Florida Statute 316.156 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL

View Entire Chapter

316.156 Signals by hand and arm or signal lamps.—

(1) Any stop or turn signal when required herein shall be given either by means of the hand and arm or by signal lamps, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2).

(2) Any motor vehicle in use on a highway shall be equipped with, and required signal shall be given by, signal lamps when the distance from the center of the top of the steering post to the left outside limit of the body, cab or load of such motor vehicle exceeds 24 inches, or when the distance from the center of the top of the steering post to the rear limit of the body or load thereof exceeds 14 feet. The latter measurement shall apply to any single vehicle and also to any combination of vehicles.

(3) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable pursuant to chapter 318 as either a moving violation for infractions of subsection (1) or as a nonmoving violation for infractions of subsection (2).

History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 130, ch. 99-248.

F.S. 316.156 on Google Scholar

F.S. 316.156 on CourtListener

Amendments to 316.156

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Civil Citations / Citable Offenses under S316.156

R or S next to points is Mandatory Revocation or Suspension

S316.156 (1) Failed to signal for change in direction/slowing - Points on Drivers License: 3

S316.156 (2) TURN SIGNALS - vehicle NOT equipped with - Points on Drivers License: 0

Cases Citing Statute 316.156

Total Results: 2 | Sort by: Relevance | Newest First

Copy

State v. Frierson, 926 So. 2d 1139 (Fla. 2006).

Cited 44 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 2006 WL 300660

...[2] The officer also suggested that the failure to signal a turn and the cracked lens cover caused him to suspect that the mechanical turn signal on Frierson's car did not function. This could not support a traffic stop because Florida law permits hand signals by drivers of standard size passenger cars. See § 316.156, Fla....

Copy

Classy Cycles, Inc. v. Bay Cnty., 201 So. 3d 779 (Fla. 1st DCA 2016).

Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 14507

...ether they were called motorcycles, mopeds, or motor vehicles, it is clear in addition to numerous specific requirements for motorcycles and mopeds, Chapter 316 has numerous provisions related to the safety requirements of motor vehicles. See, e.g., § 316.156 (signal lamps), § 316.215 (vehicles in unsafe condition), § 316.216 (approval of lighting devices), § 316.217 (when lighted lamps are required), § 316.220 (headlamps), § 316.221 (tail-lamps), § 316.222 (stop lamps and turn signals),...

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. Attorney Syfert regularly works with Chapter 316 in the context of traffic and automobile accident law and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.