DRUNKENNESS; OPEN HOUSE PARTIES; LOITERING; PROWLING; DESERTION
856.011 Disorderly intoxication.
856.015 Open house parties.
856.021 Loitering or prowling; penalty.
856.022 Loitering or prowling by certain offenders in close proximity to children; prohibition on contact or communication with children in certain locations; penalty.
856.031 Arrest without warrant.
856.04 Desertion; withholding support; proviso.
856.011 Disorderly intoxication.—
(1) No person in the state shall be intoxicated and endanger the safety of another person or property, and no person in the state shall be intoxicated or drink any alcoholic beverage in a public place or in or upon any public conveyance and cause a public disturbance.
(2) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(3) Any person who shall have been convicted or have forfeited collateral under the provisions of subsection (1) three times in the preceding 12 months shall be deemed a habitual offender and may be committed by the court to an appropriate treatment resource for a period of not more than 60 days. Any peace officer, in lieu of incarcerating an intoxicated person for violation of subsection (1), may take or send the intoxicated person to her or his home or to a public or private health facility, and the law enforcement officer may take reasonable measures to ascertain the commercial transportation used for such purposes is paid for by such person in advance. Any law enforcement officers so acting shall be considered as carrying out their official duty.
History.—s. 16A, ch. 71-132; s. 1383, ch. 97-102.
856.015 Open house parties.—
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Alcoholic beverage” means distilled spirits and any beverage containing 0.5 percent or more alcohol by volume. The percentage of alcohol by volume shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of s. 561.01(4)(b).
(b) “Control” means the authority or ability to regulate, direct, or dominate.
(c) “Drug” means a controlled substance, as that term is defined in ss. 893.02(4) and 893.03.
(d) “Minor” means an individual not legally permitted by reason of age to possess alcoholic beverages pursuant to chapter 562.
(e) “Open house party” means a social gathering at a residence.
(f) “Person” means an individual 18 years of age or older.
(g) “Residence” means a home, apartment, condominium, or other dwelling unit.
(2) A person having control of any residence may not allow an open house party to take place at the residence if any alcoholic beverage or drug is possessed or consumed at the residence by any minor where the person knows that an alcoholic beverage or drug is in the possession of or being consumed by a minor at the residence and where the person fails to take reasonable steps to prevent the possession or consumption of the alcoholic beverage or drug.
(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the use of alcoholic beverages at legally protected religious observances or activities.
(4) Any person who violates any of the provisions of subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A person who violates subsection (2) a second or subsequent time commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(5) If a violation of subsection (2) causes or contributes to causing serious bodily injury, as defined in s. 316.1933, or death to the minor, or if the minor causes or contributes to causing serious bodily injury or death to another as a result of the minor’s consumption of alcohol or drugs at the open house party, the violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.—ss. 4, 5, 6, 7, ch. 88-196; ss. 64, 65, 66, 67, ch. 88-381; s. 45, ch. 91-110; s. 217, ch. 91-224; s. 103, ch. 97-264; s. 9, ch. 99-186; s. 19, ch. 2000-320; s. 1, ch. 2002-60; s. 9, ch. 2002-78; s. 1, ch. 2011-161; s. 30, ch. 2016-145.
856.021 Loitering or prowling; penalty.—
(1) It is unlawful for any person to loiter or prowl in a place, at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals, under circumstances that warrant a justifiable and reasonable alarm or immediate concern for the safety of persons or property in the vicinity.
(2) Among the circumstances which may be considered in determining whether such alarm or immediate concern is warranted is the fact that the person takes flight upon appearance of a law enforcement officer, refuses to identify himself or herself, or manifestly endeavors to conceal himself or herself or any object. Unless flight by the person or other circumstance makes it impracticable, a law enforcement officer shall, prior to any arrest for an offense under this section, afford the person an opportunity to dispel any alarm or immediate concern which would otherwise be warranted by requesting the person to identify himself or herself and explain his or her presence and conduct. No person shall be convicted of an offense under this section if the law enforcement officer did not comply with this procedure or if it appears at trial that the explanation given by the person is true and, if believed by the officer at the time, would have dispelled the alarm or immediate concern.
(3) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.—s. 1, ch. 72-133; s. 1384, ch. 97-102.
856.022 Loitering or prowling by certain offenders in close proximity to children; prohibition on contact or communication with children in certain locations; penalty.—
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), this section applies to a person convicted of committing, or attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to commit, any of the criminal offenses proscribed in the following statutes in this state or similar offenses in another jurisdiction against a victim who was younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense: s. 787.01, s. 787.02, or s. 787.025(2)(c), where the victim is a minor; s. 787.06(3)(g); s. 794.011, excluding s. 794.011(10); s. 794.05; former s. 796.03; former s. 796.035; s. 800.04; s. 825.1025; s. 827.071; s. 847.0133; s. 847.0135, excluding s. 847.0135(6); s. 847.0137; s. 847.0138; s. 847.0145; s. 985.701(1); or any similar offense committed in this state which has been redesignated from a former statute number to one of those listed in this subsection, if the person has not received a pardon for any felony or similar law of another jurisdiction necessary for the operation of this subsection and a conviction of a felony or similar law of another jurisdiction necessary for the operation of this subsection has not been set aside in any postconviction proceeding.
