Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog

June 30, 2026

Your DUI and Your Job: CDLs, Nursing Licenses, and Professional Consequences in Florida

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

A DUI arrest is stressful for anyone. For people whose paycheck depends on a license, it can feel like the ground is shifting under their feet. In South Florida, where commercial drivers and healthcare workers fill the roads and hospitals, a single bad decision behind the wheel can reach far past the courtroom. Understanding that reach early, with help from a Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney, often makes the difference between a setback and a lost career.

The Criminal Case Is Only the Beginning

Florida’s DUI law, Section 316.193 of the Florida Statutes, sets the baseline penalties: fines, possible jail, license revocation, probation, DUI school, and an ignition interlock device for many drivers. A first conviction can bring a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Those penalties are serious on their own. For a licensed professional, though, they are only the opening chapter. A second, parallel process plays out in front of a licensing board or a state agency, and that process follows its own rules.

CDL Holders: A Higher Standard and Higher Stakes

Commercial drivers carry a heavier burden. While ordinary motorists are measured against a 0.08 blood alcohol limit, a CDL holder operating a commercial vehicle can be charged at 0.04. Worse, the consequences attach even when the arrest happens in a personal car on a day off.

Under Section 322.61 of the Florida Statutes, a first DUI conviction disqualifies a person from operating a commercial vehicle for one year. If the driver was hauling hazardous materials, that period climbs to three years. A second DUI conviction means a lifetime disqualification. Florida offers no hardship CDL to bridge the gap, so for many drivers a conviction lands the same way a pink slip does. Acting fast to challenge the stop, the testing, and the charge itself is critical.

Nurses and the 30-Day Clock

June 20, 2026

Marsy’s Law and What It Means When You’re the One Accused

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Most people first hear the words “Marsy’s Law” from the side of a victim. The headlines, the campaign ads, and the rights forms all speak to people who have allegedly been harmed by violent crime. Far fewer people understand what Marsy’s Law means from the vantage point of the accused. For anyone facing charges in South Florida, that gap is worth closing early, ideally with help from an experienced Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney.

What Marsy’s Law Actually Is

Florida voters approved Marsy’s Law in November 2018 as Amendment 6. It took effect in January 2019 and now lives in Article I, Section 16 of the Florida Constitution, a section pointedly titled “Rights of accused and of victims.” Its companion statute, Section 960.001 of the Florida Statutes, fills in much of the day-to-day detail.

The law hands crime victims a broad set of enforceable rights. A victim can be notified of court dates, be present at hearings, be heard on bond and plea and sentencing, confer with the prosecutor, seek restitution, and keep certain identifying information private. These rights are self-executing, which means a victim can assert them in court without waiting on the Legislature to act.

Why It Matters to a Defendant

Here is the part that often surprises people: The earlier version of this constitutional section said victims’ rights applied only so far as they did not interfere with the constitutional rights of the accused. Marsy’s Law removed that language. The protections for the accused did not vanish. Due process, the presumption of innocence, and the right to confront witnesses all remain. But the explicit tiebreaker that once favored the accused is gone, and that shift plays out in real cases. Continue reading

June 6, 2026

Reckless Boating, Wake Zones, and Manatee Speed Zones: When a Bad Day on the Water Becomes a Crime

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Here in South Florida, saltwater is life. From the New River downtown to the canals off Las Olas and the open Atlantic past Port Everglades, most days spent boating end with a few good stories and maybe a sunburn. Some, however, end with a citation, a court date, and a frantic search for a Fort Lauderdale boating attorney. The line between a fun afternoon and a criminal charge is thinner than many boaters expect, and it usually comes down to three things: speed, wake, and wildlife.

Reckless and Careless Operation Are Not the Same Thing

Florida law draws a sharp distinction between two kinds of bad boating. Under Florida Statute 327.33, careless operation means failing to run a vessel in a reasonable and prudent manner, with regard for other traffic, posted speeds, and wake restrictions. Careless operation is a noncriminal violation, closer to a ticket than a crime.

Reckless operation is the serious version. It involves a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of people or property. That offense is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The difference matters enormously. Weaving through crowded traffic near the Intracoastal, jumping another boat’s wake at full throttle, or buzzing swimmers can push a careless lapse into reckless territory. An officer’s judgment in the moment often decides which box gets checked, and that single decision can follow a person for years.

