Penalties for Prostitution and Related Acts

HB 1467 2026

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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to penalties for prostitution and 2
related acts; amending s. 796.07, F.S.; revising 3
penalties for certain offenses; amending ss. 456.074 4
and 480.041, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes 5
made by the act; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Subsections (4), (5), and (7) of section 10
796.07, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (2) of 11
that section is republished, to read: 12
796.07 Prohibiting prostitution and related acts.— 13
(2) It is unlawful: 14
(a) To own, establish, maintain, or operate any place, 15
structure, building, or conveyance for the purpose of lewdness, 16
assignation, or prostitution. 17
(b) To offer, or to offer or agree to secure, another for 18
the purpose of prostitution or for any other lewd or indecent 19
act. 20
(c) To receive, or to offer or agree to receive, any 21
person into any place, structure, building, or conveyance for 22
the purpose of prostitution, lewdness, or assignation, or to 23
permit any person to remain there for such purpose. 24
(d) To direct, take, or transport, or to offer or agree to 25

HB 1467 2026

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direct, take, or transport, any person to any place, structure, 26
or building, or to any other person, with knowledge or 27
reasonable cause to believe that the purpose of such directing, 28
taking, or transporting is prostitution, lewdness, or 29
assignation. 30
(e) For a person 18 years of age or older to offer to 31
commit, or to commit, or to engage in, prostitution, lewdness, 32
or assignation. 33
(f) To solicit, induce, entice, or procure another to 34
commit prostitution, lewdness, or assignation. 35
(g) To reside in, enter, or remain in, any place, 36
structure, or building, or to enter or remain in any conveyance, 37
for the purpose of prostitution, lewdness, or assignation. 38
(h) To aid, abet, or participate in any of the acts or 39
things enumerated in this subsection. 40
(i) To purchase the services of any person engaged in 41
prostitution. 42
(4)(a) A person who violates any provision of this 43
section, other than paragraph (2)(e) or paragraph (2)(g) (2)(f), 44
commits: 45
1. A misdemeanor of the first second degree for a first 46
violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 47
2. A felony misdemeanor of the third first degree for a 48
second violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, or s. 49
775.083, or 775.084. 50

HB 1467 2026

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3. A felony of the second third degree for a third or 51
subsequent violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 52
775.083, or s. 775.084. 53
(b)1. In addition to any other penalty imposed, the court 54
shall order a person convicted of a violation of paragraph 55
(2)(f) to: 56
a. Perform 100 hours of community service. 57
b. Pay for and attend an educational program as described 58
in subsection (8), if such a program exists in the judicial 59
circuit in which the offender is sentenced. 60
2. In addition to any other penalty imposed, the court 61
shall sentence a person convicted of a second or subsequent 62
violation of paragraph (2)(f) to a minimum mandatory period of 63
incarceration of 10 days. 64
3.a. If a person who violates paragraph (2)(f) uses a 65
vehicle in the course of the violation, the judge, upon the 66
person's conviction, may issue an order for the impoundment or 67
immobilization of the vehicle for a period of up to 60 days. The 68
order of impoundment or immobilization must include the names 69
and telephone numbers of all immobilization agencies meeting all 70
of the conditions of s. 316.193(13). Within 7 business days 71
after the date that the court issues the order of impoundment or 72
immobilization, the clerk of the court must send notice by 73
certified mail, return receipt requested, to the registered 74
owner of the vehicle, if the registered owner is a person other 75

HB 1467 2026

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than the defendant, and to each person of record claiming a lien 76
against the vehicle. 77
b. The owner of the vehicle may request the court to 78
dismiss the order. The court must dismiss the order, and the 79
owner of the vehicle will incur no costs, if the owner of the 80
vehicle alleges and the court finds to be true any of the 81
following: 82
(I) The owner's family has no other private or public 83
means of transportation; 84
(II) The vehicle was stolen at the time of the offense; 85
(III) The owner purchased the vehicle after the offense 86
was committed, and the sale was not made to circumvent the order 87
and allow the defendant continued access to the vehicle; or 88
(IV) The vehicle is owned by the defendant but is operated 89
solely by employees of the defendant or employees of a business 90
owned by the defendant. 91
c. If the court denies the request to dismiss the order, 92
the petitioner may request an evidentiary hearing. If, at the 93
evidentiary hearing, the court finds to be true any of the 94
circumstances described in sub-sub-subparagraphs b.(I)-(IV), the 95
court must dismiss the order and the owner of the vehicle will 96
incur no costs. 97
(b) A person who is charged with a third or subsequent 98
violation of this section, other than paragraph (2)(f), shall be 99
offered admission to a pretrial intervention program or a 100

