Florida is stepping up its fight against extreme speeding. Starting July 1, a brand-new law will hit drivers hard—especially those going over 100 miles per hour. This change comes as officials try to crack down on reckless driving and make roads safer for everyone. Here is what you need to know.
What is Florida’s new speeding law?
If you drive in Florida, you should know that starting July 1, tougher penalties will apply to anyone caught:
- Driving over 100 miles per hour
- Driving more than 50 miles per hour above the posted speed limit
Under this new law, these types of drivers will no longer just get a ticket and go. They will be required to appear in court before a judge—and that is just the beginning.
What are the penalties for breaking the new law?
The penalties are serious, even for a first offense. If you are caught under this new law, here is what you can expect:
- First-time offense:
- $500 fine
- Up to 30 days in jail
- Mandatory court appearance
- $500 fine
- Second-time offense:
- $1,000 fine
- Up to 90 days in jail
- Another court appearance
- $1,000 fine
This law is not just about handing out tickets—it is about sending a message that excessive speeding will not be tolerated anymore.
Why Florida passed this new speeding law
In 2023, law enforcement officers handed out over 683,000 speeding tickets across the state. Nearly 2,600 of those tickets were for people going more than 50 miles per hour over the speed limit. That is not just fast—that is dangerously fast.
According to Rep. Danny Alvarez from Hillsborough County, “It is just not enough to pull someone over and give them a ticket. It is not working anymore.”
Lawmakers believe that requiring speeders to show up in court—and possibly face jail time—will finally make them think twice before hitting the gas.
What Florida officials are saying about the law
Law enforcement leaders are fully behind this new law. Orange County Sheriff John Mina put it clearly:
“If you get into a crash going over 100 mph, you are not going to survive that. The people you strike are not going to survive that.”
Sheriff Mina added, “I think people are going to slow it down, back it way down. Really, there is no reason, ever, to go over 100 mph.”
So if you are the kind of driver who likes to push the speed limit, it might be time to rethink that. The state of Florida is making it clear—driving at extreme speeds is not just illegal, it is now much more dangerous for your wallet and your freedom.