Wake Zones: Slow Down or Pay Up

“No Wake” and “Idle Speed” signs are not friendly suggestions. They carry the force of law. In busy stretches like the Middle River and the residential canals off Las Olas, wake restrictions protect docks, seawalls, moored vessels, and people in the water. A boater who ignores a posted zone and damages property or endangers someone can face a careless or even reckless operation charge under the same statute.

Wake also creates a quiet liability trap. A large wake that swamps a kayaker or slams a smaller boat can spark both a criminal citation and a civil claim. The captain stays responsible for the wake the vessel throws, even after motoring well past it. Continue reading

May 24, 2026

The “Must-Arrest” Reality: What Happens Immediately After a Florida Domestic Violence Call

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida domestic violence laws are written in such a way that almost always: someone is going to jail. Understanding what happens next can determine everything about how this ends.

Florida’s domestic violence statutes mean anyone arrested on such charges cannot be released on bond before their First Appearance hearing — no matter how much money you have, no matter how mild the incident. That hearing happens within 24 hours of arrest. As a Fort Lauderdale domestic violence defense lawyer, I emphasize to anyone facing charges that the decisions you make before and during that hearing can shape the entire case. Your wisest course of action is to hire an experienced lawyer to help you through it.

Why Florida Officers Almost Always Arrest Someone

Florida Statute Section 741.2901 sets out one of the most aggressive domestic violence enforcement frameworks in the United States. It does not merely permit arrest; it creates a presumption that arrest is appropriate whenever an officer has probable cause to believe domestic violence has occurred, even if the alleged victim does not want anyone arrested, even if no visible injury exists, and even if the incident appears minor by any objective measure.

The statute explicitly instructs that “it is the intent of the Legislature that domestic violence be treated as a criminal act rather than a private family matter.” That legislative intent has real-world consequences:

The victim cannot “drop the charges.” Charges are brought by the State of Florida, not by the alleged victim. Even if the complaining party recants entirely, the prosecution can proceed (and often does) on other evidence including 911 recordings, officer observations, and photographs
Officer discretion is severely limited. If an officer has probable cause — meaning they believe domestic battery is more likely than not to have occurred — arrest is the required response in most circumstances. Mediating and leaving is generally not an option
Both parties can be arrested. Florida law allows for dual arrests when officers find mutual aggression. Both people in the home can be taken into custody simultaneously
Prior relationship matters, not current status. Florida’s domestic violence statutes cover current and former spouses, people who share a child, current or former household members, and people in dating relationships — regardless of whether they still live together

The practical effect is that a call to 911, made in anger, made by a neighbor, or made in a moment that quickly de-escalated, can trigger an arrest that neither party wants and that cannot be undone by the time cooler heads prevail. Understanding this is the first step to navigating what comes next.

The First 24 Hours: A Timeline

The period immediately following a domestic violence arrest in Florida is governed by a rigid procedural sequence.

The No-Bond Hold: Why You Cannot Just Post Bail

This is the piece that catches families most off guard. In most criminal arrests in Florida, a bond amount is set at booking, and the arrested person can be released within hours by paying that bond or using a bondsman. Domestic violence arrests do not work this way.

Under Florida Statute Section 741.2901(3), a person arrested for domestic violence shall be held in custody until brought before the court for First Appearance. No amount of money, no matter how large, can secure their release before that hearing. No bondsman can post bail because no bail has been set. The person is legally required to remain in custody until a judge sees them, which must happen within 24 hours of arrest under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130.

What this means practically: if someone is arrested at 11 PM on a Friday, they will almost certainly spend the weekend in jail before seeing a judge, because “within 24 hours” in practice can stretch to the next available First Appearance docket. First Appearance hearings in Broward County occur daily, including weekends, but the timing depends on when in the day the arrest occurred and how quickly booking is processed.

What Happens at First Appearance

May 15, 2026

Navigating the New Waterway Rules: How Three FWC Citations Can Cost You Your Boat

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida’s latest vessel accountability overhaul has turned minor boating infractions into a cascading legal trap. What every Fort Lauderdale boat owner needs to know before they’re declared a public nuisance and potentially lose their vessel.

⚠ Critical 2026 Rule Change

As of January 1, 2026, Florida’s new electronic anchoring permit system is live. Anchoring in a designated anchoring limitation zone without a current permit, even for a single night, can now count as a qualifying infraction under the state’s three-strike vessel accountability framework. Our Fort Lauderdale FWC defense lawyers recognize that many South Florida boaters don’t know this clock has already started.

