What Is the Fine for Feeding Sandhill Cranes in Florida?

The fine for feeding sandhill cranes in Florida is $100 for a first offense, set as a flat civil penalty under Florida Statute 379.412.¹ A second offense is a second-degree misdemeanor, which can mean up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The Florida sandhill crane is a state-listed threatened subspecies, and the feeding ban is enforced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The $100 First-Offense Penalty

A first violation is a noncriminal infraction, not a crime. You receive a citation and have 30 days to pay the $100 by mail or in person through the county clerk’s office. The amount is fixed by statute, so it does not vary by county.¹ Paying it counts as an admission that you committed the violation, but that admission can only be used later to show you had a prior violation if you are cited again.

Contesting the ticket in county court comes with a trade-off most people don’t expect. If you request a hearing, you waive the $100 cap. The statute allows the court to impose a civil penalty of “not less than $100,” with no stated ceiling. The state has to prove the violation beyond a reasonable doubt, so weak evidence works in your favor, but strong evidence can leave you worse off than if you had paid.¹

Second Offense: It Becomes a Crime

A second or later violation is a second-degree misdemeanor. Under Florida sentencing law, that carries up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.¹² Jail time for feeding cranes is uncommon in practice, but a conviction creates a criminal record. Courts sometimes allow wildlife education courses in place of harsher penalties.

What counts as a prior “violation” is narrower than it sounds. The statute defines it as any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal, so an earlier citation that was dismissed does not push you into misdemeanor territory the next time.¹

Ignoring the Citation Turns $100 Into a Misdemeanor

This is the most expensive mistake people make with a feeding ticket. If you refuse to accept the citation, fail to pay the $100 within the allowed time, or fail to appear in county court, the first-offense infraction automatically upgrades to a second-degree misdemeanor. You then face the same penalties as a repeat offender: up to 60 days in jail and up to $500 in fines.¹ A $100 civil ticket becomes a criminal charge solely because it was ignored.

How to Respond to a Feeding Citation

Most citations are issued by FWC officers, though local law enforcement can also write them. The citation itself will state whether the violation is a noncriminal infraction or a misdemeanor, and that determines what you can do next.

For a first-offense infraction, you have two options. You can pay the $100 within 30 days through the county clerk’s office, which closes the matter but counts as an admission for any future case. Or you can request a county court hearing, keeping in mind that the $100 ceiling no longer applies and the judge can impose a higher civil penalty if the state proves the violation beyond a reasonable doubt. A guilty finding can be appealed to the circuit court.

For a misdemeanor charge, whether it is a true second offense or a first offense that upgraded because the citation was ignored, a court appearance is required. You enter a plea, and a not-guilty plea sends the case to trial. Because a conviction creates a criminal record, talking to a lawyer before the hearing is worth considering. Diversion programs and wildlife education courses are sometimes offered and can lead to reduced penalties or dismissal.

What Actually Counts as Illegal Feeding

Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-4.001(6) prohibits the intentional feeding of sandhill cranes.³ The underlying statute reaches further than hand-feeding. It covers attracting or enticing wildlife with food or garbage, and it covers “allowing the placement of food or garbage in a manner that attracts or entices wildlife.”¹ Leaving birdseed on the lawn to draw cranes qualifies. So does continuing to leave pet food outside once you know cranes are eating it. Narrow exceptions exist for captive animals and hunting-over-bait rules, neither of which helps a homeowner cited in the yard.

An accidental spill or a songbird feeder that a crane happens to visit is not the same as intentional feeding. The practical line is awareness: once you know cranes are drawn to a food source on your property, leaving it in place can be treated as allowing food to be placed in a way that attracts wildlife. The safe response if a crane approaches you expecting food is to back away rather than engage.

Other Exposure Beyond the FWC Fine

Sandhill cranes are also protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the MBTA addresses taking, killing, capturing, selling, and possessing birds, not feeding.⁴⁵ In practice, a feeding citation comes under Florida’s state law, not the federal statute.

Civil consequences can follow too. Cranes habituated to people sometimes become aggressive, pecking at window screens, car paint, pets, and people. If feeding on your part caused behavior that damaged someone else’s property or injured them, you could face a negligence claim. Homeowners’ associations in crane-heavy areas sometimes impose their own fines on residents who feed wildlife, on top of anything the FWC issues.

1
Justia. Florida Code 379.412 – Penalties for Feeding Wildlife and Freshwater Fish
2
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Mandatory Minimum Sentences
3
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Living with Sandhill Cranes
4
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful