SESSION WATCH
THE BILL ITSELF

CS/SB 1332

Career Offender Registration

VERSION S 1332 er · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

ENROLLED
2026 Legislature CS for SB 1332 20261332er
2 An act relating to career offender registration;
3 amending s. 322.141, F.S.; requiring a certain driver
4 license or identification card marking for a career
5 offender; requiring a career offender to report to the
6 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in a
7 certain month to obtain an updated or renewed driver
8 license or identification card; amending s. 775.261,
9 F.S.; providing and revising definitions; providing
10 that if a sanction is not imposed upon a career
11 offender, such offender is deemed to have been
12 released upon conviction; requiring a career offender
13 to report in person at the sheriff’s office for
14 initial registration; revising the time of such
15 report; revising information and documentation
16 required upon initial registration; specifying that
17 information and documents are provided to the
18 Department of Law Enforcement through the sheriff’s
19 office; specifying the manner in which changes to a
20 career offender’s information must be reported;
21 requiring certain career offenders to report to the
22 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and
23 obtain a driver license or identification card
24 containing a required marking within a certain period
25 of time; revising the information and documentation
26 certain career offenders must provide to the
27 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles when
28 reporting; requiring a career offender to report
29 changes to any information provided upon initial
30 registration within certain periods of time; requiring
31 the custodian of a jail to notify the Department of
32 Law Enforcement within a certain period of time if
33 such custodian has a career offender in his or her
34 custody and upon release of such offender; requiring
35 such custodian to take a digitized photograph of the
36 career offender and provide it to the Department of
37 Law Enforcement; requiring the custodian to notify the
38 Department of Law Enforcement if a career offender
39 escapes or dies; specifying the procedure for a career
40 offender to establish a residence after initial
41 registration; requiring the Department of Highway
42 Safety and Motor Vehicles to forward photographs and
43 certain information to the Department of Law
44 Enforcement and the Department of Corrections;
45 authorizing the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
46 Vehicles to release certain images to the Department
47 of Law Enforcement for purposes of public
48 notification; requiring that certain career offenders
49 report changes to certain information to the sheriff’s
50 office within a certain period of time; requiring a
51 career offender to report an in-state travel residence
52 within a certain period of time; requiring a career
53 offender who vacates a residence and does not
54 establish another residence to report certain
55 information in person within a certain period of time;
56 requiring a career offender who remains at an address
57 that such offender previously reported he or she was
58 vacating to report such information in person within a
59 certain period of time; requiring the sheriff’s office
60 to report such information to the Department of Law
61 Enforcement; removing a provision relating to the
62 registration of a career offender at an office of the
63 Department of Law Enforcement; revising procedures for
64 establishing a residence outside this state; requiring
65 a career offender to report previously unknown travel
66 in person to the sheriff’s office as soon as possible
67 before departure; revising the entities to which the
68 career offender must provide certain residence
69 information; requiring annual reregistration of career
70 offenders during a certain month; specifying
71 information that a career offender must provide upon
72 reregistration; requiring the sheriff’s office to
73 electronically submit to and update with the
74 Department of Law Enforcement such information within
75 a specified timeframe; requiring certain governmental
76 entities to verify certain career offender information
77 at least once per year; requiring local law
78 enforcement agencies to report to the Department of
79 Law Enforcement failure by a career offender to comply
80 with registration requirements; providing that certain
81 career offenders shall be considered for removal of
82 registration requirements in certain circumstances;
83 revising the location in which a career offender may
84 petition for such removal; requiring notice to the
85 Department of Law Enforcement of such petition within
86 a certain time period; authorizing the Department of
87 Law Enforcement to present evidence in opposition to
88 removal; revising the circumstances in which a sheriff
89 or chief of police may notify the community of the
90 presence of a career offender; prohibiting the
91 Department of Law Enforcement from publicly displaying
92 information about a vehicle owned by a person who is
93 not required to register as a career offender;
94 revising the manner in which career offender addresses
95 are verified and reported by law enforcement agencies;
96 expanding circumstances under which a failure to
97 report can result in a criminal offense; providing
98 that a career offender commits a separate offense for
99 each failure to register or report a piece of
100 information; expanding the jurisdictions in which a
101 career offender may be prosecuted for an act or
102 omission; specifying what events constitute actual
103 notice of the duty to register; providing that the
104 failure to immediately register upon the occurrence of
105 such events is grounds for a subsequent charge of
106 failure to register; restricting a career offender
107 from claiming a lack of notice as a defense in certain
108 circumstances; enhancing the penalty for assisting in
109 career offender noncompliance; amending s. 944.608,
110 F.S.; defining terms; requiring certain career
111 offenders under the supervision of the Department of
112 Corrections to provide certain information after
113 sentencing; requiring the Department of Corrections to
114 report to the Department of Law Enforcement any
115 failure of a career offender to comply with
116 registration requirements; requiring a career offender
117 to report to the sheriff’s office any vehicle changes
118 within a certain period of time; revising the
119 information the Department of Corrections is required
120 to provide to the Department of Law Enforcement
121 relating to career offenders; requiring the custodian
122 of a jail to notify the Department of Law Enforcement
123 within a certain period of time if such custodian has
124 a career offender in his or her custody and upon
125 release of such offender; requiring such custodian to
126 take a digitized photograph of the career offender and
127 provide it to the Department of Law Enforcement;
128 providing that a federal agency responsible for
129 supervising a career offender may forward certain
130 information about the offender to the Department of
131 Law Enforcement; providing that such federal agency
132 may indicate whether use of the information is
133 restricted to law enforcement purposes only or may be
134 used for purposes of public notification; requiring a
135 certain driver license or identification card marking
136 for a career offender who is under supervision but is
137 not incarcerated; expanding the jurisdictions in which
138 a career offender may be prosecuted for an act or
139 omission; specifying what events constitute actual
140 notice of the duty to register; providing that the
141 failure to immediately register upon the occurrence of
142 such events is grounds for a subsequent charge of
143 failure to register; restricting a career offender
144 from claiming a lack of notice as a defense in certain
145 circumstances; creating offenses and penalties for
146 assisting in career offender noncompliance with
147 provisions relating to notification to the Department
148 of Law Enforcement; specifying that such offenses and
149 penalties do not apply if a career offender is
150 incarcerated in or is in the custody of certain
151 facilities; requiring annual reregistration of career
152 offenders during a certain month; specifying
153 information that a career offender must provide upon
154 reregistration; providing penalties; requiring the
155 sheriff’s office to electronically submit to and
156 update with the Department of Law Enforcement such
157 information within a specified timeframe; amending s.
158 944.609, F.S.; defining terms; providing legislative
159 findings; specifying information the Department of
160 Corrections must provide upon release of a career
161 offender within a certain period of time; requiring
162 the Department of Corrections or any law enforcement
163 agency to notify the community of the presence of a
164 sexual predator in the community when a career
165 offender who is also designated as a sexual predator
166 is in such community; providing an effective date.
168 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
170 Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 322.141,
171 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
172 322.141 Color or markings of certain licenses or
173 identification cards.—
174 (3) All licenses for the operation of motor vehicles or
175 identification cards originally issued or reissued by the
176 department to persons who are designated as sexual predators
177 under s. 775.21 or subject to registration as sexual offenders
178 under s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607, or who have a similar
179 designation or are subject to a similar registration under the
180 laws of another jurisdiction, or who are designated as career
181 offenders under s. 775.261 or s. 944.608, shall have on the
182 front of the license or identification card the following:
183 (a) For a person designated as a sexual predator under s.