Florida has more registered vessels than any other state in the nation. Nowhere is that more visible than along the waterways of Broward County — the New River, the Intracoastal Waterway, Port Everglades, and the dozens of canals and coves that make Fort Lauderdale the “Venice of America.” For hundreds of thousands of South Floridians, a boat isn’t a luxury. It’s a way of life.

Which is exactly why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s sweeping new waterway accountability framework is so consequential to many boat owners. The rules that once governed commercial or clearly derelict vessels have quietly expanded to reach recreational boaters who simply didn’t keep up with registration renewals, anchored in the wrong spot, or left their vessel unattended a few days too long during a storm.

As a Fort Lauderdale FWC lawyer who represents boat owners throughout South Florida, we’ve watched the pace of enforcement actions accelerate sharply in early 2026. Our hope is to warn boaters before they’re next to be staring at a Notice of Intent to Remove their vessel from the water.

The Three-Strike Framework: How Infractions Stack

Florida’s vessel accountability program did not appear overnight. It evolved through a series of legislative updates into what is now a formal point-accumulation system that can lead to a “public nuisance” vessel designation with genuine consequences.

Here is how the escalation path works in practice:

First qualifying citation

Written or electronic citation issued. Infraction logged in FWC’s statewide vessel accountability database. Owner notified by mail. Civil fine assessed. No immediate threat to vessel ownership.

Second qualifying citation (within 12 months)

Escalated notice issued. FWC may require the owner to demonstrate a compliance plan. Vessel entered into “watch” status. Fine doubles. Some anchoring zones may prohibit further overnight anchoring pending resolution.

Third qualifying citation (within 12 months)

Vessel designated as a “public nuisance.” FWC issues a Notice of Intent to Remove. Owner has a limited window (typically 72 hours) to contest or take corrective action before removal proceedings begin.

Removal, impoundment, and potential forfeiture

FWC or a contracted marine contractor removes the vessel. Storage costs accrue daily. If the owner cannot pay removal and storage fees within the statutory period, the vessel may be sold or destroyed. The owner bears all costs.

The critical thing to understand about this escalation path: each step triggers faster than most boat owners expect. The 12-month lookback window means that three separate, seemingly minor interactions with FWC officers over the course of a year (a registration reminder, an anchoring zone warning, and a safety equipment inspection failure) can combine into a public nuisance designation. The citations don’t have to be related to each other.

The 2026 Electronic Anchoring Permit System, Explained

The most consequential new addition to Florida’s waterway enforcement apparatus is the statewide electronic anchoring permit system, which went live January 1, 2026, under F.S. 327.4105.

Previously, anchoring limitation zones — established in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Pinellas counties, among others — were enforced primarily through posted signage and officer discretion. Chronic violators could be ticketed, but data was fragmented. The new electronic system changes this fundamentally. Continue reading

May 5, 2026

Arrested for DUI While Visiting Fort Lauderdale? A Guide for Out-of-State Drivers

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

A weekend in Fort Lauderdale or Miami can turn into a legal nightmare that follows you all the way home. Here’s what you need to know, and why acting fast with a Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer can make a world of difference.

Fort Lauderdale is one of the most visited destinations in the United States. Millions of tourists, business travelers, and convention-goers pour into Broward County every year. Most leave with memories. Some leave with something far more complicated: a DUI arrest hanging over their head as they board a plane home.

If you’re reading this from a hotel room in Fort Lauderdale (or from your living room back in Ohio, Texas, or New York, still shaken from last weekend) this is for you. As a Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer who handles cases for out-of-state visitors and business travelers, we see this situation constantly. And the good news is: it’s far more manageable than it feels right now.

Let’s walk through what you’re actually facing, what Florida law means for your home state’s license, and exactly how a local attorney can fight for you — potentially without you ever needing to come back.

Why a Florida DUI Is Not a “Local Problem”

One of the most dangerous misconceptions out-of-state drivers have is thinking that a DUI in Florida only affects them in Florida. “I don’t even live there,” people say. “I’ll just deal with it from home.” This line of thinking can cost you your license, and in some states, your career.

The reality is rooted in an interstate agreement called the Driver License Compact (DLC) — and if you’re a licensed driver in almost any U.S. state, you’re bound by it.

