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Florida criminal charge

The Florida Career Offender Registration Act in Florida

Current through 2026 Florida legislative session

The Florida Career Offender Registration Act is a criminal offense under Florida law, defined by Fla. Stat. § 775.261. Its classification is not fixed: Florida assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by Fla. Stat. § 775.261.

What is the penalty for the florida career offender registration act in Florida?

Penalties for The Florida Career Offender Registration Act
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prisonup to 5 years (Failure to register or comply with registration requirements — A career offender who fails to register, fails to maintain/acquire/renew a driver license or identification card, fails to provide required location or name-change information, or otherwise fails to comply with the section's requirements.)discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Fineup to $5,000 (Failure to register or comply with registration requirements — A career offender who fails to register, fails to maintain/acquire/renew a driver license or identification card, fails to provide required location or name-change information, or otherwise fails to comply with the section's requirements.; or up to double the pecuniary gain/loss (s. 775.083(1)(f)); statutes may authorize higher (s. 775.083(1)(g)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Jail / prisonup to 15 years (Failure to report intent to remain in Florida after indicating intent to leave — A career offender who reported intent to reside in another state or jurisdiction but remains in Florida without reporting that decision to the sheriff or department as required.)discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Fineup to $10,000 (Failure to report intent to remain in Florida after indicating intent to leave — A career offender who reported intent to reside in another state or jurisdiction but remains in Florida without reporting that decision to the sheriff or department as required.; or up to double the pecuniary gain/loss (s. 775.083(1)(f)); statutes may authorize higher (s. 775.083(1)(g)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Jail / prisonup to 1 year (Misuse of public records information concerning a career offender — A person who misuses public career-offender records information to secure payment, knowingly distributes or publishes false information misrepresented as public records, or materially alters such public records information with intent to misrepresent it.; county jail, not state prison (s. 775.08(2)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Fineup to $1,000 (Misuse of public records information concerning a career offender — A person who misuses public career-offender records information to secure payment, knowingly distributes or publishes false information misrepresented as public records, or materially alters such public records information with intent to misrepresent it.; or up to double the pecuniary gain/loss (s. 775.083(1)(f)); statutes may authorize higher (s. 775.083(1)(g)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Jail / prisonup to 1 year (Assisting a career offender in evading law enforcement noncompliance investigation — A person who, believing a career offender is not complying with registration requirements, intentionally assists the offender in eluding law enforcement by withholding information, harboring, concealing, or providing false information about the offender.; county jail, not state prison (s. 775.08(2)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082
Fineup to $1,000 (Assisting a career offender in evading law enforcement noncompliance investigation — A person who, believing a career offender is not complying with registration requirements, intentionally assists the offender in eluding law enforcement by withholding information, harboring, concealing, or providing false information about the offender.; or up to double the pecuniary gain/loss (s. 775.083(1)(f)); statutes may authorize higher (s. 775.083(1)(g)))discretionaryFla. Stat. § 775.082

Applies to current (2025 Florida Statutes).

How is the florida career offender registration act classified in Florida?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for The Florida Career Offender Registration Act
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Failure to register or comply with registration requirementsFelony of the Third DegreeA career offender who fails to register, fails to maintain/acquire/renew a driver license or identification card, fails to provide required location or name-change information, or otherwise fails to comply with the section's requirements.Fla. Stat. § 775.261(8)(a)
Failure to report intent to remain in Florida after indicating intent to leaveFelony of the Second DegreeA career offender who reported intent to reside in another state or jurisdiction but remains in Florida without reporting that decision to the sheriff or department as required.Fla. Stat. § 775.261(4)(g)
Misuse of public records information concerning a career offenderMisdemeanor of the First DegreeA person who misuses public career-offender records information to secure payment, knowingly distributes or publishes false information misrepresented as public records, or materially alters such public records information with intent to misrepresent it.Fla. Stat. § 775.261(8)(b)
Assisting a career offender in evading law enforcement noncompliance investigationMisdemeanor of the First DegreeA person who, believing a career offender is not complying with registration requirements, intentionally assists the offender in eluding law enforcement by withholding information, harboring, concealing, or providing false information about the offender.Fla. Stat. § 775.261(10)

Common questions about the florida career offender registration act in Florida

Is the Florida Career Offender Registration Act a felony or a misdemeanor in Florida?

It depends on the circumstances: the Florida Career Offender Registration Act ranges from a Misdemeanor of the First Degree to a Felony of the Second Degree in Florida under Fla. Stat. § 775.261.

Failure to register or comply with registration requirements: Felony of the Third Degree (Fla. Stat. § 775.261(8)(a)) · Failure to report intent to remain in Florida after indicating intent to leave: Felony of the Second Degree (Fla. Stat. § 775.261(4)(g)) · Misuse of public records information concerning a career offender: Misdemeanor of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 775.261(8)(b)) · Assisting a career offender in evading law enforcement noncompliance investigation: Misdemeanor of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 775.261(10))

What are the penalties for the Florida Career Offender Registration Act in Florida?

Penalties for the Florida Career Offender Registration Act in Florida depend on how it is classified — from a Misdemeanor of the First Degree up to a Felony of the Second Degree — with the ranges set by Fla. Stat. § 775.082; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Florida statute covers the Florida Career Offender Registration Act?

The Florida Career Offender Registration Act is governed by Fla. Stat. § 775.261 (The Florida Career Offender Registration Act).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.