New criminal speeding offenses in Florida: fines of at least $500 and up to 90 days in jail for repeat offenders starting July 1
Dangerous excessive speeding will be classified as a new criminal offense and could land you in jail. Here’s what you need to know.
Several new laws will be coming into effect from Tuesday July 1 2025 which residents in Florida will need to be aware of. Some of the changes, which include officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, might not have a direct impact, but others will.
For example, from Tuesday, pupils attending elementary and middle school will no longer be able to use their phones or similar mobile devices during the school day.
New road laws introduced in Florida
Another law which comes into effect concerns public safety and is aimed at car users. House Bill 351 was filed in March and approved last month. HB 351 establishes “dangerous excessive speeding” as a new criminal offense.
Motorists will face legal action if they exceed the the speed limit by 50 mph or more, or operates a motor vehicle at 100 mph or more in a way that threatens the people or property around them or interferes with the operation of any vehicle.
Punishment for dangerous excessive speeding infractions in Florida from July 1 2025
- Upon a first conviction, up to 30 days in jail, a fine of $500, or both.
- Upon a second or subsequent conviction, up to 90 days in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both. A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of dangerous excessive speeding within five years after the date of a prior conviction for such an offense must have his or her driving privilege revoked for at least 180 days but no more than one year.
The bill provides that any driver who commits an infraction for exceeding the speed limit in excess of 50 mph must appear before a designated official at a mandatory hearing.
Reckless driving is already a crime in the sunshine state, punishable with imprisonment of up to 90 days or a fine of between $25 to $500, for first offenders. A driver with subsequent convictions can be sentenced to up to six months in jail, and/or hit with a fine of $50-$1,000.
The new road laws target dangerous excessive speeding and not motorists who might go over the limit slightly. Speeding itself is generally considered a non-criminal traffic infraction, punished primarily with fines.
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