By Jim Carchidi
September 21, 2026
A dozen state laws will take effect on Oct. 1, impacting a range of local issues from animal welfare to traffic accidents. The legislation is among more than 200 laws approved this year and include revisions to existing licensing requirements and criminal offenses.
New state laws
SB 246: Authorizes the following new vehicle license plates:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
- Hoober Brothers Foundation (Outsider)
- Miami Northwestern Alumni Association
- St. Petersburg College
- First Responders Resiliency
The legislation also revises requirements relating to the Florida Wildflower and Fraternal Order of Police plates.
HB 397: Creates a separate criminal offense for intentionally violating a no-contact order after pretrial release for certain violent crimes. First offenses count as a first-degree misdemeanor with additional violations counting as a third-degree felony.
HB 429: Revises the state’s definition of a criminal gang member including the following criteria:
In person or online admission of gang membership.
Identification by a criminal gang as a member.
Identification by a live-in spouse.
The use of gang-related language, codes, or terminology.
Indicating involvement in gang-related crimes or activity.
Reducing the number of times a person must be observed with criminal gang members to be considered a member.
SB 432: Creates a third-degree felony for tobacco, vape, and convenience store dealers to possess, sell, or give away loose nitrous oxide canisters. The bill also creates new trafficking offenses and mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking xylazine, an animal sedative often mixed with fentanyl.
SB 488: Amends provisions related to motor vehicle registration, licensing and tax-related requirements, including:
- Changing fuel tax license requirements for commercial motor vehicle operators and adding new counterfeiting penalties.
- Increasing the amount of estimated vehicle crash damage required to be reported to law enforcement from $500 to $2,000.
- Requiring a REAL ID driver license or identification card and a Florida residential or permanent business address to apply for a motor vehicle registration - with the exception of U.S. service members.
The state may also use email for notifications regarding driver licenses, ID cards, motor vehicle registrations, insurance, and boat registrations.
SB 490: Deems all email addresses collected by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to be private and exempt from public records.
HB 559: Establishes a third-degree felony offense for adults who commit or encourage serious animal abuse in the presence of minors. And increases penalties for animal cruelty offenses while requiring psychological evaluations for minors convicted of animal cruelty. The law also expands information published in the state's animal cruelty database.
HB 1293: Classifies the fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit as a third-degree felony
SB 1332: Registration requirements for habitual violent felony offenders will be increased and include an identifying mark on their driver license or identification card.
HB 1525: Creates a third-degree felony offense for indecent exposure while observing a child under 16 years of age.
Local laws
HB 4039: Requires Broward County to conduct a feasibility study and public hearing before applications, zoning changes or permits allowing for an expansion of the Monarch Hill Landfill.
HB 4093: Revises Indian River County's Fellsmere Water Control District charter, reducing it from 34,441 acres to 14,090 acres and removing the current governing board, placing the district under the control of the Board of County Commissioners.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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