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substance abuse treatment program as provided in s. 948.08. 101
(5)(a) A person who violates paragraph (2)(e) or paragraph 102
(2)(g) (2)(f) commits: 103
(a)1. A misdemeanor of the second first degree for a first 104
violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 105
(b)2. A misdemeanor felony of the first third degree for a 106
second violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or, s. 107
775.083, or s. 775.084. 108
(c)3. A felony of the third second degree for a third or 109
subsequent violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 110
775.083, or s. 775.084. 111
(b) In addition to any other penalty imposed, the court 112
shall order a person convicted of a violation of paragraph 113
(2)(f) to: 114
1. Perform 100 hours of community service. 115
2. Pay for and attend an educational program as described 116
in subsection (8), if such a program exists in the judicial 117
circuit in which the offender is sentenced. 118
(c) In addition to any other penalty imposed, the court 119
shall sentence a person convicted of a second or subsequent 120
violation of paragraph (2)(f) to a minimum mandatory period of 121
incarceration of 10 days. 122
(d)1. If a person who violates paragraph (2)(f) uses a 123
vehicle in the course of the violation, the judge, upon the 124
person's conviction, may issue an order for the impoundment or 125

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immobilization of the vehicle for a period of up to 60 days. The 126
order of impoundment or immobilization must include the names 127
and telephone numbers of all immobilization agencies meeting all 128
of the conditions of s. 316.193(13). Within 7 business days 129
after the date that the court issues the order of impoundment or 130
immobilization, the clerk of the court must send notice by 131
certified mail, return receipt requested, to the registered 132
owner of the vehicle, if the registered owner is a person other 133
than the defendant, and to each person of record claiming a lien 134
against the vehicle. 135
2. The owner of the vehicle may request the court to 136
dismiss the order. The court must dismiss the order, and the 137
owner of the vehicle will incur no costs, if the owner of the 138
vehicle alleges and the court finds to be true any of the 139
following: 140
a. The owner's family has no other private or public means 141
of transportation; 142
b. The vehicle was stolen at the time of the offense; 143
c. The owner purchased the vehicle after the offense was 144
committed, and the sale was not made to circumvent the order and 145
allow the defendant continued access to the vehicle; or 146
d. The vehicle is owned by the defendant but is operated 147
solely by employees of the defendant or employees of a business 148
owned by the defendant. 149
3. If the court denies the request to dismiss the order, 150

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the petitioner may request an evidentiary hearing. If, at the 151
evidentiary hearing, the court finds to be true any of the 152
circumstances described in sub-subparagraphs (d)2.a.-d., the 153
court must dismiss the order and the owner of the vehicle will 154
incur no costs. 155
(7) If the place, structure, building, or conveyance that 156
is owned, established, maintained, or operated in violation of 157
paragraph (2)(a) is a massage establishment that is or should be 158
licensed under s. 480.043, the offense shall be reclassified to 159
the next higher degree as follows: 160
(a) A misdemeanor of the first second degree for a first 161
violation is reclassified as a felony misdemeanor of the third 162
first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, or s. 163
775.083, or s. 775.084. 164
(b) A felony misdemeanor of the third first degree for a 165
second violation is reclassified as a felony of the second third 166
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 167
775.084. 168
(c) A felony of the second third degree for a third or 169
subsequent violation is reclassified as a felony of the first 170
second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, 171
or s. 775.084. 172
Section 2. Paragraph (l) of subsection (4) and paragraph 173
(q) of subsection (5) of section 456.074, Florida Statutes, are 174
amended to read: 175

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456.074 Certain health care practitioners; immediate 176
suspension of license.— 177
(4) The department shall issue an emergency order 178
suspending the license of a massage therapist and establishment 179
as those terms are defined in chapter 480 upon receipt of 180
information that the massage therapist; the designated 181
establishment manager as defined in chapter 480; an employee of 182
the establishment; a person with an ownership interest in the 183
establishment; or, for a corporation that has more than $250,000 184
of business assets in this state, the owner, officer, or 185
individual directly involved in the management of the 186
establishment has been arrested for committing or attempting, 187
soliciting, or conspiring to commit, or convicted or found 188
guilty of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere 189
to, regardless of adjudication, a violation of s. 796.07 or a 190
felony offense under any of the following provisions of state 191
law or a similar provision in another jurisdiction: 192
(l) Section 796.07(4)(a)3., relating to a felony of the 193
second third degree for a third or subsequent violation of s. 194
796.07, relating to prohibiting prostitution and related acts. 195
(5) The department shall issue an emergency order 196
suspending the license of any health care practitioner who is 197
arrested for committing or attempting, soliciting, or conspiring 198
to commit any act that would constitute a violation of any of 199
the following criminal offenses in this state or similar 200

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offenses in another jurisdiction: 201
(q) Section 796.07(4)(a)3., relating to a felony of the 202
second third degree for a third or subsequent violation of s. 203
796.07, relating to prohibiting prostitution and related acts. 204
Section 3. Paragraph (l) of subsection (6) of section 205
480.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 206
480.041 Massage therapists; qualifications; licensure; 207
endorsement.— 208
(6) The board shall deny an application for a new or 209
renewal license if an applicant has been convicted or found 210
guilty of, or enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, 211
regardless of adjudication, a violation of s. 796.07(2)(a) which 212
is reclassified under s. 796.07(7) or a felony offense under any 213
of the following provisions of state law or a similar provision 214
in another jurisdiction: 215
(l) Section 796.07(4)(a)3., relating to a felony of the 216
second third degree for a third or subsequent violation of s. 217
796.07, relating to prohibiting prostitution and related acts. 218
Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026. 219