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Florida Statute 15.03 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 15.03 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 15.03 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 15.03

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title IV
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chapter 15
SECRETARY OF STATE
View Entire Chapter
15.03 State seal.
(1) The great seal of the state shall be of the size of the American silver dollar, having in the center thereof a view of the sun’s rays over a highland in the distance, a sabal palmetto palm tree, a steamboat on water, and an Indian female scattering flowers in the foreground, encircled by the words “Great Seal of the State of Florida: In God We Trust.”
(2)(a) The Department of State shall be the custodian of the great seal of the state.
(b) The great seal of this state shall also be the seal of the Department of State, and the department may certify under said seal, copies of any statute, law, resolution, record, paper, letter or document, by law placed in its custody, keeping and care, and such certified copy shall have the same force and effect in evidence, as the original would have.
(3) Only the Department of State shall be authorized to affix the seal to any document for the purpose of attesting, certifying, or otherwise formalizing such document. Any facsimile or reproduction of the great seal shall be manufactured, used, displayed, or otherwise employed by anyone only upon the approval of the Department of State. The Department of State may grant a certificate of approval upon application to it by any person showing good cause for the use of the seal for a proper purpose. The Department of State may adopt reasonable rules for the manufacture or use of the great seal or any facsimile or reproduction thereof. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.s. 4, ch. 1, 1845; RS 75; GS 76; RGS 90; CGL 112; s. 1, ch. 29841, 1955; s. 1, ch. 65-209; ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; (2)(a) former s. 21, Art. IV of the State Constitution of 1885, as amended; converted to statutory law by s. 10, Art. XII of the State Constitution as revised in 1968; s. 1, ch. 70-300; s. 11, ch. 71-136; s. 1, ch. 80-59.

F.S. 15.03 on Google Scholar

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Amendments to 15.03


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 15.03
Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S15.03 - PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9035 - M: S
S15.03 3 - PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES - STATE SEAL VIOLATION - M: S

Cases Citing Statute 15.03

Total Results: 35  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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Burton v. City of Belle Glade, 178 F.3d 1175 (11th Cir. 1999).

Cited 426 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 43, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 14020, 1999 WL 425895

(1994), and its implementing regulations, 7 C.F.R. § 15.3 (1999). The district court dismissed Appellants’
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Burton v. City of Belle Glade, 178 F.3d 1175 (11th Cir. 1999).

Cited 213 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

(1994), and its implementing regulations, 7 C.F.R. § 15.3 (1999). The district court dismissed Appellants’
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S.J. & W. Ranch, Inc. v. Dexter Lehtinen & United States of Am., 913 F.2d 1538 (11th Cir. 1990).

Cited 72 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 17735, 1990 WL 135896

scope certifications. See 28 C.F.R. § 15.3(a) (1989); Nasuti, 906 F.2d at 804
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Donna J. Beaulieu v. City of Alabaster, 454 F.3d 1219 (11th Cir. 2006).

Cited 30 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 16465, 2006 WL 1791401

not exceed the size limitations. Id. § 15.3(F)(3). Real estate signs must be removed when the
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Investacorp, Inc. v. Arabian Inv. Banking Corp. (Investcorp) E. C., 931 F.2d 1519 (11th Cir. 1991).

Cited 26 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

555 (11th Cir.1984). . McCarthy, supra note 6, § 15:3.
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Matthew Lanier Beverly v. Warden Mr. Charlie Jones & the Attorney Gen. of the State of Alabama, 854 F.2d 412 (11th Cir. 1988).

Cited 24 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

of limitations embodied in Ala.Code § 15-3-1 (1975). The Alabama Supreme Court rejected this
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Hershey v. Keyes Co., 209 So. 2d 240 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1968).

Cited 13 times | Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida

So. 419, 54 A.L.R. 1173; 5 Fla.Jur., Brokers, § 15; 3 F.L.P., Brokers and Brokerage, § 5. A real estate
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Two Trees v. Builders Transp., Inc., 471 F.3d 1178 (11th Cir. 2006).