184 775.21 or who has a similar designation under the laws of
185 another jurisdiction, the marking “SEXUAL PREDATOR.”
186 (b) For a person subject to registration as a sexual
187 offender under s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607, or subject to a
188 similar registration under the laws of another jurisdiction, the
189 marking “943.0435, F.S.”
190 (c) For a person designated as a career offender under s.
191 775.261 or s. 944.608, the marking “775.261, F.S.”
192 (4) (a) Unless previously secured or updated, each sexual
193 offender and sexual predator shall report to the department
194 during the month of his or her reregistration as required under
195 s. 775.21(8), s. 943.0435(14), or s. 944.607(13) in order to
196 obtain an updated or renewed driver license or identification
197 card as required by subsection (3).
198 (b) Unless previously secured or updated as required by
199 subsection (3), each career offender shall report to the
200 department during the month of his or her birth in order to
201 obtain an updated or renewed driver license or identification
202 card as required by subsection (3).
203 Section 2. Section 775.261, Florida Statutes, is amended to
204 read:
205 775.261 The Florida Career Offender Registration Act.—
206 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as “The Florida
207 Career Offender Registration Act.”
208 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
209 (a) “Career offender” means any person who is designated as
210 a habitual violent felony offender, a violent career criminal,
211 or a three-time violent felony offender under s. 775.084 or as a
212 prison releasee reoffender under s. 775.082(9).
213 (b) “Chief of police” means the chief law enforcement
214 officer of a municipality.
215 (c) “Community” means any county where the career offender
216 lives or otherwise establishes or maintains a permanent,
217 temporary , or transient permanent residence.
218 (d) “Department” means the Department of Law Enforcement.
219 (e) “Entering the county” includes being discharged from a
220 correctional facility, jail, or secure treatment facility within
221 the county or being under supervision within the county with a
222 career-offender designation as specified in paragraph (a).
223 (f) “Permanent residence” means a place where the career
224 offender abides, lodges, or resides for 3 14 or more consecutive
225 days that is the person’s home or other place where the person
226 primarily lives. For the purpose of calculating a permanent
227 residence under this paragraph, the first day that a career
228 offender abides, lodges, or resides at a place is excluded and
229 each subsequent day is counted. A day includes any part of a
230 calendar day .
231 (g) “Professional license” means the document of
232 authorization or certification issued by an agency of this state
233 for a regulatory purpose, or by any similar agency in another
234 jurisdiction for a regulatory purpose, to a person to engage in
235 an occupation or to carry out a trade or business.
236 (h)1. (g) “Temporary residence” means :
237 1. a place where the career offender abides, lodges, or
238 resides , including, but not limited to, vacation, business, or
239 personal travel destinations in or out of this state, for 3 a
240 period of 14 or more days in the aggregate during any calendar
241 year that and which is not the person’s career offender’s
242 permanent or transient residence. The term includes an in-state
243 travel residence. address;
244 2. For a career offender whose permanent residence is not
245 in this state, the term also includes a place where the career
246 offender is employed, practices a vocation, or is enrolled as a
247 student for any period of time in this state . For the purpose of
248 calculating a temporary residence under this paragraph, the
249 first day that a career offender abides, lodges, or resides at a
250 place is excluded and each subsequent day is counted. A day
251 includes any part of a calendar day. ; or
252 2. The term includes an “in-state travel residence,” which
253 means a temporary residence in this state established by a
254 person who already has an existing permanent, temporary, or
255 transient residence in this state.
256 3. A place where the career offender routinely abides,
257 lodges, or resides for a period of 4 or more consecutive or
258 nonconsecutive days in any month and which is not the career
259 offender’s permanent residence, including any out-of-state
260 address.
261 (i) “Transient residence” means a county where the career
262 offender lives, remains, or is located for the purpose of
263 abiding, lodging, or residing for a period of 3 or more days in
264 the aggregate during a calendar year that is not the person’s
265 permanent or temporary residence. The term includes, but is not
266 limited to, a place where the career offender sleeps or seeks
267 shelter and a location that has no specific street address. For
268 the purpose of calculating a transient residence under this
269 paragraph, the first day that a career offender lives, remains,
270 or is located in a county for the purpose of abiding, lodging,
271 or residing is excluded and each subsequent day is counted. A
272 day includes any part of a calendar day.
273 (j) “Vehicles owned” means any motor vehicle as defined in
274 s. 320.01 which is registered, coregistered, leased, titled, or
275 rented by a career offender; a rented vehicle that a career
276 offender is authorized to drive; or a vehicle for which a career
277 offender is insured as a driver. The term also includes any
278 motor vehicle as defined in s. 320.01 which is registered,
279 coregistered, leased, titled, or rented by a person or persons
280 residing at a career offender’s permanent residence for 5 or
281 more consecutive days.
282 (3) CRITERIA FOR REGISTRATION AS A CAREER OFFENDER.—
283 (a) A career offender released on or after July 1, 2002,
284 from a sanction imposed in this state must register as required
285 under this section subsection (4) and is subject to community
286 and public notification as provided under subsection (11) (5) .
287 If no sanction is imposed, the person is deemed to be released
288 upon conviction. For purposes of this section, a sanction
289 imposed in this state means includes, but is not limited to, a
290 fine, probation, community control, parole, conditional release,
291 control release, or incarceration in a state prison, federal
292 prison, contractor-operated correctional facility, or local
293 detention facility, and:
294 1. The career offender has not received a pardon for any
295 felony or other qualified offense that is necessary for the
296 operation of this paragraph; or
297 2. A conviction of a felony or other qualified offense
298 necessary to the operation of this paragraph has not been set
299 aside in any postconviction proceeding.
300 (b) This section does not apply to any person who has been
301 designated as a sexual predator and who is required to register
302 under s. 775.21 or who is required to register as a sexual
303 offender under s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607. However, if a person
304 is no longer required to register as a sexual predator under s.
305 775.21 or as a sexual offender under s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607,
306 the person must register as a career offender under this section
307 if the person is otherwise designated as a career offender as
308 provided in this section.
309 (c) A person subject to registration as a career offender
310 is not subject to registration as a convicted felon under s.
311 775.13. However, if the person is no longer required to register
312 as a career offender under this section, the person must
313 register under s. 775.13 if required to do so under that
314 section.
315 (d) If a career offender is not sentenced to a term of
316 imprisonment, the clerk of the court shall ensure that the
317 career offender’s fingerprints are taken and forwarded to the
318 department within 48 hours after the court renders its finding
319 that an offender is a career offender. The fingerprints shall be
320 clearly marked, “Career Offender Registration.”
321 (4) INITIAL REGISTRATION.— Upon initial registration, a
322 career offender shall:
323 (a) Report in person at A career offender must register
324 with the department by providing the following information to
325 the department, or to the sheriff’s office :
326 1. In the county in which the career offender establishes
327 or maintains a permanent , or temporary , or transient residence,
328 within 48 hours 2 working days after :
329 a. Establishing a permanent , or temporary , or transient
330 residence in this state ; or
331 b. Within 2 working days after Being released from the
332 custody, control, or supervision of the Department of
333 Corrections or from the custody of a contractor-operated
334 correctional facility or local detention facility; or :
335 2. In the county where he or she was convicted within 48
336 hours after being convicted for a qualifying offense for
337 registration under this section if the offender is not in the
338 custody or control of, or under the supervision of, the
339 Department of Corrections, or is not in the custody of a
340 contractor-operated correctional facility or local detention
341 facility.