🔗The Driver License Compact: How It Works

The DLC is an interstate agreement signed by 45 states (all except Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). Under its “one driver, one license, one record” principle, states agree to share traffic violation and DUI conviction data with each other.

Here’s the flow:

🚔

Florida Arrest

Fort Lauderdale / Broward Co.

→

📡

DLC Reporting

Florida notifies your home state

→

🏠

Home State Acts

Suspends or revokes your license

Your home state is required to treat a Florida DUI conviction as if it happened in your own state — applying the same penalties your state would for a local DUI offense.

This means a conviction in Broward County courtroom can result in your driver’s license being suspended in New Jersey, California, Illinois, or wherever you call home. It can appear on background checks. It can affect professional licenses. And in some professions (such as commercial drivers, pilots, healthcare workers, lawyers) a DUI conviction triggers mandatory reporting requirements that can threaten your career entirely.

The stakes of an out-of-state DUI in Florida are not smaller because you were far from home. In many ways, they’re higher.

The 10-Day Clock: Your Most Urgent Priority

When a Florida law enforcement officer arrests you for DUI and your blood alcohol level tests at .08 or above (or you refuse a breath test), they will immediately confiscate your physical driver’s license and issue you a temporary paper permit. This permit is valid for only 10 days.

Within those 10 days, you or your attorney must request a Formal Review Hearing with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). If no hearing is requested, your Florida driving privileges are automatically suspended, and that suspension will be reported to your home state under the DLC.

Day of Arrest: Your license is confiscated. You receive a DUI citation and a temporary permit valid for 10 days. The clock starts now.
Within 10 Days: A formal review hearing must be requested. This is separate from your criminal case — it’s an administrative proceeding to fight the license suspension. A local attorney can file this on your behalf from anywhere.
Within 10 Days (Optional): You can also apply for a hardship license, which may allow limited driving privileges during the proceedings.
Criminal Arraignment: You’ll receive notice of your arraignment date. Out-of-state defendants are often able to waive their appearance at arraignment when represented by local counsel — meaning you don’t have to book a return flight.

Missing the 10-day window is the single most common and costly mistake out-of-state DUI defendants make. By the time they’ve talked to their family, calmed down, and started looking for lawyers back home, it’s often too late to preserve their driving privileges during the case.

The 10-day window doesn’t care that you live in another state. It doesn’t pause while you’re figuring things out. A local Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney can file your hearing request within hours of your call.

What Happens in Your Home State?

Understanding exactly what gets reported (and when) helps you understand why fighting the Florida case aggressively matters so much. Continue reading

April 28, 2026

The Hardship License Paradox: Florida’s New Ignition Interlock Rules and What They Really Cost You

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

A DUI arrest is disorienting enough on its own. The moment the handcuffs come off, a new and equally urgent problem takes center stage: how do you get to work? How do you take your kids to school, get to a doctor’s appointment, or simply function as a working adult in Broward County, a place where public transportation is not a meaningful substitute for driving yourself, when your license has been suspended?

The answer most people hope for is a hardship license. The reality they encounter in 2026 is more complicated, more expensive, and more legally consequential than they ever anticipated. If you are navigating this process, a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer can be the difference between regaining your freedom of movement quickly and losing it for far longer than the law actually requires.

What a Hardship License Is — and What It Now Demands

A hardship license, formally issued under Florida Statute § 322.271, is a restricted driving privilege that permits a suspended driver to operate a vehicle for specific purposes: traveling to and from work, school, medical appointments, church, and ignition interlock device maintenance. It is not a full reinstatement of driving privileges. It is a limited exception, granted at the discretion of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Bureau of Administrative Reviews.

To qualify for a hardship license following a first DUI conviction, a driver must generally enroll in DUI school, apply through the FLHSMV’s Bureau of Administrative Reviews, and under Florida’s updated ignition interlock framework, in many cases demonstrate compliance with the ignition interlock device (IID) requirement as a condition of that restricted license.

This is the paradox: you need to drive to preserve your job and livelihood, but accessing the very license that allows you to do so now frequently requires installation of a monitoring device that carries its own burdensome requirements and costs.

The Expanded IID Mandate: Who It Now Affects

Florida Statute § 316.1937 governs ignition interlock device requirements, and the landscape has shifted materially in recent years. Historically, IIDs were reserved primarily for repeat DUI offenders or those with egregiously high BAC readings. That is no longer the case.

