Florida drivers in crashes with less than $2,000 in property damage won't need to call police starting Thursday, Oct. 1, when a dozen new state laws take effect.
The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court published a summary of the changes on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The crash-reporting change and several new criminal offenses carry the most direct impact for St. Johns County residents.
Crash reporting threshold quadruples
Under SB 488, the property-damage threshold that triggers a mandatory law enforcement report after a vehicle crash jumps from $500 to $2,000. The requirement to report any crash involving injury or death stays the same.
The Clerk's office advises drivers to keep documenting crashes and contacting law enforcement when appropriate, even when damage falls below the new threshold. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill April 21, 2026, after it passed the Senate 36-0 and the House 108-1.
No-contact order violations become standalone crime
HB 397, titled the Victim Safety in Pretrial Release Act, makes it a separate criminal offense to violate a court-ordered no-contact condition while on pretrial release for a violent crime. Qualifying offenses include murder, assault, stalking and lewd or lascivious offenses involving children under 16, as Fox 13 reported.
A first willful violation is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A second or subsequent violation becomes a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Officers can arrest a suspected violator without a warrant. That person must be held until a first appearance hearing.
Fraudulent rental applications now a felony
HB 1293 creates a third-degree felony for obtaining a rental dwelling through fraud, whether by lying about identity on an application, presenting forged documents or impersonating another person. The charge carries up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Landlords can treat fraudulent entry as a non-curable lease violation. Tenants who receive notice must vacate within seven days.
Other new laws
Several additional laws also take effect Thursday:
- HB 1525 makes it a third-degree felony to commit indecent exposure while observing a child under 16 for the purpose of sexual arousal. The child does not have to be aware of the conduct for the offense to apply.
- SB 432, known as Meg's Law, creates felony penalties for trafficking xylazine. Possessing 28 grams or more is a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
- HB 559 expands the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) public database of animal cruelty convictions. Maximum civil penalties for animal cruelty violations rise from $500 to $2,500 for a first offense.
- SB 1332 tightens registration requirements for designated career offenders, who must now re-register in person at their local sheriff's office every year during their birth month.
The laws are part of roughly 230 bills passed during Florida's 2026 legislative session. More than 120 took effect July 1, 2026.
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