Editorial Policy

Every legal statement on Legal in Fla must trace back to the law itself. This policy sets out our sources, how a guide is built, and how we keep it accurate.

The sources we use

  • The Florida Constitution and the Florida Statutes, including chapters 316 (traffic), 327 (boating), 790 (weapons), 893 (drugs) and 83 (landlord and tenant)
  • Bills, effective dates and staff analyses from the Florida Legislature
  • The Florida Administrative Code and guidance from FLHSMV, FDLE, FWC, the Department of Health and the Office of Medical Marijuana Use
  • Opinions of the Florida Supreme Court and the District Courts of Appeal, and Attorney General opinions
  • Ballot amendment text and official results for changes voters made directly
  • Federal law where it applies alongside Florida law

News reports can tell us something changed. They are never the source of a legal claim. We confirm each change in the official text, with its effective date, before a guide reflects it.

How a guide is built

  1. Start with the real question Floridians search for.
  2. Read every statute and rule that governs the topic, in its current form.
  3. Check for change: new bills, ballot results, court rulings and agency rules.
  4. Answer first, then explain conditions, exceptions, local differences and penalties.
  5. Cite and verify every legal statement against its source before publishing.

Keeping guides current

Florida’s main effective dates are July 1 and October 1, so guides in affected areas are rechecked after each legislative session and again before those dates. Fast-moving topics, including marijuana and hemp, guns, gambling, abortion, immigration and housing, are reviewed at least monthly. Every guide shows the date it was last checked.

Independence and tools

No law firm, advertiser or agency writes or approves our guides. We use research and drafting software to work efficiently, but every legal statement is checked against its source and the editor is responsible for what we publish.

Corrections

When we make a mistake, we fix it and say so on the page. See our corrections policy.