(2) This section does not apply to a person who has been removed from the requirement to register as a sexual offender or sexual predator pursuant to s. 943.04354.
(3) A person described in subsection (1) commits loitering and prowling by a person convicted of a sexual offense against a minor if, in committing loitering and prowling, he or she was within 500 feet of a place where children were congregating.
(4)(a) It is unlawful for a person described in subsection (1) to knowingly contact, communicate with, or approach with the intent to contact or communicate with a person younger than 18 years of age in any park building or on real property comprising any park, playground, or public swimming pool. This subsection does not prohibit a person from contacting, communicating with, or approaching with the intent to contact or communicate with, a person younger than 18 years of age if such person is his or her family or household member as defined in s. 741.28.
(b) It is unlawful for a person described in subsection (1) to knowingly be present in any child care facility or school containing any students in prekindergarten through grade 12 or on real property comprising any child care facility or school containing any students in prekindergarten through grade 12 when the child care facility or school is in operation, if such person fails to:
1. Provide written notification to the school board, superintendent, principal, or child care facility owner that he or she has a conviction specified in subsection (1) and that he or she intends to be present at the school or child care facility;
2. Notify the child care facility owner or the school principal’s office when he or she arrives and departs the child care facility or school; and
3. Remain under direct supervision of a school official or designated chaperone when present in the vicinity of children. As used in this paragraph, the term “school official” means a principal, a school resource officer, a teacher or any other employee of the school, the superintendent of schools, a member of the school board, a child care facility owner, or a child care provider.
(c) A person is not in violation of paragraph (b) if:
1. The child care facility or school is a voting location and the person is present for the purpose of voting during the hours designated for voting;
2. The person is a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian who is only dropping off or picking up his or her child or grandchild at the child care facility or school; or
3. The person is attending a religious service as defined in s. 775.0861.
(5) A person who violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(6) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Child care facility” has the same meaning 1as in s. 402.302.
(b) “Park” has the same meaning as in s. 775.215(1).
(c) “Playground” has the same meaning as in s. 775.215(1).
(d) “Public swimming pool” means a structure that is located either indoors or outdoors and used for recreational bathing or swimming by humans, including the area immediately surrounding the structure. The term includes a conventional pool, spa-type pool, wading pool, special purpose pool, spray pool, splash pad, or other water recreation attraction, to which admission may be gained with or without payment of a fee, regardless of whether entry to the swimming pool is limited by a gate or other method of controlling access. The term also includes, but is not limited to, pools operated by or serving camps, churches, governmental entities, day care centers, parks, schools, subdivisions, apartments, condominiums, hotels, motels, mobile home parks, recreational vehicle parks, and townhouses. The term does not include a swimming pool at a private single-family residence or a swimming pool where the operator prohibits the use of such pool by persons younger than 18 years of age.
(e) “School” has the same meaning as in s. 775.215(1).
History.—ss. 1, 18, ch. 2010-92; s. 22, ch. 2014-160; s. 2, ch. 2016-104; s. 2, ch. 2026-17.
1Note.—The words “as in” were added by the editors to conform to context.
856.031 Arrest without warrant.—Any sheriff, police officer, or other law enforcement officer may arrest any suspected loiterer or prowler without a warrant in case delay in procuring one would probably enable such suspected loiterer or prowler to escape arrest.
History.—s. 2, ch. 72-133; s. 34, ch. 73-334; s. 1385, ch. 97-102.
856.04 Desertion; withholding support; proviso.—
(1) Any man who shall in this state desert his wife and children, or either of them, or his wife where there are no children or child, or who shall willfully withhold from them or either of them, the means of support, or any mother, who shall desert her child or children, or who shall willfully withhold from them the means of support, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. However, no husband shall be prosecuted under this section for the desertion of his wife, or for withholding from his wife the means of supporting her where there is existing, at the time of such desertion or withholding, such cause or causes as are recognized as ground or grounds for dissolution of marriage, by statute, in this state, if such person shall have provided for the support of his children, if there be any.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a child born out of wedlock shall be deemed to be the child of a man who has been adjudged or decreed to be the father of such child by a court of competent jurisdiction of this state or of any other jurisdiction.
History.—s. 1, ch. 4553, 1897; GS 3569; s. 1, ch. 6483, 1913; RGS 5496; CGL 7654; s. 1, ch. 59-147; s. 1, ch. 61-335; s. 1, ch. 65-210; s. 1077, ch. 71-136; s. 9, ch. 75-166.