Cited 12 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 29747, 47 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 122, 2006 WL 3490844

arising out of termination of the Lease. Section 15.3 provides: 15.3 Additional Expenses
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Derrick Anthony DeBruce v. Comm'r, Alabama Dep't of Corr., 758 F.3d 1263 (11th Cir. 2014).

Cited 8 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2014 WL 3427198, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 13534

of limitations for violent crimes. See Ala. Code § 15-3-5(a)(2). Nonetheless, DeBruce knows what he said
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Nadler v. Mann, 731 F. Supp. 493 (S.D. Fla. 1990).

Cited 8 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2497, 1990 WL 21033

Attorney General to provide certification); 28 C.F.R. § 15.3 (authorizing Attorney General to delegate certification
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Steven W. Flohr Susan Flohr v. Joseph MacKovjak, 84 F.3d 386 (11th Cir. 1996).

Cited 6 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 12546, 1996 WL 254715

acted for the Attorney General. Under 28 C.F.R. § 15.3(a) (1995), the Attorney General has delegated to
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Burton v. City of Belle Glade, 966 F. Supp. 1178 (S.D. Fla. 1997).

Cited 6 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7124, 1997 WL 274664

implementing regulations, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d and 7 C.F.R. § 15.3. By Order dated February 7, 1996, the Court, inter
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Hunt v. Tucker, 93 F.3d 735 (11th Cir. 1996).

Cited 6 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 22211, 1996 WL 457372

to a three-year statute of limitations. Ala.Code § 15-3-1 (1975); Britain v. State, 518 So.2d
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Hampton v. State, 949 So. 2d 1197 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 674752

P. TRAWICK, JR., FLORIDA PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE § 15-3 (2004 ed.).[1] The fact that the trial court could
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Beraglia v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 606 So. 2d 1213 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1992 WL 259781

Henry P. Trawick, Florida Practice and Procedure § 15.3, at 237 (1991). This being so, the plaintiffs did
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100 Lincoln Rd SB, LLC v. Daxan 26 (FL), LLC, 180 So. 3d 134 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 15991, 2015 WL 6499331

...of directors of the Association a copy of the executed purchase agreement (executed “subject to the board’s waiver of its right of first refusal and consent to the sale or transfer”) and impose maximum time limits for the parties to act. Another provision, section 15.03, authorizes the board of directors of the Association to designate one or more non-Unit Owners “who are willing to purchase upon the same terms as those specified in the [selling] Unit Owner’s notice.” The Association de...
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Cannabis Action Network, Inc. v. City of Gainesville, 231 F.3d 761 (11th Cir. 2000).

Cited 2 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 26793, 2000 WL 1584541

prohibition on the use of amplified sound contained in Section 15-3. 10 The exception in Section 15-4
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Seawatch at Marathon Condo. Ass'n v. CHARLEY TOPPINO & SONS, INC., 610 So. 2d 470 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1992 WL 318499

Litigation, in Florida Condominium Law & Practice § 15.3, at 715-716 (The Florida Bar CLE 1987). The condominium
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Michel-Trapaga v. City of Gainesville, 231 F.3d 761 (11th Cir. 2000).

Cited 1 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

15 amplified sound contained in Section 15-3.10 The exception in Section 15-4, entitled
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Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. v. Daily, 12 F. Supp. 2d 1319 (S.D. Fla. 1998).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11125, 1998 WL 419829

alleged by the plaintiff were time-barred under Section 15[3] of the NASD Code and thus not arbitrable. Id
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In re Cecil, 488 B.R. 200 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2013).

Cited 1 times | Published | United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida | 24 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 3, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 841, 2013 WL 837592

Martin, et al„ Ginsberg & Martin on Bankruptcy § 15.03[D] (2013); 9 Am.Jur. 2d Bankruptcy § 565. . Id
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Broz v. Schweiker, 677 F.2d 1351 (11th Cir. 1982).