342 (b) 1. Provide his or her name ; , social security number ; ,
343 age, race ; sex; , gender, date of birth ; , height ; , weight ; , hair
344 and eye color ; tattoos or other identifying marks; fingerprints;
345 palm prints; , photograph ; , employment information, including
346 occupation, business name, employment address, and telephone
347 number; address of permanent or legal residence and address of
348 any current temporary residence , within the state or out of
349 state, including a rural route address and or a post office box ;
350 if he or she has no permanent or temporary address, any
351 transient residence within this state; address, location or
352 description, and dates of any current or known future temporary
353 residence within this state or out of state; the make, model,
354 color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license tag
355 number of all vehicles owned; all home telephone numbers and
356 cellular telephone numbers; , date and place of any employment,
357 date and place of each conviction ; , fingerprints, and a brief
358 description of the crime or crimes committed by the career
359 offender. A career offender may not provide a post office box
360 may not be provided in lieu of a physical residential address.
361 The career offender shall also produce his or her passport, if
362 he or she has a passport, and, if he or she is an alien, shall
363 produce or provide information about documents establishing his
364 or her immigration status. The career offender shall also
365 provide information about any professional licenses he or she
366 has.
367 2. If the career offender’s place of residence is a motor
368 vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or manufactured home, as those
369 terms are defined in chapter 320, the career offender shall also
370 provide to the department through the sheriff’s office written
371 notice of the vehicle identification number (VIN) ; the license
372 tag number; the registration number; and a description,
373 including color scheme, of the motor vehicle, trailer, mobile
374 home, or manufactured home. If a career offender’s place of
375 residence is a vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat, as
376 those terms are defined in chapter 327, the career offender
377 shall also provide to the department through the sheriff’s
378 office written notice of the hull identification number; the
379 manufacturer’s serial number; the name of the vessel, live
380 aboard vessel, or houseboat; the registration number of the
381 vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat ; and a description,
382 including color scheme, of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or
383 houseboat.
384 3. Any change in any of the information required to be
385 provided pursuant to this paragraph, including, but not limited
386 to, any change in the career offender’s permanent, temporary, or
387 transient residence; name; home telephone numbers and cellular
388 telephone numbers; employment information; and vehicles owned
389 after the career offender reports in person at the sheriff’s
390 office must be reported in the manner provided in subsections
391 (5)-(8).
392 (c) 2. Provide any other information determined necessary by
393 the department, including criminal and corrections records;
394 nonprivileged personnel and treatment records; and evidentiary
395 genetic markers , when available. When
396 (b) If a career offender registers with the sheriff’s
397 office, the sheriff shall take a photograph , and a set of
398 fingerprints , and palm prints of the career offender and forward
399 the photographs , and fingerprints , and palm prints to the
400 department, along with the information that the career offender
401 is required to provide pursuant to this section. The sheriff
402 shall promptly provide to the department the information
403 received from the career offender.
404 (d) (c) Within 48 hours 2 working days after the report
405 registration required under this subsection paragraph (a) , a
406 career offender who is not incarcerated and who resides in the
407 community, including a career offender under the supervision of
408 the Department of Corrections pursuant to s. 944.608, shall
409 report register in person at a driver license office of the
410 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles , unless a driver
411 license or identification card that complies with s. 322.141(3)
412 was previously secured or updated under s. 944.608 and shall
413 present proof of registration . At the driver license office, the
414 career offender shall:
415 1. If otherwise qualified, secure a Florida driver license,
416 renew a Florida driver license, or secure an identification
417 card. The career offender shall identify himself or herself as a
418 career offender who is required to comply with this section and
419 shall provide proof that the career offender reported as
420 required in this subsection. The career offender shall provide
421 any of the information specified in this subsection, if
422 requested. The career offender shall submit to the taking of a
423 photograph for use in issuing a driver license, renewed license,
424 or identification card, and for use by the department in
425 maintaining current records of career offenders , provide his or
426 her place of permanent or temporary residence, including a rural
427 route address or a post office box, and submit to the taking of
428 a photograph for use in issuing a driver license, renewed
429 license, or identification card, and for use by the department
430 in maintaining current records of career offenders. The career
431 offender may not provide a post office box in lieu of a physical
432 residential address. If the career offender’s place of residence
433 is a motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or manufactured home,
434 as defined in chapter 320, the career offender shall also
435 provide to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
436 the vehicle identification number; the license tag number; the
437 motor vehicle registration number; and a description, including
438 color scheme, of the motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or
439 manufactured home. If a career offender’s place of residence is
440 a vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat, as defined in
441 chapter 327, the career offender shall also provide to the
442 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles the hull
443 identification number; the manufacturer’s serial number; the
444 name of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat; the
445 registration number; and a description, including color scheme,
446 of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat .
447 2. Pay the costs assessed by the Department of Highway
448 Safety and Motor Vehicles for issuing or renewing a driver
449 license or identification card as required by this section. The
450 driver license or identification card issued must be in
451 compliance with s. 322.141(3).
452 3. Provide, upon request, any additional information
453 necessary to confirm the identity of the career offender,
454 including a set of fingerprints.
455 (5) MAINTAINING REGISTRATION.—
456 (a) (d) Each time a career offender’s driver license or
457 identification card is subject to renewal, and , without regard
458 to the status of the career offender’s driver license or
459 identification card, within 48 hours 2 working days after any
460 change of the career offender’s residence or change in the
461 career offender’s name by reason of marriage or other legal
462 process, the career offender must report in person to a driver
463 license office , and shall be subject to the requirements
464 specified in paragraph (4)(d) (c) . The Department of Highway
465 Safety and Motor Vehicles shall forward to the department and to
466 the Department of Corrections all photographs and information
467 provided by career offenders. Notwithstanding the restrictions
468 set forth in s. 322.142, the Department of Highway Safety and
469 Motor Vehicles may release a reproduction of a color-photograph
470 or digital-image license to the department for purposes of
471 public notification of career offenders as provided in this
472 section and ss. 775.26 and 944.609 . A career offender who is
473 unable to secure or update a driver license or an identification
474 card with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles as
475 provided in paragraph (4)(d) and this subsection shall report
476 any change in the career offender’s name by reason of marriage
477 or other legal process within 48 hours after the change in
478 person to the sheriff’s office in the county where the career
479 offender resides or is located. The reporting requirements under
480 this paragraph do not negate the requirement for a career
481 offender to obtain a Florida driver license or an identification
482 card as required in this section.
483 (b) A career offender shall report in person to the
484 sheriff’s office within 48 hours after any change in vehicles
485 owned to report those vehicle information changes.
486 (c) A career offender shall register all changes to his or
487 her home telephone numbers and cellular telephone numbers,
488 including added and deleted numbers, and all changes to
489 employment information, including the creation of a new business
490 if self-employed, in person at the sheriff’s office, or in
491 person at the Department of Corrections if the career offender
492 is in the custody or control, or under the supervision, of the
493 Department of Corrections. All changes required to be reported
494 under this paragraph must be reported within 48 hours after the
495 change.
496 (d) If the career offender is in the custody of a local
497 jail, the custodian of the local jail shall notify the
498 department within 3 business days after intake of the career
499 offender for any reason and upon release. The custodian of the
500 local jail shall also take a digitized photograph of the career
501 offender while the career offender remains in custody and shall
502 provide the digitized photograph to the department. The
503 custodian shall notify the department if the career offender
504 escapes from custody or dies.
