Abortion pills are legal in Florida, but only during the first six weeks of pregnancy and only when a licensed physician hands them to you in person. Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act set that limit, and the law also requires an ultrasound, in-person counseling, and a 24-hour waiting period before you can receive the medication. Telehealth prescriptions and mail-order pills to a Florida address are both prohibited.
How the Six-Week Limit Is Measured
Under Florida Statutes § 390.0111, a physician cannot perform or induce an abortion once the gestational age of the fetus exceeds six weeks.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies Gestational age is counted from the first day of your last menstrual period, not from conception. On a regular 28-day cycle, six weeks of gestation is roughly two weeks after a missed period. Many people do not realize they are pregnant that early, and for anyone with irregular cycles the window can close before pregnancy is even suspected.
Before any medication can be provided, the physician or a trained ultrasound technician must perform an ultrasound to confirm gestational age. If the ultrasound shows you are past six weeks, the pills cannot legally be dispensed to you in Florida unless one of the narrow statutory exceptions applies.
Exceptions That Extend the Window
Florida law allows a termination after six weeks only in limited circumstances:1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies
- Rape, incest, or human trafficking, up to 15 weeks. You must provide documentation such as a restraining order, police report, or medical record when scheduling or arriving for the appointment.
- To save your life or prevent irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. Two physicians must certify the necessity in writing, or one physician if no second is available in a genuine emergency.
- Fatal fetal abnormality, up until the third trimester, with two physicians certifying the diagnosis in writing.
Mental health conditions do not qualify. The statute specifically excludes psychological conditions from the definition of irreversible physical impairment.
The Two-Visit, 24-Hour Process
Even inside the six-week window, you cannot walk in and get the medication the same day. The physician must counsel you in person, in the same room, at least 24 hours before the procedure.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies Because the pills themselves must also be handed to you in person by a physician, this works out to at least two separate office visits: one for the consultation and ultrasound, and a second one at least a day later to receive the medication.
At the first visit, you must be offered the chance to view the ultrasound images and hear an explanation of what they show.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies You are not required to look, but the offer has to be documented. If any step is skipped or the 24-hour gap is not respected, the physician cannot legally provide the pills at the follow-up visit.
The combination of a six-week ceiling and a mandatory two-visit sequence leaves very little margin. If your first appointment lands at five weeks and four days, you have about three days of usable window. Weekends, scheduling delays, or limited clinic availability can push you past the cutoff.
Who Can Legally Provide the Pills
Only medical doctors licensed under Florida’s Chapter 458 or osteopathic physicians licensed under Chapter 459 can provide abortion medication in Florida.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and midwives cannot prescribe or dispense the pills, regardless of their qualifications.
Pharmacies and retail drugstores cannot fill a prescription for medication abortion. The pills are handed to you directly by the physician inside a medical facility, and the physician who did your consultation is the one who provides them.
No Telehealth and No Mail-Order Pills
Florida explicitly bans telehealth for medication abortion. The statute says a physician “may not use telehealth” to perform any abortion, including a medication abortion.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies A video appointment does not satisfy the physical-presence requirement.
Having the pills mailed to a Florida address is also illegal. Florida law prohibits dispensing medication abortion drugs through the U.S. Postal Service or any other shipping service.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies That applies whether the pills ship from inside Florida or from another state, so out-of-state telehealth services that mail medication to patients elsewhere cannot legally deliver to Florida.
Extra Rules If You Are Under 18
Under § 390.01114, the physician must notify a parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before the procedure, either in person or by phone.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.01114 – Parental Notice of and Consent to Abortion If direct contact is not possible after a reasonable effort, written notice can be sent by certified mail at least 72 hours in advance.
Notification is not enough on its own. A parent or legal guardian must also provide written, notarized consent, with a government-issued ID and a signed declaration under penalty of perjury.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.01114 – Parental Notice of and Consent to Abortion
Judicial Bypass
If telling a parent is not possible or not safe, a minor can petition a Florida circuit court for a judicial waiver. You can file under a pseudonym or initials, and the court must appoint a lawyer at no cost if you ask for one.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.01114 – Parental Notice of and Consent to Abortion The court must rule within three business days, though that deadline can be extended at your request. A waiver can be granted if the court finds clear and convincing evidence that you are mature enough to make the decision independently, or that the procedure is in your best interest.
Stacking the judicial bypass timeline on top of the six-week limit and the 24-hour waiting period leaves very little room. If you think you may need a waiver, starting as early as possible matters.
Cost and What Happens If You Are Past Six Weeks
Out-of-pocket costs for medication abortion in Florida, including the required ultrasound and both office visits, generally run from several hundred dollars up to around $800, depending on the clinic. Florida does not require private insurers to cover abortion, and state Medicaid coverage is limited to cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest.
If you are past six weeks and do not fit one of the exceptions, no Florida physician can legally give you the pills. Some patients in that situation travel to states with broader access, though the additional cost and logistics fall entirely on the patient.
Who Gets Prosecuted If the Rules Are Broken
Florida’s criminal penalties target providers, not patients. Under § 390.0111(10), anyone who willfully performs or actively participates in an abortion that violates the statute commits a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. If the violation results in the patient’s death, the charge becomes a second-degree felony, carrying up to 15 years.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies
The statute does not explicitly criminalize the pregnant person who receives or self-manages an abortion. For partial-birth abortions, the law expressly states that the woman cannot be prosecuted for conspiracy.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 390.0111 – Termination of Pregnancies No equivalent explicit protection exists for medication abortion, which leaves a gray area. As of early 2026, criminal abortion laws in nearly every state have not been applied to the pregnant person, but prosecutors in some states have used other statutes to bring charges in self-managed abortion cases. Whether Florida would pursue similar theories is untested.