FINDING & USING Florida Statutes

Available in Print

Florida Statutes

• Official copy of the general & permanent laws of Florida

• Arranged by subject

• Florida Statutes is divided into titles, chapters, and sections.

What’s a supplement?

Florida Statutes was first published in 1941. Regular publication begin in 1949. Prior to 1999 the official Florida Statutes was published in odd-numbered years, with a bound supplement in even years. The supplement contained any changes made to the law. If no changes were made to the law in an even-numbered year, you would have to check the prior year’s statute for the current law.

The citation from The Florida Style Manual

for legal documents:

§ 468.4561, Fla. Stat. (2010)

468 = chapter number4561 = section number

(this statute is in Title XXXII but you don’t need a title number in the citation)

The statute number The statute title

The statute text or language of the law

History

Florida Statutory Codes

Unofficial Versions:

• Online Sunshine• Florida Statutes

Annotated (West)

• Florida Annotated Statutes (Lexis)

Florida Statutes Annotated Statute sectionChapter title

and number

Text

History notes

References to law reviews

References to Treatises, CJS

and key number

Case summaries

Topics covered inNotes of Decisions

Finding Statutes in Print

Index

Table of Contents

• Last volume:– Topical Index– Table of Section Changes from the most recent legislature

– Table Tracing Session Laws to Florida Statutes (current vol. begins with 1995 session)

– Table of Repealed and Transferred Sections (1943-present).

– US & Fla. Constitutions

Free online statutes

http://www.leg.state.fl.us

Fla. Stat. on Westlaw

https://a.next.westlaw.com/Browse/Home/StatutesCourtRules/FloridaStatutesCourtRules?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)

Fla. Stat. on Lexis

How to Search for Statutes

If you already know the citation,

type it in the citation search

box

If you only know a subject of the statute, search using

terms or keywords

How to Search for Statutes

Search using online index

How to Search for Statutes

You can also skim the Table

of Contents

Sources of Florida Statutes

Slip law

Session law

Statutory code

Slip law

Session law

Statutory code

TERMSSlip law

Pamphlet law

Session law

Statutory code

TERMSSession lawPublic law

Laws of Florida

Session Laws - Citation

Ch. 97- 415

Sec. 1, Ch. 2011 - 103

General Acts

Special Acts

Finding Session Laws

• Print: Laws of Florida

(1822 to date)

http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/LawsofFlorida/IndexTSALL1971-2008.pdf

1999-current at: www.leg.state.fl.us/

Coverage 1987 to present

Session Laws

1987

1987

Session Laws

1822

Session Laws

Moving between Florida Statutes and session laws:

• The history note at the end of each section lists the session laws that created or amended that section. Annotated statutes have more detailed history notes.

Moving between Florida Statutes and session laws:

• The Tracing Table for Session Laws to Florida Statutes (in last vol. of official statutes)

• Or online: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/TracingTable.pdf

Florida Federal

Florida Statutes U.S. CodeLaws of Florida Statutes at LargeFSA USCAFAS USCS

OnlineSunshine FdSys + THOMAS

Comparison

Update Statutes (Keycite or Shepardize)