505 (6) ESTABLISHING A RESIDENCE WITHIN THIS STATE AFTER
506 INITIAL REGISTRATION.—
507 (a) Each time a career offender’s driver license or
508 identification card is subject to renewal, and, without regard
509 to the status of the career offender’s driver license or
510 identification card, within 48 hours after any change in the
511 career offender’s permanent, temporary, or transient residence,
512 the career offender must report in person to a driver license
513 office and shall be subject to the requirements specified in
514 paragraph (4)(d). The Department of Highway Safety and Motor
515 Vehicles shall forward to the department and to the Department
516 of Corrections all photographs and information provided by
517 career offenders. Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in
518 s. 322.142, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
519 may release a reproduction of a color-photograph or digital
520 image license to the department for purposes of public
521 notification of career offenders as provided in this section and
522 ss. 775.26 and 944.609. A career offender who is unable to
523 secure or update a driver license or an identification card with
524 the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles as provided
525 in paragraph (4)(d) and this subsection shall report any change
526 in the career offender’s permanent, temporary, or transient
527 residence within 48 hours after the change in person to the
528 sheriff’s office in the county where the career offender resides
529 or is located. The reporting requirements under this paragraph
530 do not negate the requirement for a career offender to obtain a
531 Florida driver license or an identification card as required in
532 this section. This paragraph does not apply to an in-state
533 travel residence.
534 (b) A career offender shall report an in-state travel
535 residence within 48 hours after establishing the residence. The
536 report shall be made in person at the sheriff’s office in the
537 county in which the career offender is located, or in person at
538 the Department of Corrections if the career offender is in the
539 custody or control, or under the supervision of, the Department
540 of Corrections.
541 (c) A career offender who vacates a permanent, temporary,
542 or transient residence and fails to establish or maintain
543 another permanent, temporary, or transient residence shall,
544 within 48 hours after vacating the permanent, temporary, or
545 transient residence, report in person to the sheriff’s office of
546 the county in which he or she is located. The career offender
547 shall specify the date upon which he or she intends to or did
548 vacate such residence. The career offender must provide or
549 update all of the registration information required under
550 paragraph (4)(b). The career offender must provide an address
551 for the residence or other place where he or she is or will be
552 located during the time in which he or she fails to establish or
553 maintain a permanent, temporary, or transient residence.
554 (d) A career offender who remains at a permanent,
555 temporary, or transient residence after reporting his or her
556 intent to vacate such residence shall, within 48 hours after the
557 date upon which the career offender indicated he or she would or
558 did vacate such residence, report in person to the agency to
559 which he or she reported pursuant to paragraph (c) for the
560 purpose of reporting his or her address at such residence. When
561 the sheriff receives the report, the sheriff shall promptly
562 provide the information to the department. An offender who makes
563 a report as required under paragraph (c) but fails to make a
564 report as required under this paragraph commits a felony of the
565 second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
566 or s. 775.084.
567 (7) ESTABLISHING A NON-FLORIDA RESIDENCE.—
568 (e) If the career offender registers at an office of the
569 department, the department must notify the sheriff and, if
570 applicable, the police chief of the municipality, where the
571 career offender maintains a residence within 48 hours after the
572 career offender registers with the department.
573 (a) (f) A career offender who intends to establish a
574 permanent, temporary, or transient residence in another state or
575 jurisdiction other than the State of Florida shall report in
576 person to the sheriff of the county of current residence at
577 least 48 hours or the department within 2 working days before
578 the date he or she intends to leave this state to establish
579 residence in another state or jurisdiction other than the State
580 of Florida. Any travel that is not known by the career offender
581 48 hours before he or she intends to establish a residence in
582 another state or jurisdiction must be reported in person to the
583 sheriff’s office as soon as possible before departure. If the
584 career offender is under the supervision of the Department of
585 Corrections, the career offender shall notify the supervising
586 probation officer of his or her intent to transfer supervision,
587 satisfy all transfer requirements pursuant to the Interstate
588 Compact for Supervision of Adult Offenders, as provided in s.
589 949.07, and abide by the decision of the receiving jurisdiction
590 to accept or deny transfer. The career offender must provide to
591 the sheriff or department the address, municipality, county, and
592 state or jurisdiction of intended residence. The sheriff shall
593 promptly provide to the department the information received from
594 the career offender. The failure of a career offender to provide
595 his or her intended place of residence is punishable as provided
596 in subsection (13) (8) .
597 (b) (g) A career offender who indicates his or her intent to
598 establish a permanent, temporary, or transient residence reside
599 in another a state or jurisdiction other than the State of
600 Florida and later decides to remain in this state shall, within
601 48 hours 2 working days after the date upon which the career
602 offender indicated he or she would leave this state, report in
603 person to the sheriff’s office sheriff or the department,
604 whichever agency is the agency to which the career offender
605 reported the intended change of permanent, temporary, or
606 transient residence and report , of his or her intent to remain
607 in this state. If the sheriff is notified by the career offender
608 that he or she intends to remain in this state, The sheriff
609 shall promptly report this information to the department. A
610 career offender who reports his or her intent to establish a
611 permanent, temporary, or transient residence reside in another a
612 state or jurisdiction other than the State of Florida, but who
613 remains in this state without reporting to the sheriff or the
614 department in the manner required by this paragraph, commits a
615 felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
616 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
617 (8) ANNUAL REREGISTRATION REQUIREMENT.—
618 (a) A career offender must report in person each year
619 during the month of the career offender’s birthday to the
620 sheriff’s office in the county in which he or she maintains a
621 permanent, temporary, or transient residence or is otherwise
622 located to reregister.
623 (b) The sheriff’s office may determine the appropriate
624 times and days for reporting by the career offender, which must
625 be consistent with the reporting requirements of this
626 subsection. Reregistration must include any changes to the
627 following information:
628 1. Name; social security number; race; sex; date of birth;
629 height; weight; hair and eye color; tattoos or other identifying
630 marks; fingerprints; palm prints; photograph; employment
631 information, including occupation, business name, employment
632 address, and telephone number; address of permanent residence
633 and address of any current temporary residence, within the state
634 or out of state, including a rural route address and a post
635 office box; if he or she has no permanent or temporary address,
636 any transient residence within this state; address, location or
637 description, and dates of any current or known future temporary
638 residence within the state or out of state; the make, model,
639 color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license tag
640 number of all vehicles owned; and all home telephone numbers and
641 cellular telephone numbers. A post office box may not be
642 provided in lieu of a physical residential address. The career
643 offender shall also produce his or her passport, if he or she
644 has a passport, and, if he or she is an alien, shall produce or
645 provide information about documents establishing his or her
646 immigration status. The career offender shall also provide
647 information about any professional licenses he or she has.
648 2. If the career offender’s place of residence is a motor
649 vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or manufactured home, as those
650 terms are defined in chapter 320, the career offender shall also
651 provide the vehicle identification number (VIN); the license tag
652 number; the registration number; and a description, including
653 color scheme, of the motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or
654 manufactured home. If the career offender’s place of residence
655 is a vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat, as those terms
656 are defined in chapter 327, the career offender shall also
657 provide the hull identification number; the manufacturer’s
658 serial number; the name of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or
659 houseboat; the registration number of the vessel, live-aboard
660 vessel, or houseboat; and a description, including color scheme,
661 of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat.
662 (c) The sheriff’s office shall electronically submit to and
663 update with the department, in a manner prescribed by the
664 department, all such information provided by the career offender
665 within 2 business days after the career offender provides it to
666 the sheriff’s office.
667 (9) VERIFICATION.—County and local law enforcement
668 agencies, in conjunction with the department, shall verify the
669 addresses of career offenders who are not under the care,
670 custody, control, or supervision of the Department of
671 Corrections at least one time per calendar year, and may verify
672 the addresses of career offenders who are under the care,
673 custody, control, or supervision of the Department of
674 Corrections. Local law enforcement agencies shall report to the
675 department any failure by a career offender to comply with
676 registration requirements.