Under the current framework, a court must order IID installation for a minimum of six continuous months even for a first-time DUI offender if that person’s BAC was 0.15% or higher or if a minor was present in the vehicle at the time of the offense. For second convictions, the mandatory IID period extends to a minimum of one year — and two years if the BAC exceeded 0.15% or a minor was present. A third conviction carries a minimum two-year IID requirement, and fourth or subsequent convictions trigger a mandatory five-year IID requirement for any hardship license granted under § 322.271.

Critically, even for a standard first-time DUI without aggravating factors, courts retain broad discretion to order IID installation as a condition of sentencing — and many Broward County judges now routinely do so. The message from the bench is consistent: if you want to drive before your full suspension period ends, the IID is increasingly part of the price of that privilege.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About

The financial reality of the IID requirement is something prosecutors and administrative hearing officers never volunteer. Here is what the device actually costs a Broward County driver. Continue reading

April 18, 2026

DUI Manslaughter in Florida: Why “Double Penalties” for Repeat Offenders Change Everything — and What a Defense Lawyer Can Do About It

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Facing a DUI manslaughter charge is one of the most devastating experiences a person can endure — legal or otherwise. The weight of a tragic accident, the grief of a victim’s family, the attention of law enforcement and prosecutors, and the very real prospect of decades in prison, all descending at once. If you or someone you love is confronting this situation in Broward County, you need to understand what Florida law now demands, and why retaining an experienced Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer immediately may be the single most consequential decision you make.

What Trenton’s Law Does to the Sentencing Landscape

Under Florida Statute § 316.193(3)(c)(3), DUI manslaughter has long been classified as a second-degree felony, carrying a maximum of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. A mandatory minimum of four years in state prison applies. The Florida Criminal Punishment Code scoresheet, which accounts for victim injury points, typically pushes the recommended sentence for a first-time offender to well over ten years before a judge has said a single word.

That was already a severe framework. Then came Trenton’s Law.

House Bill 687, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and effective October 1, 2025, was named for Trenton Stewart, an 18-year-old Stetson University freshman killed in Jacksonville by a wrong-way driver who already carried a prior DUI manslaughter conviction out of Broward County. The legislation fundamentally reshapes the consequences for repeat impaired driving offenders. Under HB 687, any person with a prior conviction for DUI manslaughter, BUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or vessel homicide who is subsequently charged with one of those same offenses now faces a first-degree felony — with a maximum sentence of 30 years in Florida state prison. There is no look-back period. A DUI conviction from twenty years ago is as qualifying as one from last year.

The law also elevates the offense ranking on Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code severity chart: DUI manslaughter with a prior qualifying conviction is now ranked at Level 9. That’s the same tier as armed robbery and aggravated battery with great bodily harm. The sentencing implications of that reclassification are severe and immediate.

For prosecutors in Broward County, the message from Tallahassee is clear: pursue these cases aggressively, and the law will support you at every step.

The Fear of a 30-Year Sentence Is Real — But So Is the Defense

If you are reading this because someone you care about is under investigation or has been charged, the fear you are feeling is entirely understandable. But fear, however justified, should not paralyze you. What matters most in the first hours and days after an arrest is not how the charge is labeled — it is how quickly and effectively a defense attorney gets to work.

Here is the foundational legal reality the prosecution will never advertise: even under Trenton’s Law’s enhanced framework, the State must still prove every element of DUI manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt. That means proving the defendant was operating the vehicle, that they were impaired or had a BAC of 0.08% or higher, and — critically — that their impaired operation caused or contributed to the death of another person. So while the State is not required to prove that the defendant’s drinking alone caused the accident, causation must still be established. A defendant cannot be convicted of DUI manslaughter simply because their vehicle was “involved in” an accident. The operation of the vehicle must have caused or contributed to the fatal outcome. That is a meaningful legal threshold, and one that a skilled defense attorney can challenge. Continue reading

April 4, 2026

The 2026 Vessel Accountability Act: New Risks for Broward Boaters — and How to Protect Yourself

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Fort Lauderdale is one of the premier boating destinations in the world. On any given weekend, the Intracoastal Waterway, the New River, and the waters off Port Everglades are alive with vessels of every kind. But as Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers can explain, a significant shift in Florida law — one that has been unfolding in phases since mid-2025 and is now fully in effect in 2026 — means that those same waters are more legally consequential than ever before. If you own, operate, or spend time on a vessel in Broward County, understanding what has changed is not optional. It is essential.

