Motor Vehicle Racing Penalties

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details on enforcement mechanisms.

Motor Vehicle Racing Penalties

This bill increases penalties for organizing or helping with illegal motor vehicle races and similar activities through social media or other means.

What This Bill Does

• Increases the punishment for organizing or helping with illegal car races, drag races, street takeovers, stunt driving, competitions, contests, tests, or exhibitions from a misdemeanor to a felony if coordinated through social media or otherwise.
• Requires people who break these rules to pay fines ranging from $2,500 to $4,000 instead of just $500 to $2,000 for less serious violations.
• Revokes the driver's license of anyone found guilty under this law for one year.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who organize or help with illegal car races and similar activities through social media or other means.
• Drivers whose licenses will be revoked if they are caught breaking these rules.

Terms To Know

Felony

A serious crime that can lead to more severe punishments than a misdemeanor, such as longer jail time and bigger fines.

Misdemeanor

A less serious crime with lighter penalties compared to felonies, like smaller fines or shorter jail sentences.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how it will be enforced or what happens if someone violates the law but doesn't use social media.
• It is unclear whether this bill will pass all stages of review and become a law before its effective date of October 1, 2026.

Official Summary Text

Motor Vehicle Racing Penalties; Increasing penalties for violations of the prohibition against coordinating through social media or otherwise or facilitating a prohibited race, a drag race, a street takeover, stunt driving, a competition, a contest, a test, or an exhibition, etc.

Current Bill Text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1538

By
Senator Pizzo

37-01581-26 20261538__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to motor vehicle racing penalties;
3 amending s. 316.191, F.S.; increasing penalties for
4 violations of the prohibition against coordinating
5 through social media or otherwise or facilitating a
6 prohibited race, a drag race, a street takeover, stunt
7 driving, a competition, a contest, a test, or an
8 exhibition; providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
13 316.191, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 316.191 Racing on highways, street takeovers, and stunt
15 driving.—
16 (3)(a)
A

Any
person who violates subsection (2) commits a
17 misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
18 775.082 or s. 775.083
, and must
. Any person who violates

19
subsection (2)
shall
pay a fine of not less than $500 and not
20 more than $2,000,
except that a person who in any manner

21
coordinates through social media or otherwise or
who
facilitates

22
a race,
a
drag race,
a
street takeover, stunt driving,
a

23
competition,
a
contest,
a
test, or
an
exhibition in violation of

24
paragraph (2)(b) commits a felony of the third degree,

25
punishable as provided in s. 775.082
or
s. 775.083
, and must pay

26
a fine of
not less than $2,500 and not more than $4,000
.

and
The
27 department shall revoke the driver license of a person so
28 convicted for 1 year. A hearing may be requested pursuant to s.
29 322.271.
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.