Cited 1 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

parties, and legislative facts are all others. Id. at § 15:3, p. 143. “ ‘Legislative facts .. . apply universally
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Lieble v. State, 933 So. 2d 119 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2006 WL 1501759

we hold that the limitations period set forth in § 15-3-1, Ala.Code 1975, does not bar the prosecution
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Swerdloff v. Miami Nat'l Bank, 408 F. Supp. 940 (S.D. Fla. 1976).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16407

identical to its counterpart in antitrust, 15 U.S.C. § 15.[3] Considered altogether, the similarity of this
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The Florida Bar v. Bryon R. Aven (Fla. 2021).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida

(Fla. 1989); see also art. V, § 15, -3- Fla. Const. In this case, we
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PHILIP MORRIS USA INC. & R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO Co. v. BRYAN RINTOUL, as Pers. Rep. of the Est. of Edward Caprio (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2022).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida

Stat. Ann. § 457:46(II) (2022); R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-3.1-13 (2022). In any event, it was the legislature
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W. David Nichols v. Alabama State Bar (11th Cir. 2016).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Ala. Const. art. I, § 14, now codified as § 15). 3 Given that Nichols sues only the
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Cox v. Game, 373 So. 2d 364 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 1979 Fla. App. LEXIS 14850

the appellants’ claim, 3 American Law of Property § 15.3 (A. J. Casner ed. 1952) states: Mere assertions
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Harrell's, LLC v. Agrium Advanced (U.S.) Tech., Inc., 795 F. Supp. 2d 1321 (M.D. Fla. 2011).

Published | District Court, M.D. Florida | 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62693, 2011 WL 2418892

