Legislative activity
Florida Statute § 828.12 — Cruelty to animals
Florida's core cruelty statute sets misdemeanor penalties for basic cruelty, felony penalties for aggravated cruelty, and now includes a statewide offender-posting requirement starting January 1, 2026.
Status snapshot
Jurisdiction
Florida
Item type
statute reference
Latest action
The 2025 statute text adds a Department of Law Enforcement website-posting requirement beginning January 1, 2026 for people convicted of or pleading to violations of this section.
Latest action date
Jan 1, 2026
Law summary
Section 828.12 is Florida's main animal-cruelty charging statute. It covers basic cruelty, aggravated cruelty, separate charging for multiple acts or animals, court authority to restrict future ownership, and a new public-record-style website posting requirement that begins January 1, 2026.
Why it matters
This is the primary statewide legal anchor for cruelty accountability in Florida. It matters to the legislation page because it ties criminal charge levels to a new searchable public-posting requirement that directly affects screening, verification, and public-record workflows.
Source trail
Key dates
Introduced: Not published
Effective: Jan 1, 2026
Comment deadline: Not published
Election date: Not published
Source last checked: Jun 16, 2026
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