New Driving Laws in Florida: Move Over, Speed Cameras, and Hands-Free

Three recent changes stand out among the new driving laws in Florida: the Move Over law now covers disabled vehicles on the shoulder, counties and cities can issue speed tickets by camera in school zones, and a new offense called dangerous excessive speeding can revoke your license on a second conviction. Each carries fines, license points, or worse, and each took effect at a different time between January 2024 and July 2025.

Move Over Now Applies to Disabled Vehicles

Since January 1, 2024, you have to move over or slow down for ordinary disabled cars on the shoulder, not only for emergency responders, tow trucks, and road crews. The change came through CS/HB 425 and sits in Section 316.126.¹

The law does not reach every parked car. A disabled vehicle triggers the requirement only if at least one of the following is true: its hazard or warning lights are on, flares or emergency signs are posted, or one or more people are visibly present at the scene.² That last one surprises people. You do not need to see flashing lights. If someone is standing next to a car on the shoulder, the rule applies.

What You Have to Do

On an interstate or any road with two or more lanes going your direction, change into a lane not adjacent to the stopped vehicle if you can do so safely. If a lane change is not safe, slow to 20 mph below the posted limit, as long as that limit is 25 mph or higher.²

On a two-lane road, there is nowhere to move, so you just slow down. Drop to 20 mph below the posted limit when the limit is 25 or higher. If the posted limit is 20 mph or less, slow to 5 mph.²

What It Costs

A violation is a noncriminal moving traffic infraction with a $60 base fine, before court costs and county surcharges.²³ The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles adds three points to your license under the catch-all category for other moving violations.⁴

Three points on their own will not suspend you, but they stack. Florida suspends a license at 12 points in 12 months (up to 30 days), 18 points in 18 months (up to 3 months), and 24 points in 36 months (up to 1 year).⁴ One more infraction on top of an existing speeding or red-light ticket can push you over.

Speed Cameras in School Zones

CS/HB 657 added Section 316.1896, which lets counties and cities install automated speed detection systems in school zones.⁵ No officer has to be present. The system reads your plate, logs your speed, and a notice shows up in the mail.

The camera only flags drivers going more than 10 mph over the school zone limit. Three or five over will not trigger it. The enforcement windows are wider than most drivers expect. A camera can run from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after a scheduled breakfast program, from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after the start of the school session, throughout the entire school session for general speeding violations, and from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after the end of the session.⁶ In practice, that stretches from early morning arrivals through afternoon dismissal.

Before a program starts, the jurisdiction has to post signs at the school zone that identify photo or video enforcement and the hours it runs. A first-time program also requires a public awareness campaign at least 30 days before enforcement begins, with a specific start date announced.⁷

What the Ticket Looks Like

Within 30 days of the violation, the local government mails a notice to the registered owner with photo or video evidence, the recorded speed, and instructions. The civil penalty is $100, and no points attach at this stage.⁶

You then have 30 days from the date on the notice to pay, request a hearing, or submit an affidavit saying you were not the driver. Ignore it and the local government mails a uniform traffic citation by certified mail, which puts you in traditional court with higher costs. Doing nothing is the single most expensive move.⁶

If Someone Else Was Driving

The ticket goes to the registered owner, which is a problem when a spouse, child, or friend had the car. Within 30 days you can file an affidavit stating that the vehicle was in another person’s care, custody, or control at the time, including that person’s name, address, date of birth, and driver license number if known.⁶

Other recognized defenses include a stolen vehicle backed by a police report, a situation where an officer already cited the actual driver at the scene, or an owner who died before the violation date (an estate representative can file an affidavit with a certified death certificate).⁶

Privacy Limits on the Footage

The cameras cannot be used for general surveillance. Video and photos can only document the speeding violation or help determine liability in incidents captured incidentally. Everything must be destroyed within 90 days of final disposition, and the vendor must certify in writing by December 31 each year that records have been destroyed. Owner information from the system belongs to the county or city, not the vendor, and is restricted to enforcement under this statute.⁶

Dangerous Excessive Speeding Can Revoke Your License

Starting July 1, 2025, House Bill 351 created a distinct offense called dangerous excessive speeding. You commit it by driving 50 mph or more over the posted limit, or by driving 100 mph or more in a manner that threatens the safety of people or property or interferes with other vehicles.⁸

The serious consequence comes on a repeat. A second or later conviction within five years of the first revokes your license for at least 180 days and up to one year. Revocation is harder to come back from than suspension and generally requires reinstatement steps beyond waiting out the clock.⁸

Hands-Free in School and Work Zones

Florida’s hands-free rule is not new, but it stacks with the camera program in a way worth knowing. Under Section 316.306, you cannot use a wireless device in a handheld manner while driving through a designated school crossing, school zone, or active work zone. Bluetooth and voice-activated modes are allowed.⁹

The offense is a moving violation with a $60 base fine, court costs, and three points. In a school zone with cameras running, holding your phone while going more than 10 over the limit can produce two separate infractions on one trip past the school.⁹

1
Florida Senate. Florida Senate Bill CS/CS/CS/HB 425
2
Florida Senate. Florida Code 316.126
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 318.18
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.27
5
Florida Senate. CS/CS/HB 657 – Enforcement of School Zone Speed Limits
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.1896
7
Florida Senate. Florida Code 316.0776
8
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle and Driver License Legislative Changes Effective July 2025
9
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Put It Down – Focus On The Road