What the New Vessel Accountability Law Actually Does

Senate Bill 164, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and implemented in two phases — July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026 — represents the most comprehensive overhaul of Florida’s derelict and at-risk vessel framework in years. The legislation amends Florida Statute § 327.30 and related provisions, and was designed to address problems with derelict vessels that may threaten seagrass beds, endanger navigation, and create serious environmental hazards.

The provisions most relevant to active Broward boaters fall into two areas of heightened concern.

Effective Means of Propulsion (EMP) Evaluations. Under the new law, vessel owners must complete an EMP evaluation upon request by law enforcement. If an FWC officer has reason to believe the vessel lacks an effective means of propulsion and the owner is present, that evaluation must be conducted immediately. If the owner is not present, it must be completed within 48 hours of receiving notice. If the vessel cannot demonstrably operate safely under its own power, there is a risk of citation, possible removal, and other escalating legal consequences.
Long-Term Anchoring Permits and Public Nuisance Declarations. As of July 1, 2026, vessels anchoring long-term in Florida waters must obtain an annual electronic permit issued by FWC. Unauthorized long-term anchoring carries fines of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense. A vessel owner who receives three violations within a two-year period may have their vessel declared a public nuisance and removed as if it were derelict.
Escalating Criminal Penalties. The law increases penalties for repeat offenders, with charges escalating from first-degree misdemeanors to second-degree felonies for multiple derelict vessel offenses. Living aboard a vessel declared derelict by a court or administrative order is now prohibited and carries a first-degree misdemeanor charge.

An FWC Citation Is Not a “Ticket” — It Is a Criminal Matter

March 28, 2026

Federal vs. State Jurisdiction: Who Is Actually Prosecuting You If You’re Arrested with a Gun at a Florida Airport?

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

You are running late for your flight at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. You drop your bag on the conveyor belt, step through the scanner, and a moment later, everything stops. TSA officers are huddled around the X-ray monitor. Your carry-on bag contains a firearm you forgot to remove — one you legally own, one you have carried lawfully for years. Within minutes, a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy is standing in front of you.

What happens next depends on a set of interlocking legal questions that most travelers, even law-abiding gun owners, have never considered. Chief among them: who is actually prosecuting you for these alleged crimes at the airport, the State of Florida or the federal government? And what does that mean for your future?

As our Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers can explain, the answer is more nuanced than most people realize, and it changes based on exactly where inside FLL you are standing when the firearm is discovered. Understanding the distinction can be the difference between a manageable legal situation and one that permanently alters the course of your life.

The Lay of the Land at FLL: Where You Are Matters

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a layered environment from a legal jurisdiction standpoint. The Broward County Aviation Department contracts with the Broward Sheriff’s Office to provide all law enforcement services at FLL. BSO operates an Airport District with specialized units, including a Criminal Investigations Unit that investigates all reported crimes at FLL and presents cases to the State Attorney’s Office. BSO also works in close coordination with federal agencies including the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The most important geographic line inside FLL, from a legal standpoint, is the TSA security checkpoint — the boundary between the public, non-sterile area of the terminal and the secure, sterile zone beyond it. Where you and your firearm are located relative to that line shapes virtually every aspect of what follows.

Pre-security: If you are in the ticketing area, near the check-in counters, or anywhere in the public terminal before reaching the TSA checkpoint, you are in an area to which the general public has access. Florida’s Constitutional Carry law (effective July 1, 2023) dramatically changed the landscape here. Under Florida Statute § 790.01, eligible individuals may now carry a concealed firearm without a permit so long as they otherwise satisfy the criteria established under § 790.06. A lawfully-possessed firearm in the pre-security area of a Florida airport does not, standing alone, constitute a criminal violation of Florida law. The situation changes substantially, however, once you approach the checkpoint.

At or beyond the checkpoint: This is where the legal exposure becomes serious and immediate. Federal law, specifically 49 U.S.C. § 46314, expressly prohibits knowingly and willfully entering a secure area of an airport while in violation of security requirements — which include the prohibition on bringing a firearm through a TSA checkpoint. Florida law mirrors this prohibition. Under Florida Statute § 790.06(12), carrying a concealed firearm into any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law is itself a criminal offense. Airport security checkpoints are unambiguously within that prohibition. It makes no difference whether signs were posted at the checkpoint informing you of the restriction.

What Happens the Moment TSA Finds Your Firearm