677 (h)1. The department shall maintain online computer access
678 to the current information regarding each registered career
679 offender. The department must maintain hotline access so that
680 state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies may obtain
681 instantaneous locator file and criminal characteristics
682 information on release and registration of career offenders for
683 purposes of monitoring, tracking, and prosecution. The
684 photograph and fingerprints need not be stored in a computerized
685 format.
686 2. The department’s career offender registration list,
687 containing the information described in subparagraph (a)1., is a
688 public record. The department may disseminate this public
689 information by any means deemed appropriate, including operating
690 a toll-free telephone number for this purpose. When the
691 department provides information regarding a career offender to
692 the public, department personnel must advise the person making
693 the inquiry that positive identification of a person believed to
694 be a career offender cannot be established unless a fingerprint
695 comparison is made, and that it is illegal to use public
696 information regarding a career offender to facilitate the
697 commission of a crime.
698 3. The department shall adopt guidelines as necessary
699 regarding the registration of a career offender and the
700 dissemination of information regarding a career offender as
701 required by this section.
702 (10) (i) RELIEF FROM REGISTRATION.— A career offender must
703 maintain registration with the department for the duration of
704 his or her life, unless the career offender has received a full
705 pardon or has had a conviction set aside in a postconviction
706 proceeding for any offense or offenses that meet meets the
707 criteria for classifying the person as a career offender for
708 purposes of registration. However, a registered career offender
709 shall be considered for removal of the requirement to register
710 as a career offender only if he or she who has been lawfully
711 released from confinement, supervision, or sanction, whichever
712 is later, for at least 20 years and has not been arrested for
713 any felony or misdemeanor offense since release .
714 (a) If the career offender meets the criteria in this
715 subsection, the career offender may , for the purpose of removing
716 the requirement for registration as a career offender, petition
717 the criminal division of the circuit court of the circuit in
718 which the registered career offender designation initially
719 occurred resides for the purpose of removing the requirement for
720 registration as a career offender.
721 (b) The court may grant or deny such relief if the
722 registered career offender demonstrates to the court that he or
723 she has not been arrested for any crime since release and the
724 court is otherwise satisfied that the registered career offender
725 is not a current or potential threat to public safety. The
726 department and the state attorney in the circuit in which the
727 petition is filed must be given notice of the petition at least
728 3 weeks before the hearing on the matter. The department and the
729 state attorney may present evidence in opposition to the
730 requested relief or may otherwise demonstrate the reasons why
731 the petition should be denied. If the court denies the petition,
732 the court may set a future date at which the registered career
733 offender may again petition the court for relief, subject to the
734 standards for relief provided in this subsection paragraph .
735 (c) The department shall remove a person from
736 classification as a career offender for purposes of registration
737 if the person provides to the department a certified copy of the
738 court’s written findings or order that indicates that the person
739 is no longer required to comply with the requirements for
740 registration as a career offender.
741 (11) (5) COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC NOTIFICATION.—
742 (a) Law enforcement agencies may inform the community and
743 the public of the presence of a career offender in the
744 community. Upon notification of the presence of a career
745 offender, the sheriff of the county or the chief of police of
746 the municipality where the career offender establishes or
747 maintains a permanent , or temporary , or transient residence may
748 notify the community and the public of the presence of the
749 career offender in a manner deemed appropriate by the sheriff or
750 the chief of police.
751 (b) The sheriff or the police chief may coordinate the
752 community and public notification efforts with the department.
753 Statewide notification to the public is authorized, as deemed
754 appropriate by local law enforcement personnel and the
755 department.
756 (c)1. The department is responsible for the online
757 maintenance of the current information regarding each career
758 offender. The department must maintain hotline access for state,
759 local, and federal law enforcement agencies to obtain
760 instantaneous locator file and criminal characteristics
761 information on release and registration of career offenders for
762 the purposes of monitoring, tracking, and prosecution. The
763 photograph and fingerprints need not be stored in a computerized
764 format.
765 2. The department’s career offender registration list is a
766 public record. The department may disseminate this public
767 information by any means deemed appropriate, including operating
768 a toll-free telephone number for this purpose. When the
769 department provides information regarding a career offender to
770 the public, department personnel must advise the person making
771 the inquiry that positive identification of a person believed to
772 be a career offender cannot be established unless a fingerprint
773 comparison is made, and that it is illegal to use public
774 information regarding a career offender to facilitate the
775 commission of a crime.
776 3. The department shall adopt guidelines as necessary
777 regarding the registration of a career offender and the
778 dissemination of information regarding a career offender as
779 required by this section. However, the department may not
780 display on or disseminate through the Internet public registry
781 maintained by the department any information regarding a vehicle
782 that is owned by a person who is not required to register as a
783 career offender.
784 (6) VERIFICATION.—The department and the Department of
785 Corrections shall implement a system for verifying the addresses
786 of career offenders. The sheriff of each county shall annually
787 verify the addresses of career offenders who are not under the
788 care, custody, control, or supervision of the Department of
789 Corrections. The sheriff shall promptly provide the address
790 verification information to the department in an electronic
791 format. The address verification information must include the
792 verifying person’s name, agency, and phone number, the date of
793 verification, and the method of verification, and must specify
794 whether the address information was verified as correct,
795 incorrect, or unconfirmed.
796 (12) (7) IMMUNITY.—The department, the Department of Highway
797 Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of Corrections, any
798 law enforcement agency in this state, and the personnel of those
799 departments; an elected or appointed official, public employee,
800 or school administrator; or an employee, agency, or any
801 individual or entity acting at the request or upon the direction
802 of any law enforcement agency is immune from civil liability for
803 damages for good faith compliance with the requirements of this
804 section or for the release of information under this section and
805 shall be presumed to have acted in good faith in compiling,
806 recording, reporting, or releasing the information. The
807 presumption of good faith is not overcome if a technical or
808 clerical error is made by the department, the Department of
809 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of
810 Corrections, the personnel of those departments, or any
811 individual or entity acting at the request or upon the direction
812 of any of those departments in compiling or providing
813 information, or if information is incomplete or incorrect
814 because a career offender fails to report or falsely reports his
815 or her current place of permanent , or temporary , or transient
816 residence.
817 (13) (8) PENALTIES.—
818 (a) Except as otherwise specifically provided, a career
819 offender who fails to register; who fails, after registration,
820 to maintain, acquire, or renew a driver license or an
821 identification card; who fails to provide required location
822 information or change-of-name information; who fails to provide
823 all home telephone numbers and cellular telephone numbers; who
824 fails to report any changes to employment information, including
825 the addition of new employment, termination of existing
826 employment, and changes to the occupation, business name,
827 employment address, and telephone number of previously reported
828 employment; who fails to report any changes to vehicles owned,
829 including the addition of new vehicles and changes to the make,
830 model, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license
831 tag numbers of previously reported vehicles; who fails to make a
832 required report in connection with vacating a permanent
833 residence; who fails to reregister as required; who fails to
834 respond to any address verification correspondence from the
835 department or from county or local law enforcement agencies
836 within 3 weeks after the date of the correspondence; who
837 knowingly provides false registration information by act or
838 omission; or who otherwise fails, by act or omission, to comply
839 with the requirements of this section, commits a felony of the
840 third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
841 or s. 775.084. Each instance of failure to register or report
842 changes to the required information specified in this paragraph
843 constitutes a separate offense.
