October 1, 2025, marks a significant shift in Florida’s approach to road and boat safety, ushering in a series of new traffic laws designed to increase penalties for dangerous driving behaviors and enhance accountability. These legislative changes, which include “Trenton’s Law” and heightened restrictions on vehicle modifications, send a clear message: the stakes for violating Florida’s transportation statutes have never been higher. Drivers and boaters must be aware of these new regulations, as they carry the potential for more severe fines, felony charges, and mandatory jail time.

1. Escalated Penalties for Impaired Driving and Manslaughter: “Trenton’s Law” (HB 687)

One of the most impactful pieces of legislation is House Bill 687, known as “Trenton’s Law,” which significantly strengthens the penalties for offenses related to driving under the influence (DUI), boating under the influence (BUI) manslaughter, and vehicular or vessel homicide.

Criminalization of Test Refusal

Perhaps the most immediate change for DUI/BUI suspects is the criminalization of refusing a lawful breath or urine test after an arrest.

• First Refusal: A first refusal to submit to a lawful breath or urine test is now classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. This is a major change, as a simple refusal, which previously only carried administrative penalties like license suspension, now exposes the driver to criminal charges, including potential jail time, fines, and a criminal record.
• Subsequent Refusals: A second or subsequent refusal is elevated to a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying even harsher penalties.

Under the new law, law enforcement officers are explicitly required to inform the arrested person of these new criminal consequences of refusal.

Enhanced Penalties for Repeat Fatalities

“Trenton’s Law” also targets repeat offenders in cases involving a fatality:

• Repeat Felony Offenses: A second or subsequent conviction for DUI manslaughter, BUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or vessel homicide is now reclassified as a first-degree felony.
• Increased Sentencing Exposure: This reclassification raises the maximum sentence to 30 years in prison, a substantial increase from the prior maximum of 15 years (second-degree felony).
• Severity Chart Ranking: The law mandates that these offenses be ranked more severely under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code offense severity chart, which in turn increases the mandatory minimum prison sentences a judge must impose upon conviction.

2. Tougher Consequences for Fleeing Law Enforcement (HB 113)

House Bill 113 targets motorists who attempt to flee or elude law enforcement, increasing the severity of these crimes and adjusting the legal requirements for a pursuit.

Higher Criminal Offense Rankings

The new law increases the ranking of fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement on the Criminal Punishment Code’s severity chart, meaning those convicted will face higher minimum scores, and thus, longer possible prison sentences.

• Basic Fleeing: The offense of fleeing or eluding with active lights and sirens is reclassified to a higher severity level.
• Aggravated Fleeing: Aggravated fleeing (such as causing injury or property damage, or leaving the scene of an accident) is bumped up even higher on the severity chart.
• Sentencing Multiplier: For a second or subsequent conviction for fleeing or eluding, the law imposes a 1.5 multiplier on the sentencing points, dramatically increasing potential prison time.

Changes to Officer Vehicle Requirements

The new legislation removes the requirement that a law enforcement vehicle must display a specific agency insignia for certain fleeing or eluding charges. This change provides officers with more flexibility, meaning motorists who flee may face the heightened penalties even if the pursuing vehicle is not conspicuously marked, as long as the officer is in uniform and the vehicle is a marked patrol car with lights and siren activated.

3. New Criminal Offenses for License Plate and Vehicle Modifications (HB 253)

House Bill 253 introduces several new and stricter criminal offenses related to motor vehicle equipment, particularly for modifications that obscure identification or mimic law enforcement.

Crimes Against License Plates

Previously considered minor traffic infractions, altering or covering a license plate now carries criminal consequences:

• Altering or Covering a License Plate: This act is now classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. This includes any attempt to alter the registration sticker or the plate itself to obscure its identity.
• Obscuring Devices: It is now a second-degree misdemeanor to possess, manufacture, sell, or distribute any device (like a cover, spray, or mechanism) intended to obscure a license plate.
• Felony Use of Obscuring Devices: Using an obscuring device while committing any other crime or while attempting to avoid law enforcement is now a third-degree felony, significantly escalating the penalty for the underlying criminal act.

Impersonating a Law Enforcement Vehicle

To crack down on individuals who use aftermarket equipment to impersonate police or pull over other drivers, the law now creates new, harsh penalties:

• Prohibited Lighting: Driving a vehicle with certain types of aftermarket lighting that mimics the appearance of an official law enforcement vehicle is now a third-degree felony. This is a major step up from a simple traffic ticket and emphasizes the seriousness of unauthorized impersonation.

4. Stiffer Penalties for Excessive Speeding (HB 351)

While some of the most significant changes took effect in July 2025, the overall trend toward stricter penalties for excessive speeding continues to be reinforced. House Bill 351, which established the new offense of “Dangerous Excessive Speeding,” mandates serious consequences for those who drive at extreme speeds.

Defining Dangerous Excessive Speeding

An individual commits dangerous excessive speeding by:

1. Driving a motor vehicle 50 mph or more above the posted speed limit; or
2. Operating a vehicle at 100 mph or more in a manner that endangers the safety of people or property.

Penalties for Extreme Speed

The consequences for a conviction of dangerous excessive speeding are now mandatory and severe:

• First Offense: Up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to .
• Subsequent Offenses: A second or subsequent conviction within five years elevates the penalty to up to 90 days in jail, fines up to , and a mandatory driver’s license revocation for a minimum of 180 days up to one year.
• Mandatory Hearing: Any driver cited for exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph or more must appear before a designated official for a mandatory court hearing, meaning the ticket cannot simply be paid off.

5. Restitution for Leaving the Scene of a Crash (HB 479)

House Bill 479 addresses hit-and-run incidents involving only property or vehicle damage, giving courts an important new power.

• Mandatory Restitution: When a driver is convicted of leaving the scene of a crash involving only damage to a vehicle or property, the court is now required to order the driver to pay restitution for the full amount of the damage caused to the property owner.

This change ensures that those who flee the scene, even in a crash without injury, face direct financial accountability to the victims for the damages incurred.

6. Expanded “Move Over” Law and Other Safety Measures

While the most recent and dramatic expansion to Florida’s “Move Over” Law took effect earlier in 2025, the spirit of this measure—to protect all roadside personnel and stranded motorists—remains a guiding principle of the state’s safety regulations. This law requires drivers to:

1. Move Over: Change lanes away from the roadside vehicle if safely possible; or
2. Slow Down: If a lane change is not possible, drivers must reduce their speed to 20 mph below the posted limit (or 5 mph if the limit is 20 mph or less).

The most recent update requires drivers to move over or slow down for any vehicle stopped on the roadside displaying hazard lights or emergency flares.

A New Era of Traffic Enforcement

The new suite of Florida traffic laws effective October 1, 2025, represents a decisive pivot toward a much stricter environment for motorists. The legislature has substantially raised the stakes for dangerous driving behaviors such as impaired operation, excessive speed, and fleeing law enforcement. From criminalizing the refusal of a DUI test to making certain license plate modifications a criminal misdemeanor, the laws are comprehensive in their pursuit of greater public safety.

For all drivers, the message is one of heightened responsibility and caution. What may have been a costly ticket in the past could now easily result in a criminal record, license revocation, or mandatory jail time. Understanding these new regulations is no longer just about avoiding a fine; it’s about maintaining one’s freedom and driving privileges in a state where traffic enforcement is now operating under its most stringent framework in years. Awareness and compliance are now essential to safely navigating the Sunshine State’s roadways.