Florida law
Encyclopedia
The Florida law is based on the Florida Constitution
(the state constitution), which defines how the statutes must be passed into law, and defines the limits of authority and basic law that the Florida Statutes must be complied with. The Florida Statutes are the codified, statutory laws
of the state; it currently has 48 title
s.
Laws are approved by the Florida Legislature
and signed into law by the Governor of Florida. Certain types of laws are prohibited by the state Constitution, and could be struck down (ruled unconstitutional) by the Florida state courts.
which provides the intermediary bidder with the opportunity to foreclose on a delinquent taxpayer.
.
In 2010, Florida was one of seven states with a ban on open carry
ing of a weapon.
Florida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
(the state constitution), which defines how the statutes must be passed into law, and defines the limits of authority and basic law that the Florida Statutes must be complied with. The Florida Statutes are the codified, statutory laws
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
of the state; it currently has 48 title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s.
Laws are approved by the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
and signed into law by the Governor of Florida. Certain types of laws are prohibited by the state Constitution, and could be struck down (ruled unconstitutional) by the Florida state courts.
The Florida Statutes
- Title I: Construction of StatutesStatutory interpretationStatutory interpretation is the process by which courts interpret and apply legislation. Some amount of interpretation is always necessary when a case involves a statute. Sometimes the words of a statute have a plain and straightforward meaning. But in many cases, there is some ambiguity or...
(Chapters 1-2) - Title II: State Organization (Chapters 6-8)
- Title III: Legislative BranchLegislatureA legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
; Commissions (Chapters 10-13) - Title IV: Executive BranchExecutive (government)Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
(Chapters 14-24) - Title V: Judicial BranchJudiciaryThe judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
(Chapters 25-44) - Title VI: Civil Practice and ProcedureCivil procedureCivil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits...
(Chapters 45-88) - Title VII: EvidenceRules of evidenceRules of evidence govern whether, when, how, and for what purpose, proof of a legal case may be placed before a trier of fact for consideration....
(Chapters 90-92) - Title VIII: Limitations (Chapters 95)
- Title IX Electors and ElectionElectionAn election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s (Chapters 97-107) - Title X Public Officers, Employees, and RecordsPublic recordsPublic records are documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential. For example, in California, when a couple fills out a marriage license application, they have the option of checking the box as to whether the marriage is "confidential" or "Public"...
(Chapters 110-122) - Title XI; County Organization and Intergovernmental Relations (Chapters 124-164)
- Title XII; Municipalities (Chapters 165-185)
- Title XIII: Planning and Development (Chapters 186-191)
Title XIV: Taxation and Finance (Chapters 192-221)
Chapter 197.4 applies to the sale of tax liens which provide liquidity to counties in lieu of actual taxes. Chapter 197.5 applies to tax deed saleTax deed sale
A tax deed sale is the forced sale, conducted by a governmental agency, of real estate for nonpayment of taxes. It is one of two methodologies used by governmental agencies to collect delinquent taxes owed on real estate, the other being the tax lien sale....
which provides the intermediary bidder with the opportunity to foreclose on a delinquent taxpayer.
Title XV: Homestead and Exemptions (Chapter 222)
- Title XVI: Teachers' Retirement System; Higher Educational Facilities Bonds (Chapters 238-243)
- Title XVII: Military Affairs and Related Matters (Chapters 250-252)
- Title XVIII: Public LandsPublic landIn all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
and Property (Chapters 253-274) - Title XIX: Public Business (Chapters 279-290)
- Title XX: Veterans (Chapters 292-296)
- Title XXI: DrainageDrainageDrainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
(Chapter 298) - Title XXII: PortPortA port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s and HarborHarborA harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
s (Chapters 308-315) - Title XXIII: Motor VehiclesMotor vehicleA motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
(Chapters 316-325) - Title XXIV: VesselsWatercraftA watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
(Chapters 326-328) - Title XXV: AviationAviationAviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
(Chapters 329-333) - Title XXVI: Public TransportationPublic transportPublic transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
(Chapters 334-349) - Title XXVII: Railroads And Other Regulated Utilities (Chapters 350-368)
- Title XXVIII: Natural ResourcesNatural resourceNatural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
; Conservation, ReclamationLand reclamationLand reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
, and UseLand useLand use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
(Chapters 369-380) - Title XXIX: Public HealthPublic healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
(Chapters 381-408) - Title XXX: Social Welfare (Chapters 409-430)
Title XXXI: Labor (Chapters 435-452)
Chapter 443 provides for the Florida state Unemployment TaxFlorida state Unemployment Tax
The Florida state Unemployment Tax is mandated under a Florida state law that imposes an employer tax used to fund a reserve that pays benefits to the unemployed. Employers report this tax by filing an annual form with the Florida Department of Revenue. The employer is required to pay the tax in...
.
- Title XXXII: Regulation of Professions and Occupations (Chapters 454-493)
- Title XXXIII: RegulationRegulationRegulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
of TradeTradeTrade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
, CommerceCommerceWhile business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, InvestmentInvestmentInvestment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
s, and SolicitationSolicitationLiterally, solicitation means: 'urgently asking'. It is the action or instance of soliciting; petition; proposal. In criminal law, it most commonly refers to either the act of offering goods or services, or the act of attempting to purchase such goods or services...
s (Chapters 494-560) - Title XXXIV: Alcoholic BeveragesAlcoholic beverageAn alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and TobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
(Chapters 561-569) - Title XXXV: AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, HorticultureHorticultureHorticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, and Animal Industry (Chapters 570-604) - Title XXXVI: BusinessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
Organizations (Chapters 606-623) - Title XXXVII: InsuranceInsuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
(Chapters 624-651) - Title XXXVIII: BankBankA bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s and Banking (Chapters 655-667) - Title XXXIX: Commercial Relations (Chapters 668-688)
- Title XL: RealReal propertyIn English Common Law, real property, real estate, realty, or immovable property is any subset of land that has been legally defined and the improvements to it made by human efforts: any buildings, machinery, wells, dams, ponds, mines, canals, roads, various property rights, and so forth...
and Personal PropertyPersonal propertyPersonal property, roughly speaking, is private property that is moveable, as opposed to real property or real estate. In the common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In the civil law systems personal property is often called movable property or movables - any...
(Chapters 689-723) - Title XLI: Statute of FraudFraudIn criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
s, Fraudulent Transfers, and General Assignments (Chapters 725-727) - Title XLII: Estates and TrustsTrusts and estatesThe law of trusts and estates is generally considered the body of law which governs the management of personal affairs and the disposition of property of an individual in anticipation of the event of such person's incapacity or death, also known as the law of successions in civil law...
(Chapters 731-739) - Title XLIII: Domestic Relations (Chapters 741-753)
- Title XLIV: Civil RightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
(Chapters 760-765) - Title XLV: TortTortA tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
s (Chapters 766-774) - Title XLVI: CrimeCrimeCrime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
s (Chapters 775-896)
Title XLVII: Criminal Procedure and Corrections (Chapters 900-985)
In 1995, the legislature modified Chapter 921 to provide that felons should serve at least 85% of their sentence.In 2010, Florida was one of seven states with a ban on open carry
Open Carry
In the United States, open carry is shorthand terminology for "openly carrying a firearm in public", as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer....
ing of a weapon.
External links
- Florida Statutes at the Florida Legislature website
- The Florida Legal Wiki is a legal encyclopedia of Florida Law