844 (b) A career offender who commits any act or omission in
845 violation of this section, s. 944.608, or s. 944.609 may be
846 prosecuted for the act or omission in the county in which the
847 act or omission was committed, in the county of the last
848 registered address of the career offender, in the county in
849 which the conviction occurred for the offense or offenses that
850 meet the criteria for designating a person as a career offender,
851 in the county in which he or she was designated a career
852 offender, in the county where the career offender was released
853 from incarceration, or in the county of the intended address of
854 the career offender as reported by the offender before his or
855 her release from incarceration.
856 (c) An arrest on charges of failure to register when the
857 career offender has been provided and advised of his or her
858 statutory obligations to register under this section, the
859 service of an information or a complaint for a violation of this
860 section, or an arraignment on charges for a violation of this
861 section constitutes actual notice of the duty to register. A
862 career offender’s failure to register immediately as required by
863 this section following such arrest, service, or arraignment
864 constitutes grounds for a subsequent charge of failure to
865 register. A career offender charged with the crime of failure to
866 register who asserts, or intends to assert, a lack of notice of
867 the duty to register as a defense to a charge of failure to
868 register shall immediately register as required by this section.
869 A career offender who is charged with a subsequent failure to
870 register may not assert the defense of a lack of notice of the
871 duty to register. Registration following such arrest, service,
872 or arraignment is not a defense and does not relieve the career
873 offender of criminal liability for the failure to register.
874 (d) (b) Any person who misuses public records information
875 concerning a career offender, as defined in this section, or a
876 career offender, as defined in s. 944.608 or s. 944.609, to
877 secure a payment from such career offender; who knowingly
878 distributes or publishes false information concerning such a
879 career offender which the person misrepresents as being public
880 records information; or who materially alters public records
881 information with the intent to misrepresent the information,
882 including documents, summaries of public records information
883 provided by law enforcement agencies, or public records
884 information displayed by law enforcement agencies on websites or
885 provided through other means of communication, commits a
886 misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
887 775.082 or s. 775.083.
888 (9) PROSECUTIONS FOR ACTS OR OMISSIONS.—A career offender
889 who commits any act or omission in violation of this section, s.
890 944.608, or s. 944.609 may be prosecuted for the act or omission
891 in the county in which the act or omission was committed, the
892 county of the last registered address of the career offender,
893 the county in which the conviction occurred for the offense or
894 offenses that meet the criteria for designating a person as a
895 career offender, or in the county in which he or she was
896 designated a career offender.
897 (14) (10) PENALTIES FOR ASSISTING IN CAREER OFFENDER
898 NONCOMPLIANCE.— Any It is a misdemeanor of the first degree,
899 punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for a person
900 who has reason to believe that a career offender is not
901 complying, or has not complied, with the requirements of this
902 section and who, with the intent to assist the career offender
903 in eluding a law enforcement agency that is seeking to find the
904 career offender to question the career offender about, or to
905 arrest the career offender for, his or her noncompliance with
906 the requirements of this section , to :
907 (a) Withholds Withhold information from, or does not fail
908 to notify, the law enforcement agency about the career
909 offender’s noncompliance with the requirements of this section
910 and, if known, the whereabouts of the career offender;
911 (b) Harbors Harbor or attempts attempt to harbor, or
912 assists assist another person in harboring or attempting to
913 harbor, the career offender;
914 (c) Conceals Conceal or attempts attempt to conceal, or
915 assists assist another person in concealing or attempting to
916 conceal, the career offender; or
917 (d) Provides Provide information to the law enforcement
918 agency regarding the career offender which the person knows to
919 be false information,
921 commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in
922 s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084 .
923 Section 3. Section 944.608, Florida Statutes, is amended to
924 read:
925 944.608 Notification to Department of Law Enforcement of
926 information on career offenders.—
927 (1) As used in this section, the term :
928 (a) “Career offender” means a person who is in the custody
929 or control of, or under the supervision of, the department or is
930 in the custody or control of, or under the supervision of, a
931 contractor-operated correctional facility, and who is designated
932 as a habitual violent felony offender, a violent career
933 criminal, or a three-time violent felony offender under s.
934 775.084 or as a prison releasee reoffender under s. 775.082(9).
935 (b) “Permanent residence,” “temporary residence,” and
936 “transient residence” have the same meaning as provided in s.
937 775.261.
938 (c) “Professional license” has the same meaning as provided
939 in s. 775.261.
940 (d) “Vehicles owned” has the same meaning as provided in s.
941 775.261.
942 (2) If a career offender is not sentenced to a term of
943 imprisonment, the clerk of the court shall ensure that the
944 career offender’s fingerprints are taken and forwarded to the
945 Department of Law Enforcement within 48 hours after the court
946 sentences the career offender. The fingerprints shall be clearly
947 marked “Career Offender Registration.”
948 (3) A career offender , as described in this section, who is
949 under the supervision of the department but is not incarcerated
950 must register with the department within 3 business days after
951 sentencing and provide information as required by this
952 subsection.
953 (a) The career offender shall provide his or her name; date
954 of birth; social security number; race; sex gender ; date of
955 birth; height; weight; hair and eye color; tattoos or other
956 identifying marks; employment information required to be
957 provided pursuant to s. 775.261; and permanent or legal
958 residence and address of temporary residence within the state or
959 out of state while the career offender is under supervision in
960 this state, including any rural route address and a or post
961 office box ; if no permanent or temporary address, any transient
962 residence within this state; and address, location or
963 description, and dates of any current or known future temporary
964 residence within this state or out of state; the make, model,
965 color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license tag
966 number of all vehicles owned; and all home telephone numbers and
967 cellular telephone numbers required to be provided pursuant to
968 s. 775.261. The career offender shall also produce his or her
969 passport, if he or she has a passport, and, if he or she is an
970 alien, shall produce or provide information about documents
971 establishing his or her immigration status. The career offender
972 shall also provide information about any professional licenses
973 he or she has . The department shall verify the address of each
974 career offender in the manner described in s. 775.261. The
975 department shall report to the Department of Law Enforcement any
976 failure by a career offender to comply with any registration
977 requirements .
978 (b) A career offender shall report in person to the
979 sheriff’s office within 48 hours after any change in vehicles
980 owned to report those vehicle information changes.
981 (4) In addition to notification and transmittal
982 requirements imposed by any other provision of law, the
983 department shall compile information on any career offender and
984 provide the information to the Department of Law Enforcement.
985 The information shall be made available electronically to the
986 Department of Law Enforcement as soon as this information is in
987 the department’s database and must be in a format that is
988 compatible with the requirements of the Florida Crime
989 Information Center.
990 (5) The information provided to the Department of Law
991 Enforcement must include:
992 (a) The information obtained from the career offender under
993 subsection (3);
994 (b) The career offender’s most current address and place of
995 permanent , and temporary , or transient residence or residences
996 within the state or out of state , the address, location or
997 description, and dates of any known future temporary residence
998 within this state or out of state while the career offender is
999 under supervision in this state, including the name of the
1000 county or municipality in which the career offender permanently
1001 or temporarily resides and, if known, the intended place of
1002 permanent , or temporary , or transient residence or residences
1003 and the address, location or description, and dates of any
1004 current or known future temporary residence within this state or
1005 out of state upon satisfaction of all sanctions;
1006 (c) The legal status of the career offender and the
1007 scheduled termination date of that legal status;
1008 (d) The location of, and local telephone number for, any
1009 Department of Corrections’ office that is responsible for
1010 supervising the career offender; and
1011 (e) A digitized photograph of the career offender, which
1012 must have been taken within 60 days before the career offender
1013 is released from the custody of the department or a contractor
1014 operated correctional facility or within 60 days after the onset
1015 of the department’s supervision of any career offender who is on
1016 probation, community control, conditional release, parole,
1017 provisional release, or control release. If the career offender
1018 is in the custody or control of , or under the supervision of, a
1019 contractor-operated correctional facility, the facility shall
1020 take a digitized photograph of the career offender within the
1021 time period provided in this paragraph and shall provide the
1022 photograph to the department.
