A “felony 22-D” charge in Florida is not a real charge. Florida classifies felonies by degree (capital, life, first, second, third), not by alphanumeric codes, so nothing in the state’s criminal code is actually called “22-D.” The term almost always comes from shorthand someone wrote down or repeated from paperwork, and in most cases it traces back to Florida Statute 921.0022(3)(d), a subsection of the state’s offense severity ranking chart. To find the real charge, you need the full statute number listed somewhere on the same document.
Where the “22-D” Label Comes From
Three sources account for almost every appearance of this term.
The most common is Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code. Section 921.0022 of the Florida Statutes contains the offense severity ranking chart, which sorts every felony in the state into one of ten severity levels.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statute 921.0022 – Criminal Punishment Code; Offense Severity Ranking Chart The chart’s subsections are lettered (a) through (j), matching Levels 1 through 10. Subsection (3)(d) covers Level 4 offenses, a mix of second-degree and third-degree felonies. Someone looking at a sentencing scoresheet that cites “921.0022(3)(d)” can easily reduce it in memory to “22-D.” The number tells you how serious the offense ranks for sentencing purposes, not what the offense is.
The second possibility is federal. The federal sentencing guidelines use a grid of offense levels numbered 1 through 43 and sentencing zones labeled A through D. Offense level 22 within Zone D describes a particular range of federal prison time.2United States Sentencing Commission. Annotated 2025 Chapter 5 If the case was handled in federal court, even a federal court sitting in Florida, that grid is a plausible source of the term.
The third possibility is purely administrative. Florida law enforcement uses the Offense Base Tracking System (OBTS), and clerks of court generate their own internal case and docket codes. These tracking numbers look like charge classifications to anyone who hasn’t seen a Florida charging document before, and they get repeated in conversation stripped of their original context.
What a Level 4 Ranking Actually Means
Because 921.0022(3)(d) is the most likely source, it helps to know what that subsection does. The severity ranking chart assigns every felony a level from 1 (least serious) to 10 (most serious). Judges use the ranking alongside a sentencing scoresheet to calculate a minimum sentence score for the defendant. Level 4 sits in the lower middle of that scale and includes a mix of second-degree and third-degree felonies, so a reference to “22-D” tells you something about where an offense falls for sentencing math, but it does not identify what the person was charged with.
The chart is organized by statute number, felony degree, and a description of the conduct. Finding the actual offense means locating the statute number on the paperwork and matching it against the Level 4 entries.
How to Find the Real Charge
Every Florida criminal offense is defined by a specific statute section. Murder is 782.04. Careless driving is 316.1925.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 782.04 – Murder That statute number, not any shorthand, is what defines the charge.
Arrest affidavits, charging information, and court dispositions almost always include the statute number. If you have the case number, the clerk of court in the county where the case was filed can pull up the full charging document. Most Florida counties also run online case search tools through the clerk’s website, letting you look up a case by name or number and see the exact charges.
Once you have the statute number, the Florida Legislature’s website at leg.state.fl.us lets you look up the full text of the law, the felony degree, and (through 921.0022) the severity level. If you only know the common name of the offense, keyword search works as well. Getting that statute number is the single most useful step before trying to interpret anything else on the record.
Reading the Felony Degree Once You Find It
Separate from the severity ranking, every Florida felony belongs to one of five degrees, and the degree sets the ceiling on punishment. Florida Statute 775.081 lists them, and 775.082 sets the maximum prison terms:4The Florida Legislature. Florida Statute 775.081 – Classifications of Felonies and Misdemeanors5Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Certain Reoffenders Previously Released From Prison
- Capital felony: death or life in prison without parole.
- Life felony: life in prison, with a possible fine up to $15,000.
- First-degree felony: up to 30 years, with a fine up to $10,000. A few first-degree felonies carry life when the statute specifically says so.
- Second-degree felony: up to 15 years, with a fine up to $10,000.
- Third-degree felony: up to 5 years, with a fine up to $5,000.
A crime labeled a felony without a specified degree defaults to third-degree. The degree gives you the maximum. The severity level, combined with the sentencing scoresheet, is what the judge uses to decide where within that range the sentence should actually land.
What to Do If “22-D” Appeared on a Background Check
If the term showed up on a criminal history report or background check and you think it’s wrong, you can dispute it. The FBI maintains Identity History Summaries (rap sheets), and anyone can challenge information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete. The challenge has to identify what’s wrong and include supporting documentation. There is no fee, and the FBI typically responds within 45 days.6Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
Removing a federal arrest record from the FBI’s file requires either a request from the submitting agency or a federal court order directing expungement. For state-level Florida records, questions about sealing or expunging go to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which runs the state’s criminal history repository. Florida’s eligibility rules for sealing and expungement depend on the type of offense and how the case was resolved.