...The Operating Agreement The Court first turns to the issue of whether the parties agreed to arbitrate. Article 15 of the Operating Agreement, entitled "Termination and Dissolution," provides the following: Section 15.01 Impasse. In the event that the Members or the Board of Managers reach an "Impasse" (as defined in Section 15.03 below) with respect to the operations of the Company, either Member shall be entitled to demand mediation in accordance with the procedures set forth below. The purpose of such mediation shall be to make a binding determination as to whether the matter in controversy constitutes an Impasse in order to work to resolve such controversy. (Doc. # 10-4 at 21, § 15.01). Section 15.03 defines "Impasse" and outlines an arbitration and mediation process aimed at its resolution: Section 15.03 Impasse Resolution....
...If the dispute has not been resolved after thirty (30) full days of mediation, then either Member may demand the Termination of the Company, whereupon the Company shall be liquidated and dissolved in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the LLC Act. (Doc. # 10-4 at 22, § 15.03). [1] The Court notes, as a threshold matter, that the use of the word "mediation," rather than "arbitration," in Sections 15.01 and 15.03 does not bar invocation of the FAA....
...In contrast, the FAA presumes that the arbitration process itself will produce a resolution independent of the parties' acquiescence—an award which declares the parties' rights and which may be confirmed with the force of a judgment. Id. at 1240 (internal citations omitted). Here, Section 15.03 prescribes a two-phase resolution mechanism for impasses consisting of arbitration in the first instance followed by mediation....
...bound by, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules of the Georgia Supreme Court, who possess experience in "financial, accounting and general business matters," and who will make "binding" determinations regarding the nature of the impasses. Id. at § 15.03....
...Because a deadlock "with respect to the operations of the Company" triggers Section 15. 03, the Court determines that Counts I and II are subject to the arbitration and mediation process. Harrell's and Florala suggest that Counts I and II should be excluded from the procedures set forth in Section 15.03 on the basis that they "do not seek money damages [or injunctive relief], but rather a judicial declaration of whether, on two alternative theories, [Agrium Advanced] is liable for breach of the duty of loyalty to Florala and/or Harrell's." (Doc. # 16 at 18). The Court is not persuaded by this argument. The critical factor is not, as Harrell's and Florala suggest, the form of relief sought; rather, it is whether the claims in this case are encompassed within the scope of Section 15.03....
...Count V seeks restitution by disgorgement of all unlawful profits. Id. at 13. Because these claims, like Counts I and II, are steeped in the substance of the disputes engendering deadlock at the meeting held on September 13, 2010, the Court determines that they are subject to Section 15.03's arbitration and mediation requirement....
...Moreover, the transcript of the September 13, 2010, meeting shows that the Board of Managers deadlocked regarding issues impacting the breach of contract claim in Count VI. ( See Doc. # 10-3 at 26-27, 59-60, 68-69, 71-72). As such, Count VI falls within the ambit of Section 15.03's arbitration and mediation procedure....
...of arbitration." Moses H. Cone Memorial Hosp., 460 U.S. at 24-25, 103 S.Ct. 927. None of the contract provisions referenced by Harrell's and Florala bar the disputes in this case from activating the arbitration and mediation procedures set forth in Section 15.03. After a careful review of the record and the arguments presented, the Court determines that the arbitration and mediation procedures prescribed in Section 15.03 encompass all of the claims of this case....
...ve dispute resolution process. NOTES [1] The Court notes that Section 15.02 excludes a specified class of disagreements from constituting an "Impasse." ( See Doc. # 10-4 at 21-22, § 15.02). Section 15.02 does not affect the Court's analysis because Section 15.03 expressly delegates the task of "mak[ing] a binding determination as to whether the matter in controversy . . . does not constitute a Non-Impasse Item" to the arbitrators. (Doc. # 10-4 at 22, § 15.03); see First Options of Chicago, Inc., 514 U.S....
...pon what the parties agreed about that matter.") (internal citations omitted). [2] Implicit in this argument is Harrell's and Florala's agreement that the Operating Agreement contains an agreement to arbitrate. [3] Harrell's and Florala suggest that Section 15.03 may be evaluated by considering whether the dispute was reasonably foreseeable to the parties when they entered into the Operating Agreement....
...Harrell's and Florala argue that the "arbitration of claims for . . . tortious breach of loyalty by direct competition with Florala [cannot] be deemed `reasonably foreseeable'" because Section 15.02 of the Operating Agreement excludes a specific class of disagreements from being an "Impasse Item" pursuant to Section 15.03. (Doc. # 16 at 9; see Doc. # 10-4 at 21-22, § 15.02). The Court rejects this argument because, as explained in Footnote 1, Section 15.03 specifically designates that it is the arbitrators who "will make a binding determination as to whether the matter in controversy . . . does not constitute a Non-Impasse Item." (Doc. # 10-4 at 22, § 15.03). [4] Harrell's and Florala urge the Court to adopt a "collateral agreement" analysis to determine whether the scope of Section 15.03 encompasses Count VI....
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Derrick Anthony DeBruce v. Comm'r, Alabama Dep't of Corr. (11th Cir. 2014).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

of limitations for violent crimes. See Ala. Code § 15-3-5(a)(2). Nonetheless, DeBruce knows what he said
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Richard Lee Brown v. Sec'y, U.S. Dep't of Health & Human Servs. (11th Cir. 2021).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

unpaid rent against his tenant. See S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-600. If his tenant does not voluntarily make payments
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United States ex rel. Phalp v. Lincare Holdings, Inc., 116 F. Supp. 3d 1326 (S.D. Fla. 2015).

Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99285, 2015 WL 4528955

(2012); CMS Medicare Program Integrity Manual Ch. 15 .§ 15.3 DE 195-4). At the *1334provider’s request, the
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Richemond v. Uber Tech., Inc., 263 F. Supp. 3d 1312 (S.D. Fla. 2017).

Published | District Court, S.D. Florida

modified as follows: Except as provided in Section' 15.3(v), below, regarding the Class Action Waiver
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Ashmore v. Ashmore, 241 So. 2d 424 (Fla. 3d DCA 1970).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1970 Fla. App. LEXIS 5430

(Second), Conflict of Laws (Tent.Draft Xo. 2, 1954) § 15(3).

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