This just in! We were perusing the world of driving, traffic, and automotive rules and regulations (as we do) and lo and behold: we’ve discovered a few important changes in the state of Florida. In fact, there are updates to many traffic laws in the Sunshine State that have come into effect with the start of the new year.
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As always, we thought we’d keep our excellent eTags friends (that’s you, by the way) up to date with these changes. So here go the Florida road rules for 2025:
Belt It.
Seatbelt laws have always been of utmost importance, and for good reason: they save lives. The new rules require that both drivers and passenger in the front seat remain belted at all times. The penalty for violating this a $30 for unbuckled adults and a $60 fee for unbuckled minors.
Child Safety.
Children under five years old must be seated in the back seat of a vehicle in a legal car seat. Any child between the ages of five and eight are required to sit in a proper booster seat.
Lane Laws.
While the left lane has always been intended for faster driving and for the overtaking of slower vehicles, it is now designated as passing lane only. Anyone moving slowly is required to remain in the right lane.
Commercial trucks are prohibited from using the left lane at all in certain marked areas.
High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (HOV) will be strictly enforced during peak hours, with violations incurring fines.
Drivers could be subject to fines up $150 and three points on their driver’s license for failing to follow the new lane laws.
DUI: Zero Tolerance.
The state of Florida is cracking down on impaired driving, and has the following blood alcohol content limits in effect for 2025:
- .08% for regular drivers
- .04% for commercial drivers
- .02% for drivers under 21 years of age
The penalties for first-time DUI offenders are as follows:
- Fines anywhere from $500 all the way up to $1000
- A suspended driver’s license from six months up to one full year
- Twelve hours of mandatory DUI school
A second offense will see fines of $1000-$2000 plus a five-year license suspension and up to nine months in prison, while a third offense (sheesh) hold $2000-$5000 fine, a ten-year license suspension, and up to one year in prison.
Speed Regulations.
Florida highways have increased their speed limits to up to 70 MPH in certain areas, but the enforcement of maintaining this limit has grown stricter.
Residential areas, while keeping their speed limit to 30 MPH, have also increased monitoring and enforcement measures.
School zones remain with a strict 20 MPH speed limit, however the penalties for violations have risen.
Penalties for driving 1 MPH to 9 MPH over the limit will see a fine of $50 and three points on a driver’s license. 10 MPH to 14 MPH over increases to $200 and stays at three points. 15 MPH to 10 MPH ramps up to $300 and four driver’s license points. 20 MPH (we sincerely hope it never comes to this) will land you a $500 fine, a court appearance, and a whopping six points on your driver’s license. In other words: slow down!
Cyclist and Pedestrian Safety.
Florida has never been ranked as the safest place for these two categories. So, in an effort to improve this, the state has upped its ante.
Vehicles are required to stop Completely when a pedestrian is present in any marked crosswalk.
When passing a human on a bicycle, vehicle drivers are required to maintain a minimum safe distance of three feet from the cyclist.
All cyclists under sixteen years of age are required to wear a helmet while riding.
Distracted Driving.
In an ongoing effort to keep humans focused on the road (and thereby safe and alive), Florida has increased its laws regarding anything that causes driver distraction.
All handheld devices are prohibited to use while operating a motor vehicle. Holding a phone is strictly prohibited. All calls made or received can only be done via a hands-free option only.
Any sort of texting (typing) while driving is now considered a primary offense. Meaning, police officers are permitted to pull over and stop drivers for this violation itself.
The fines for these violations are $150 for the first offense and $300 for the second offense.
Let’s hear it for speakerphone and voice-to-text, eh?
Safety In Work Zones.
Because road construction areas are considered high-risk, Florida has increased its regulations in order to try and protect its workers.
When there is a speed limit reduction in a work zone, these limits are now enforceable at all times, even when workers are not present. Yes, all hours, all days. If the reduced speed limit sign is up, it must be adhered to. 
Any violation occurring in a work zone carries with it a fine that is double what it normally would be in a non-work zone.
Any time a driver passes an emergency vehicle or a construction vehicle, they are required to shift lanes (if it is safe to do so) to allow for wide berth. Or, if moving lanes is not possible, the passing driver must slow down.
EV and AV Laws.
The new laws state that all EV charging stations in the state of Florida must be marked as such. Anyone parked in an EV charging station without charging will face a fine of $100.
Anyone driving an AV (autonomous vehicle) enabled car must:
- Have the ability to switch to manual control safely
- Understand that they are liable for any traffic violations even when using autopilot features
Motorcycle Musts.
All motorcyclists under twenty-one years of age are required to wear a helmet while driving. Anyone over twenty-one who does not want to wear a helmet must carry proof of medical insurance.
All motorcyclists must use their headlights during daytime operation.
And there you have it. These are the current (as of today) updated traffic laws for the new year in Florida. Stay safe, folks! And remember, for all your title and tag needs in the Sunshine State, head over to etags.com and let us give you a hand!
