The Florida Chief Financial Officer is the state’s top fiscal officer and one of three elected members of the Florida Cabinet. The job combines four very different kinds of work: managing the state’s money, regulating Florida’s insurance industry, serving as State Fire Marshal, and running a criminal investigations unit that handles fraud and arson cases. All of it sits inside the Department of Financial Services, which the CFO leads. As of July 2025, Blaise Ingoglia holds the office, which pays $139,988 a year.1MyFloridaCFO. Statement of Agency Organization and Operation
Managing the State’s Money
Chapter 17 of the Florida Statutes names the CFO the “chief fiscal officer of the state.” That means settling and approving all accounts against the state and keeping custody of all state funds and securities.2Florida Senate. Florida Code Chapter 17 – Chief Financial Officer In practice, the office manages billions of dollars in state deposits and investments, making sure the money earns a return while staying liquid enough to cover vendor payments and payroll.
The office also audits agency spending, though not invoice by invoice. It uses sampling procedures with dollar thresholds that decide which payments get reviewed before they go out and which get checked after. When an agency raises concerns, the CFO can tighten those thresholds, which gives the office a real tool for catching problems early.3Florida Senate. Florida Code Chapter 17 – Chief Financial Officer – Section 17.03
On the public side, the department runs several transparency portals. The Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System lets anyone search state contracts, a separate portal breaks down state payments by type, and the Florida Fiscal Portal compiles state financial reports, grant expenditures, and public-private partnership information.4Florida Department of Financial Services. Transparency
Regulating Insurance and Helping Consumers
For most Floridians, the CFO’s office is where you go when something goes wrong with an insurance claim. The Division of Consumer Services mediates disputes between residents and their insurance carriers. The Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services licenses the agents and agencies allowed to sell insurance in Florida, which gives the CFO authority over who can operate in the market.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 20.121 – Department of Financial Services
The department also houses the Office of Insurance Consumer Advocate. The CFO appoints the advocate, but the office is designed to operate independently and represent consumer interests in insurance rate proceedings and policy disputes without being pulled by the department’s other regulatory roles.6MyFloridaCFO. Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate
A separate division handles the funeral and cemetery industry. It licenses funeral directors, embalmers, cremation operators, and cemetery operators; inspects facilities and cemetery grounds annually; and monitors pre-need funeral contract sales to protect money consumers prepay for burial services.7Florida Department of Financial Services. Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services
Serving as State Fire Marshal
Florida Statute 633.104 makes the Chief Financial Officer the State Fire Marshal. In that role, the CFO adopts the Florida Fire Prevention Code, regulates the installation and maintenance of fire alarm and sprinkler systems, licenses professionals who service fire suppression equipment, and keeps records on fire causes and losses.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 633.104 – State Fire Marshal Authority Duties Rules
The Division of State Fire Marshal also has complete jurisdiction over the Florida State Fire College, with authority to appoint its superintendent, set the curriculum, establish admission rules, and manage its facilities. The college trains and certifies firefighters statewide.9FindLaw. Florida Code 633.128 – Florida State Fire College
Investigating Fraud, Arson, and Theft of State Funds
The Division of Criminal Investigations is a full criminal justice agency. Its investigators can look into any matter under the CFO’s or Fire Marshal’s jurisdiction, including across state lines. Caseloads cover insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, public assistance fraud, arson and explosives crimes, and theft or misuse of state funds.10Florida Department of Financial Services. Division of Criminal Investigations
Inside the division sits the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations, staffed by sworn officers and civilian personnel. Its investigators have arrest authority and respond around the clock to fire and explosion scenes. In 2024, the bureau’s work led to arrests in 293 cases involving 322 defendants.11Florida Department of Financial Services. Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations
Returning Unclaimed Property
The Florida Treasure Hunt program is one of the office’s most visible services. Under Chapter 717 of the Florida Statutes, businesses and government entities must turn property over to the state after a set dormancy period, typically five years, when they cannot locate the owner. That includes forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and the contents of safe deposit boxes.12Florida Senate. Florida Code Chapter 717 – Disposition of Unclaimed Property Residents can search the state’s database and file a claim for free.13Florida Department of Financial Services. Florida Unclaimed Property – FAQs
One wrinkle worth knowing: recovering unclaimed property can carry tax consequences. The original principal of a reclaimed bank account generally isn’t taxable, but accrued interest is treated as ordinary income in the year you receive it. The same logic applies to investment accounts, where dividends and capital gains distributions are taxable, and to life insurance proceeds, where the death benefit is typically tax-free but accrued interest is not.
Overseeing Workers’ Compensation
The Division of Workers’ Compensation helps employers, injured workers, health care providers, and insurers navigate the state’s workers’ comp system. The division handles exemption applications and renewals, maintains a proof-of-coverage database, and runs an online portal where the public can report suspected employer non-compliance. It also tracks lost-time injury data through a claims data warehouse used to monitor the system.14Florida Department of Financial Services. Workers’ Compensation Home
Insuring the State Itself
The Division of Risk Management runs the State Risk Management Trust Fund, a self-insurance program that covers state agencies and employees. The fund handles four categories of casualty losses: state workers’ compensation, federal civil rights settlements, general liability, and state automotive liability. It also covers non-hurricane property losses on state-owned buildings and assets.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Code Chapter 284 – Risk Management
The division reviews each state agency’s risk management programs, including return-to-work, safety, and loss prevention efforts, at least once every five years. When someone sues the state and wins, statutory sovereign immunity caps limit payouts to $200,000 per individual and $300,000 per incident. Anything above those caps requires a special claims bill passed by the Legislature.
A Cabinet Seat With Shared Authority
The CFO holds one of three seats on the Florida Cabinet, serving alongside the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Agriculture. The Governor and the three Cabinet members jointly oversee several state agencies.16Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Cabinet Affairs
The most consequential of those shared bodies is the State Board of Administration, where the Governor serves as chair and the CFO and Attorney General serve as trustees. The SBA invests the assets of the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, administers the FRS Investment Plan, manages the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, and oversees more than 25 additional funds assigned by the Legislature.17Florida State Board of Administration. About the SBA The CFO also sits on the Electrical Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Board, which reviews and certifies applications for major generation and transmission facilities.18Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Power Plant Siting Act
Who Can Hold the Office
Under Article IV, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution, a candidate for CFO must be a registered voter, at least 30 years old, and a Florida resident for the preceding seven years. The same requirements apply to the Governor and the other Cabinet members.19Florida Senate. Florida Constitution
The term runs four years. Article VI, Section 4 bars anyone from appearing on the ballot for re-election to a Cabinet office if they will have served eight consecutive years by the end of their current term, which effectively limits the CFO to two consecutive terms. If the seat becomes vacant mid-term, the Governor appoints a replacement for the remainder.
The CFO and other Cabinet officers must file full public disclosure of their financial interests. Florida law prohibits them from accepting any expenditure from a lobbyist or a lobbyist’s principal and bars gifts worth more than $100 from lobbyists, political committees, or state vendors. Permitted gifts between $25 and $100 from those sources trigger reporting requirements for both the donor and the recipient.20Florida Commission on Ethics. Overview of Laws Relating to Things of Value, Gifts, and Expenditures