1023 (6)(a) The department shall notify the Department of Law
1024 Enforcement if the career offender escapes, absconds, or dies
1025 while in the custody or control of, or under the supervision of,
1026 the department.
1027 (b) If any information provided by the department changes
1028 during the time the career offender is under the department’s
1029 custody, control, or supervision, including any change in the
1030 career offender’s name by reason of marriage or other legal
1031 process, the department shall, in a timely manner, update the
1032 information and provide it to the Department of Law Enforcement
1033 in the manner prescribed in subsection (4).
1034 (7) If the career offender is in the custody of a local
1035 jail, the custodian of the local jail shall notify the
1036 Department of Law Enforcement within 3 business days after
1037 intake of the offender for any reason and upon release, and
1038 shall forward the information to the Department of Law
1039 Enforcement. The custodian of the local jail shall also take a
1040 digitized photograph of the career offender while the career
1041 offender remains in custody and shall provide the digitized
1042 photograph to the Department of Law Enforcement.
1043 (8) If the career offender is under federal supervision,
1044 the federal agency responsible for supervising the career
1045 offender may forward to the Department of Law Enforcement any
1046 information regarding the career offender which is consistent
1047 with the information provided by the department under this
1048 section, and may indicate whether use of the information is
1049 restricted to law enforcement purposes only or may be used by
1050 the Department of Law Enforcement for purposes of public
1051 notification.
1052 (9) (7) A career offender , as described in this section, who
1053 is under the supervision of the department but who is not
1054 incarcerated shall, in addition to the registration requirements
1055 provided in subsection (3), register and obtain a distinctive
1056 driver license or identification card in the manner provided in
1057 s. 775.261 s. 775.261(4)(c) , unless the career offender is a
1058 sexual predator, in which case he or she shall register as
1059 required under s. 775.21, or is a sexual offender, in which case
1060 he or she shall register as required in s. 943.0435 or s.
1061 944.607. A career offender who fails to comply with the
1062 requirements of s. 775.261 s. 775.261(4) is subject to the
1063 penalties provided in s. 775.261(13) s. 775.261(8) .
1064 (10)(a) (8) The failure of a career offender to submit to
1065 the taking of a digitized photograph, or to otherwise comply
1066 with the requirements of this section, is a felony of the third
1067 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
1068 775.084.
1069 (b) A career offender who commits any act or omission in
1070 violation of this section may be prosecuted for the act or
1071 omission in the county in which the act or omission was
1072 committed, in the county of the last registered address of the
1073 career offender, in the county in which the conviction occurred
1074 for the offense or offenses that meet the criteria for
1075 designating a person as a career offender, in the county in
1076 which he or she was designated a career offender, in the county
1077 where the career offender was released from incarceration, or in
1078 the county of the intended address of the career offender as
1079 reported by the offender before his or her release from
1080 incarceration.
1081 (c) An arrest on charges of failure to register when the
1082 offender has been provided and advised of his or her statutory
1083 obligations to register under s. 775.261, the service of an
1084 information or a complaint for a violation of this section, or
1085 an arraignment on charges for a violation of this section
1086 constitutes actual notice of the duty to register. A career
1087 offender’s failure to register immediately as required by this
1088 section following such arrest, service, or arraignment
1089 constitutes grounds for a subsequent charge of failure to
1090 register. A career offender charged with the crime of failure to
1091 register who asserts, or intends to assert, a lack of notice of
1092 the duty to register as a defense to a charge of failure to
1093 register shall register immediately as required by this section.
1094 A career offender who is charged with a subsequent failure to
1095 register may not assert the defense of a lack of notice of the
1096 duty to register.
1097 (d) Registration following such arrest, service, or
1098 arraignment is not a defense and does not relieve the career
1099 offender of criminal liability for the failure to register.
1100 (11) (9) The department, the Department of Highway Safety
1101 and Motor Vehicles, the Department of Law Enforcement, personnel
1102 of those departments, and any individual or entity acting at the
1103 request or upon the direction of those departments are immune
1104 from civil liability for damages for good faith compliance with
1105 this section, and shall be presumed to have acted in good faith
1106 in compiling, recording, reporting, or providing information.
1107 The presumption of good faith is not overcome if technical or
1108 clerical errors are made by the department, the Department of
1109 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of Law
1110 Enforcement, personnel of those departments, or any individual
1111 or entity acting at the request or upon the direction of those
1112 departments in compiling, recording, reporting, or providing
1113 information, or, if the information is incomplete or incorrect
1114 because the information has not been provided by a person or
1115 agency required to provide the information, or because the
1116 information was not reported or was falsely reported.
1117 (12) Any person who has reason to believe that a career
1118 offender is not complying, or has not complied, with the
1119 requirements of this section and who, with the intent to assist
1120 the career offender in eluding a law enforcement agency that is
1121 seeking to find the career offender to question the career
1122 offender about, or to arrest the career offender for, his or her
1123 noncompliance with the requirements of this section:
1124 (a) Withholds information from, or does not notify, the law
1125 enforcement agency about the career offender’s noncompliance
1126 with the requirements of this section, and, if known, the
1127 whereabouts of the career offender;
1128 (b) Harbors or attempts to harbor, or assists another
1129 person in harboring or attempting to harbor, the career
1130 offender;
1131 (c) Conceals or attempts to conceal, or assists another
1132 person in concealing or attempting to conceal, the career
1133 offender; or
1134 (d) Provides information to the law enforcement agency
1135 regarding the career offender which the person knows to be false
1136 information,
1138 commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in
1139 s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. This subsection does not
1140 apply if the career offender is incarcerated in or is in the
1141 custody of a state correctional facility, a contractor-operated
1142 correctional facility, a local jail, or a federal correctional
1143 facility.
1144 (13)(a) A career offender must report in person each year
1145 during the month of the career offender’s birthday to the
1146 sheriff’s office in the county in which he or she maintains a
1147 permanent, temporary, or transient residence or is otherwise
1148 located to reregister.
1149 (b) The sheriff’s office may determine the appropriate
1150 times and days for reporting by the career offender, which must
1151 be consistent with the reporting requirements of this
1152 subsection. Reregistration must include any changes to the
1153 following information:
1154 1. Name; social security number; race; sex; date of birth;
1155 height; weight; hair and eye color; tattoos or other identifying
1156 marks; fingerprints; palm prints; photograph; employment
1157 information required to be provided pursuant to s. 775.261;
1158 address of permanent residence and address of any current
1159 temporary residence, within the state or out of state, including
1160 a rural route address and a post office box; if no permanent or
1161 temporary address, any transient residence within this state;
1162 address, location or description, and dates of any current or
1163 known future temporary residence within the state or out of
1164 state; the make, model, color, vehicle identification number
1165 (VIN), and license tag number of all vehicles owned; and all
1166 home telephone numbers and cellular telephone numbers required
1167 to be provided pursuant to s. 775.261. A post office box may not
1168 be provided in lieu of a physical residential address. The
1169 career offender shall also produce his or her passport, if he or
1170 she has a passport, and, if he or she is an alien, shall produce
1171 or provide information about documents establishing his or her
1172 immigration status. The career offender shall also provide
1173 information about any professional licenses he or she has.
