Florida Statute 316.215 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL

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316.215 Scope and effect of regulations.—

(1) It is a violation of this chapter for any person to drive or move, or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any highway any vehicle, or combination of vehicles, which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, which does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with such lamps and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required in this chapter, or which is equipped in any manner in violation of this chapter, or for any person to do any act forbidden, or fail to perform any act required, under this chapter.

(2) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the use of additional parts and accessories on any vehicle not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.

(3) The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment required on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers, or farm tractors except as herein made applicable.

(4) The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment required on vehicles shall not apply to motorcycles or motor-driven cycles, except as herein made applicable.

(5) The provisions of this chapter and 49 C.F.R. part 393, with respect to number, visibility, distribution of light, and mounting height requirements for headlamps, auxiliary lamps, and turn signals shall not apply to a front-end loading collection vehicle, when:

(a) The front-end loading mechanism and container or containers are in the lowered position;

(b) The vehicle is engaged in collecting solid waste or recyclable or recovered materials; and

(c) The vehicle is being operated at speeds less than 20 miles per hour with the vehicular hazard-warning lights activated.

(6) The provisions of any motor vehicle equipment laws or regulations of this state which relate to or support motor vehicle operation by a human driver but are not relevant for an automated driving system shall not apply to fully autonomous vehicles that are designed to be operated exclusively by the automated driving system for all trips.

(7) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 1, ch. 76-31; s. 6, ch. 97-280; s. 31, ch. 97-300; s. 170, ch. 99-248; s. 3, ch. 2021-233.

Note.—Former s. 316.059.

F.S. 316.215 on Google Scholar

F.S. 316.215 on CourtListener

Amendments to 316.215

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Civil Citations / Citable Offenses under S316.215

R or S next to points is Mandatory Revocation or Suspension

S316.215 DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT - OWNER permitting use with - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.215 DRIVER operating vehicle with unsafe/defective equipment -1 defect per citation - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.215 Defective lights/brakes/tires/steering/Defective or no muffler/other Defective equipment - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.215 (1) Owner permitting use with defective equipment - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.215 (1) DRIVER operating vehicle with unsafe/defective equipment - Points on Drivers License: 0

Cases Citing Statute 316.215

Total Results: 3 | Sort by: Relevance | Newest First

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Hilton v. State, 901 So. 2d 155 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005).

Cited 16 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 30 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 453

...NOTES [1] "The Fourth Amendment guarantees `[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.'" Whren, 517 U.S. at 809, 116 S.Ct. 1769. [2] The prohibitions contained in the introductory paragraph of section 316.610 are also set forth verbatim in section 316.215(1)....

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State v. Cobbs, 411 So. 2d 212 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982).

Cited 10 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

...The trial court suppressed evidence seized from the defendant incidental to an arrest following a stop found to be unlawful. The determination that the stop was unlawful was based on two conclusions, both of which are, in our view, erroneous. The first was that the provisions of Section 316.215, Florida Statutes (1979), which, inter alia, make it a violation of the State Uniform Traffic Control Law to operate ill-equipped vehicles are inapplicable to motorcycles. But as Section 316.215(4) so plainly states: "The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment required on vehicles shall not apply to motorcycles or motordriven cycles, except as herein made applicable." (emphasis supplied)....

...es (1979), compels the conclusion that this equipment requirement applies to motorcycles. Thus, the defendant could, by operating a motorcycle which generated excessive sound levels and which may have been ill-equipped to prevent this noise, violate Section 316.215....

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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

...rcycles, 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), § 316.2395 (headlamps), §...

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.