Florida law changed in 2025. While you may not know about the changes, you are still bound by them. Ignorance of the new laws will not prevent you from being charged with crimes. Know your rights.
Here are the biggest changes to criminal law in Florida from 2025.
#1) It’s Now Illegal to Refuse a DUI Breathalyzer or Chemical Test
As of October 1, 2025, refusing a breath, urine, or chemical test during a DUI stop is no longer a purely administrative issue. It is a crime under HB 687, known as Trenton’s Law.
In the past, a first refusal resulted in a license suspension handled through the DMV. Criminal charges came only after a second refusal. The law closes that gap.
A first refusal is now a second-degree misdemeanor, which means you can be arrested, charged, and prosecuted in criminal court for saying no to testing.
A conviction under this new classification can lead to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and license suspension. It also creates a criminal record that can follow someone long after the case is over.
#2) Penalties for Repeat DUI/BUI Manslaughter Increased
Trenton’s Law also increased penalties for repeat DUI/BUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and vessel homicide. The changes create more severe outcomes for drivers and boaters involved in crashes. The new laws:
- Expand the types of aggravating circumstances that can elevate charges (such as BAC thresholds, prior convictions, minors in vehicle/boat)
- Raise felony classifications for repeat offenders (upgraded from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony)
- Increase mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders when someone is seriously injured or killed (offenders in a DUI-related death case may now face up to 30 years in prison)
Related: Stopped and Arrested for a DUI in Florida? Here’s What to Do Next
#3) Penalties for Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage Increased
Florida also increased penalties for hit-and-run cases involving only property damage. Effective October 1, 2025, under HB 479, courts now have the authority to order restitution for any crash where a driver leaves the scene, even when no one is injured.
The charge remains a second-degree misdemeanor, but may carry heavier financial impacts as restitution may now include repairs, replacement costs, and other losses.
For victims, this change strengthens their ability to recover money for damages. For defendants, it means the consequences extend beyond a simple criminal fine. Leaving the scene of any crash is now a much riskier action.
Related: If You’re Arrested for a Crime, Immediately Take These 6 Steps
#4) Penalties for Fleeing & Eluding Law Enforcement Increased
Fleeing from law enforcement can also now lead to more serious criminal charges and penalties. Under HB 113, effective October 1, 2025, defendants will see increased penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.
Behaviors that used to be treated as misdemeanors can now lead to felony charges.
- Basic fleeing and eluding is a third-degree felony with penalties of up to five years in prison, $5,000 fine, and one-year license revocation.
- Fleeing while police lights/sirens are activated is a third-degree felony with penalties of up to five years in prison, $5,000 fine, and mandatory license revocation.
- Fleeing at a high speed or with wanton disregard is a second-degree felony with penalties of up to fifteen years in prison, $10,000 fine, and mandatory license revocation of one to five years.
- Fleeing at a high speed and causing injury is a first-degree felony with penalties of up to thirty years in prison, $10,000 fine, and mandatory license revocation of one to five years.
This law was enacted only a few months prior to a driver speeding away from police causing an accident that killed four people in Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. The driver will face charges under the new law.
#5) Penalties for Impersonating Law Enforcement and Obscuring License Plates Increased
New Florida laws under HB 253 target motorists who alter or obstruct license plates, use improper lighting equipment, or use lights to look like law enforcement. The law:
- Criminalizes obscured, altered, covered, or flipped license plates
- Makes possession of a plate-flipper or plate-obscuring device a second-degree misdemeanor
- Makes manufacturing or selling these devices a first-degree misdemeanor
- Makes illegal vehicle lighting or impersonating law enforcement with vehicle lights a third-degree felony.
Related: The Best Criminal Defense Attorneys Have These 7 Qualities
#6) Those With Mental Health Illnesses Have New Protections When Accused of a Crime
Not all of the 2025 changes are punitive. Under SB 168, the Tristin Murphy Act, Florida expanded options for people with diagnosed mental-health conditions. Judges now have greater discretion to divert qualifying individuals into treatment rather than pushing them through traditional prosecution.
For families struggling with mental-health crises, this law opens new avenues for getting a loved one into care instead of jail. It also gives defense attorneys a stronger negotiation path when presenting medical records, treatment history, and individualized mitigation.
#7) Penalties for Restraining Animals During Natural Disasters Increased
Recent hurricanes inspired HB 150, known as Trooper’s Law. The law was passed after pets were found tied up and unable to escape rising waters during hurricanes.
The law makes it a third-degree felony for restraining, confining, or abandoning a pet outdoors during a declared natural disaster. Under the updated statute, leaving a dog or other pet outside during a disaster can lead to up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and additional animal cruelty charges.
Know Your Rights in Florida
Florida laws are always changing. While you may not know about the changes, you are still bound by them. Make sure you know your rights.
Get expert legal advice from an experienced Florida criminal defense attorney. Call 813-226-1023 today to talk to Tampa-based attorney, TJ Grimaldi. Contact us today.