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New Florida Laws Begin Oct 1: Here's What to Keep in Mind
The laws cover new criminal penalties, five specialty license plates and revised transportation and records rules, lawmakers said.
- On Thursday, October 1, 2026, Florida enacted a dozen new laws spanning criminal penalties, traffic safety, and specialty license plates.
- Most 2026 legislation took effect July 1, but a remaining group of statutes officially commenced this week following earlier legislative approval.
- House Bill 1293 creates third-degree felony penalties for "fraudulent entry" of residential properties, while House Bill 397 penalizes no-contact violations and House Bill 559 mandates psychological evaluations for minors convicted of animal cruelty.
- Senate Bill 488 raises the vehicle crash reporting threshold to $2,000, and Florida authorized five new specialty license plates including Ultimate Fighting Championship and First Responders Resiliency.
- House Bill 429 expands gang identification criteria to include online self-identification, while Senate Bill 432 bans nitrous oxide sales and establishes xylazine trafficking penalties of three to 25 years imprisonment.
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New Florida laws this week include squatters' restrictions, banning of nitrous oxide sales
Dozens of new Florida state laws will officially take effect on Thursday, led by tough new criminal penalties for squatters and fake lease fraud, expanded campus safety measures, and bans on smoke shop nitrous oxide sales. Read more: New Florida laws this week include squatters’ restrictions, banning of nitrous oxide sales
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