1174 2. If the career offender’s place of residence is a motor
1175 vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or manufactured home, as those
1176 terms are defined in chapter 320, the career offender shall also
1177 provide the vehicle identification number (VIN); the license tag
1178 number; the registration number; and a description, including
1179 color scheme, of the motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, or
1180 manufactured home. If the career offender’s place of residence
1181 is a vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat, as those terms
1182 are defined in chapter 327, the career offender shall also
1183 provide the hull identification number; the manufacturer’s
1184 serial number; the name of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or
1185 houseboat; the registration number of the vessel, live-aboard
1186 vessel, or houseboat; and a description, including color scheme,
1187 of the vessel, live-aboard vessel, or houseboat.
1188 3. Any career offender who fails to report in person as
1189 required at the sheriff’s office, who fails to respond to any
1190 address verification correspondence from the department within 3
1191 weeks after the date of the correspondence, or who knowingly
1192 provides false registration information by act or omission
1193 commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in
1194 s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
1195 (c) The sheriff’s office shall, within 2 working days,
1196 electronically submit and update all information provided by the
1197 career offender to the Department of Law Enforcement in a manner
1198 prescribed by the Department of Law Enforcement.
1199 Section 4. Section 944.609, Florida Statutes, is amended to
1200 read:
1201 944.609 Career offenders; notification upon release.—
1202 (1) As used in this section, the term :
1203 (a) “Career offender” means a person who is in the custody
1204 or control of, or under the supervision of, the department or is
1205 in the custody or control of, or under the supervision of a
1206 contractor-operated correctional facility, who is designated as
1207 a habitual violent felony offender, a violent career criminal,
1208 or a three-time violent felony offender under s. 775.084 or as a
1209 prison releasee reoffender under s. 775.082(9).
1210 (b) “Permanent residence,” “temporary residence,” and
1211 “transient residence” have the same meaning as provided in s.
1212 775.261.
1213 (c) “Professional license” has the same meaning as provided
1214 in s. 775.261.
1215 (d) “Vehicles owned” has the same meaning as provided in s.
1216 775.261.
1217 (2) The Legislature finds that certain career offenders, by
1218 virtue of their histories of offenses, present a threat to the
1219 public and to communities. Career offenders have a reduced
1220 expectation of privacy because of the public’s interest in
1221 public safety and in the effective operation of government. The
1222 Legislature finds that requiring these career offenders to
1223 register for the purpose of tracking the career offenders and
1224 providing for notifying the public and a community of the
1225 presence of a career offender are important aids to law
1226 enforcement agencies, the public, and communities if the career
1227 offender engages again in criminal conduct. Registration is
1228 intended to aid law enforcement agencies in timely apprehending
1229 a career offender. Registration is not a punishment, but merely
1230 a status. Notification to the public and communities of the
1231 presence of a career offender aids the public and communities in
1232 avoiding being victimized by the career offender. The
1233 Legislature intends to require the registration of career
1234 offenders and to authorize law enforcement agencies to notify
1235 the public and communities of the presence of a career offender.
1236 (3)(a) The department must provide information regarding
1237 any career offender who is being released after serving a period
1238 of incarceration for any offense, as follows:
1239 1. The department must provide the career offender’s name,
1240 any change in the career offender’s name by reason of marriage
1241 or other legal process, and any alias, if known; the
1242 correctional facility from which the career offender is
1243 released; the career offender’s social security number, race,
1244 sex gender , date of birth, height, weight, and hair and eye
1245 color; tattoos or other identifying marks; address of any
1246 planned permanent residence or temporary residence, within this
1247 state or out of state, including a rural route address and a
1248 post office box; if no permanent or temporary address, any
1249 transient residence within this state; address, location or
1250 description, and dates of any current or known future temporary
1251 residence within this state or out of state; date and county of
1252 sentence and each crime for which the career offender was
1253 sentenced; a copy of the career offender’s fingerprints , palm
1254 prints, and a digitized photograph taken within 60 days before
1255 release; the date of release of the career offender; employment
1256 information, if known, required to be provided pursuant to s.
1257 775.261; all home telephone numbers and cellular telephone
1258 numbers required to be provided pursuant to s. 775.261;
1259 information about any professional licenses the career offender
1260 has, if known; and passport information, if he or she has a
1261 passport, and, if he or she is an alien, information about the
1262 documents establishing his or her immigration status and the
1263 career offender’s intended residence address, if known . The
1264 department shall notify the Department of Law Enforcement if the
1265 career offender escapes, absconds, or dies. If the career
1266 offender is in the custody of a contractor-operated correctional
1267 facility, the facility shall take the digitized photograph of
1268 the career offender within 60 days before the career offender’s
1269 release and provide this photograph to the Department of
1270 Corrections and also place it in the career offender’s file. If
1271 the career offender is in the custody of a local jail, the
1272 custodian of the local jail shall notify the Department of Law
1273 Enforcement within 3 business days after intake of the offender
1274 for any reason and upon of the career offender’s release , and
1275 provide to the Department of Law Enforcement the information
1276 specified in this paragraph and any information specified in
1277 subparagraph 2. which the Department of Law Enforcement
1278 requests.
1279 2. The department may provide any other information deemed
1280 necessary, including criminal and corrections records and
1281 nonprivileged personnel and treatment records, when available.
1282 (b) The department must provide the information described
1283 in subparagraph (a)1. to:
1284 1. The sheriff of the county where the career offender was
1285 sentenced;
1286 2. The sheriff of the county and, if applicable, the police
1287 chief of the municipality, where the career offender plans to
1288 reside;
1289 3. The Department of Law Enforcement;
1290 4. When requested, the victim of the offense, the victim’s
1291 parent or legal guardian if the victim is a minor, the lawful
1292 representative of the victim or of the victim’s parent or
1293 guardian if the victim is a minor, or the next of kin if the
1294 victim is a homicide victim; and
1295 5. Any person who requests such information,
1297 either within 6 months prior to the anticipated release of a
1298 career offender or as soon as possible if a career offender is
1299 released earlier than anticipated. All such information provided
1300 to the Department of Law Enforcement must be available
1301 electronically as soon as the information is in the agency’s
1302 database and must be in a format that is compatible with the
1303 requirements of the Florida Crime Information Center.
1304 (c) Upon request, the department must provide the
1305 information described in subparagraph (a)2. to:
1306 1. The sheriff of the county where the career offender was
1307 sentenced; and
1308 2. The sheriff of the county and, if applicable, the police
1309 chief of the municipality, where the career offender plans to
1310 reside,
1312 either within 6 months prior to the anticipated release of a
1313 career offender or as soon as possible if a career offender is
1314 released earlier than anticipated.
1315 (d) Upon receiving information regarding a career offender
1316 from the department, the Department of Law Enforcement, the
1317 sheriff, or the chief of police shall provide the information
1318 described in subparagraph (a)1. to any individual who requests
1319 such information and may release the information to the public
1320 in any manner deemed appropriate, unless the information is
1321 confidential or exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
1322 the State Constitution.
1323 (4) This section authorizes the department or any law
1324 enforcement agency to may notify the community and the public of
1325 a career offender’s presence in the community. However, with
1326 respect to a career offender who has been found to be a sexual
1327 predator under s. 775.21, the Department of Law Enforcement or
1328 any other law enforcement agency must inform the community and
1329 the public of the sexual predator’s career offender’s presence
1330 in the community, as provided in s. 775.21.
1331 (5) An elected or appointed official, public employee,
1332 school administrator or employee, or agency, or any individual
1333 or entity acting at the request or upon the direction of any law
1334 enforcement agency, is immune from civil liability for damages
1335 resulting from the good faith compliance with the requirements
1336 of this section or the release of information under this
1337 section.
1338 Section 5. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.