <16 | ||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| Yes | Between 15-20 checkpoints are held monthly around the state. |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 70 | 70 | 65 | 65 | 70 | 70 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| State Law | Violations | Location | Citation Issued To / Liability |
Image / Privacy | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | Defenses |
| Permitted | Red light | Various | Registered owner | Tag and traffic control device | $158; no points ($125; 3 points) |
|
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| Double | Speeding | Yes | |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.